Hi everybody. Welcome to Shift, a podcast about mobility. I'm Pete Bigelow, your host and

reporter at the Automotive News. In the 205 episodes of the Shift Podcast that we've done over the past four years,

I'm going to confess up front that the one you're about to hear ranks among my favorites.

Part of the reason for that is because it starts

in the middle of San Francisco Bay.

That is where Sampriti Badacharya,

today's guest, recently took me to pilot a prototype of her company's electric hydrofoiling boat the N30

Sam pretty is the CEO and co-founder of Navier an e-boat mobility company that's seeking to upend transportation by making

waterways as accessible as highways.

As you listen to this opening segment on the water, pay attention not only to what Sampriti says, but perhaps for the first time in the history of the podcast, I also want you to listen to the background. You can hear us hydrophoyle at the outset and then land back on the water later. But in between,

ask yourself what's missing. What's not there as we talk.

spoiler alert, it's the noise. You are not going to hear the deafening constant thrum of an engine that you're probably accustomed to on a conventional boat.

And the quiet nature of a battery-powered hydrofoiling boat is just one of the reasons why Navier is such an interesting mobility startup.

This podcast is divided into two sections. The first, as I just mentioned, takes place on San Francisco Bay,

and the second is a more in-depth conversation with Sam Pretty in our usual format.

So with that as a setup, I'm excited to bring you these conversations with Navier CEO,

Sampriti Batacharya.

Sampriti, we're actually on the water here in San Francisco Bay.

Tell me about Navier and how you decided to found the company in the first place.

Sure.

First of all, thanks for coming out here today and we are doing this interview as we are

foiling. Navi is a startup, it's an early stage maritime startup and we are

...