Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 85 years, you probably have at least a passing familiarity with Batman. And likely also with his billionaire playboy philanthropist alter ego, Bruce Wayne.
And thus, you've probably also heard of Wayne Enterprises, even if only in passing.
But it's a fictional business, right?
It may have started out that way, but thanks to Warner Brothers Discovery, it isn't only fiction anymore.
Instead, and I'll quote the official website here, "the Wayne Enterprises Experience is a first-of-its-kind, ultra-luxury commerce environment that immerses you in the world of DC's Bruce Wayne, the billionaire civilian persona of The Batman."
It promises a highly curated luxury experience, full of the kinds of things you'd probably expect from all that you've learned about it so far.
There are watches, of course. Art, tech, an entire Automobili Pininfarina collection, and even an extremely limited edition Wayne Enterprises Tumbler, based on the vehicle from the Christopher Nolan trilogy. Incidentally, only 10 of those will ever be made, and according to WE, it will also be 'fully functional.' No sign yet of any Batpods, though.
That's not why you're here, though.
No, you're here to see a man (possibly even one who sounds an awful lot like Michael Caine; who can say?) about a personal watercraft.
A luxury electric personal watercraft, to be more precise.
The Wayne Enterprises Maverick GT Stormy Knight by T3mp3st
Just 27 of these luxury electric personal watercraft will ever be made by the Silicon Valley-based company T3mp3st. Based on its existing Maverick GT electric watercraft, this is an 'electric exploration vehicle,' or EEV, says its maker. Each one is 'rapidly custom made' (or RCM, because the tech, automotive, and powersports industries all definitely love their acronyms) in the US.
T3mp3st doesn't go too deeply into specifics, but the materials used include carbon fiber, stainless steel, and core foam epoxy.
As for specs on paper, the all-electric Maverick GT Stormy Knight boasts an electric motor that makes the equivalent of 350 horsepower. Furthermore, T3mp3st says it can reach speeds of 85 miles per hour, has an approximately 75 mile range on a single charge, and can run for about six hours.
It seats up to 4, and also has Garmin navigation with integrated iOS and Apple Watch voice command. A specific example of saying "Hey GT, come get me!" is given in the description, so it looks like your own personal Alfred Pennyworth is off the hook for marine rescue missions this time.
The six-hour run time differs slightly from the regular T3mp3st Maverick GT specs given on the company website. That vehicle lists a four-hour run time, and says that with L3 fast charging, 60 minutes is sufficient to get the battery up to 80 percent of a full charge for the 100 kWh unit. The regular Maverick GT's listed weight is 1,300 pounds; it's unclear how this compares to the Maverick GT Stormy Knight.
Who Or What Is T3mp3st?
The tech company started in 2021 as a California Benefit Corporation. What's that, you ask? Honestly, it sounds very Bruce Wayne when you read more about it. While it is a for-profit (not a non-profit) corporation, a California Benefit Corporation "must adopt a purpose to create a general public benefit, defined as 'a material positive impact on society and the environment, taken as a whole, as assessed against a third-party standard," writes San Diego Corporate Law, citing California Corporate Code § 14601(c).
The company formed in 2021, and was founded by Nico Sell, who was also one of the founders of encrypted messaging app Wickr. When she's not busy with her day job (or successfully turning down FBI requests to build backdoors into her secure messaging app), she enjoys surfing and other athletic pursuits.
As a person who lives on planet Earth, she's also concerned about the environment. Eventually, a confluence of her interests pushed her to pursue T3mp3st, and making electric watercraft. Why?
“A typical jet ski or snowmobile produces 200 times the emissions of one car," she's quoted as saying in a Government Executive piece about T3mp3st's 2022 partnership with the US Department of Defense on experimenting with electric jetskis, specifically for search and rescue missions.
Later on, the thought is that they could also be converted into autonomous drones. (Since the piece was written in 2022, perhaps that's even already happened.)
While Wayne Enterprises has mainly been a fictional operation until recently, T3mp3st certainly sounds like it fits right into the ecosystem established across multiple decades of Batman-established lore.
Only 27 will ever be made, and it's currently listed as being available for preorder as of May 23, 2024. It'll cost you a cool $250,000, with a $10,000 deposit required immediately. This price does not include shipping, handling, tax, and additional fees.
