Solar Canoes Replacing Gasoline on Amazon Rivers

Kara Solar, launched in 2016 as a collaboration between engineers and the Achuar Nationality of Ecuador, designs and builds solar-powered canoes to replace fuel-guzzling outboard motors as river transport for remote Amazon communities. The boats carry up to 20 passengers and let Achuar families reach schools and markets, while community patrols use them to spot illegal loggers along the rivers, all recharged at community-owned solar stations. The initiative has grown to a dozen canoes serving communities in Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, and Suriname, with a goal of 10,000 solar boats across the Amazon Basin by 2030.