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Electric Sailboat Motor: Range, Cost, Best Kits for Conversion

Today, owning a completely green sailboat has been made possible with electric sailboat motors.

Imagine cruising with the silence of an electric sailboat motor and the ease of use with a simple press on the start button. What’s better is there are no exhaust fumes at all with significantly less maintenance.

It’s so appealing that a lot of sailing liveaboards have made their electric sailboat motor conversion.

However, some sailors are still on the fence, worrying about the range and price of the electric sailboat motor.

If you are one of them, you are in the right place!

This post will guide you through every aspect you need to know about electric sailboat motors to help you make an informed decision.

Besides, you will get professional insights on how to make the electric sailboat motor conversion for your own boat and learn the best electric sailboat motors (with honest reviews).

Table of contents:

Electric Sailboat Motors: Confusion Explained

Electric Sailboat Motor or Combustion Motor

Electric Yacht Motor Conversion: Two Solutions
How to Size an Electric Sailboat Motor

Best Electric Sailboat Motors (with Reviews)

Electric Sailboat Motor: Confusion Explained

Can you go cruising with an electric sailboat motor? Can you put an electric motor on a sailboat? Are there any limitations?

Whether electric sailboat motors are a good fit for your boat is not a YES or NO question. Here we will explain your top worries with statistics and facts. That way, you can make a wise decision according to your situation.

You may hear some complaints about the batteries and range of the electric propulsion.

However, their experience may not suit electric sailboat motors.

In fact, even small electric engines work pretty well in many sailboats. That’s because most of the time, the wind can power the boat, and the motor is just used for docking or in rare times when there is no wind.

Therefore, it makes more sense to learn electric sailboat motor performance in real-world applications.

Here is a test report of a 3 HP electric sailboat motor on an RS21 racing sailboat:

As you can see, the small electric sailboat motor can run at 5.5 mph top speed for one hour continuously.

And there is a big difference in terms of range vs speed for electric sailboat motors:

If you lower the speed, the range and runtime can be greatly extended. The slower you go, the further you’ll get. For example, if you cut your speed in half, the electric sailboat motor can last 7 hours and go 20 miles within one charge.

That’s pretty sufficient if you use the electric yacht motor mostly for docking or as an auxiliary engine.

Faster top speed (and more range) is available with higher power electric sailboat motors depending on your specific requirements. Contact a specialist to design your electric sailboat motor solutions.

Also, don’t forget to get the electric sailboat motor with regeneration (See recommendations below).

That’s to say, when there is a lot of wind and you’re moving rapidly via your sails, they regenerate and store electric power on the batteries to keep you moving at other times. Solar recharging is also a plus.

Essentially, the range depends on how many batteries you have, so it’s not a limitation of electric sailboat motors but energy and batteries.

If you are still worried, you can offset this by getting a diesel generator, which is more efficient than a diesel engine. And it is a range extender when you need it, but for 90% of your motoring that you don’t need the range, you can rely on the electric sailboat motor.

Some of you might be concerned about the extra weight of the batteries.

In fact, an electric sailboat motor with lithium batteries weighs less than a diesel engine, particularly if you include the fuel weight.

If you want a lightweight electric sailboat motor solution, make sure you get one with LiFePO4 batteries . Compared with other marine batteries, they are more compact in design with much less weight and higher energy density.

Some more advanced electric motors for small sailboats (such as Spirit 1.0 Evo) feature an integrated lightweight battery. So you don’t need to worry about the complex wiring to hook it up or extra space to store the battery.

This is a huge plus if you want to use the electric sailboat motor on a tender or dinghy.

Here is also a chart that collects the weight of some popular electric sailboat motors for your reference:

For many people, another big problem with electric sailboat motors is the cost.

It’s true that a gasoline outboard with similar power is a lot cheaper to buy. However, the electric sailboat motor eventually wins in long-term operating cost. That’s especially the case if you are going to do a lot of motoring.

Electric sailboat motors save on fuel and maintenance costs, which can build up to a large amount over time.

Here is a chart that compares the cost of a 3HP electric sailboat motor (coming with a built-in battery) with its combustion counterpart:

That’s to say, you will cover the price difference for electric yacht motors eventually as long as you use it long enough. Click to check the details of the calculation .

What makes the electric sailboat motor even more worthwhile is it saves you a lot of hassles, especially for sailors who only use the engine in and out of the harbor. Dealing with the maintenance of the gas outboard for a 10 minute motor out of and into the harbor is disproportionate and painful.

*The higher horsepower electric sailboat motor may be different in terms of the cost calculation. Check out the outboard motor pricelist by HP for more information.

As you may have already noticed, electric propulsion has already been widely used in the marine industry:

It’s quiet while motoring, clean to handle, environmentally friendly, with less maintenance and operation costs.

The electric sailboat motors are easier to use with dramatically fewer moving parts to break and no worries about being a diesel mechanic to deal with the hard pulling start. You can have it always on, so it is ready whenever you need it.

And it makes even more sense in sailing applications:

You don’t really need to motor much if your plan is to actually sail. If you are completely becalmed, you will probably just need to motor at 2 knots to keep making way, which is easy for electric sailboat motors.

If you mostly use the motor to get into and out of the harbor, the electric sailboat motor also works great for you.

You can always charge up at the dock, motor out of the marina (or even motor to your sailing area or race start), then hoist the sails and when you’re through, the batteries are charged again.

The electric sailboat motor is also useful as a backup (kicker) motor in case your system goes down. That’s why you can see people pushing a lot of big boats with small electric motors. (Click to learn more information about kicker motors .)

Personally, it’s really nice to have an electric auxiliary in the boat – no smelly, messy diesel and motor oil to deal with, a much simpler system with less maintenance, and much, much quieter operation.

However, powerboats tend to have much higher requirements in terms of both power output and runtime. In that case, an electric sailboat motor can be hard to satisfy your needs.

How Do You Size an Electric Motor for a Sailboat?

As a rule of thumb, you will need approximately 1 HP per 550 lb of the displacement of your boat.

Generally speaking, a 3 HP electric sailboat motor can push a sailboat up to 25 ft and a 9.9 HP motor is sufficient for a 30 ft sailboat to motor at a satisfying speed.

However, bear in mind the horsepower you need always depends on your needs and applications.

It’s better to check the data from real-world tests to decide whether the electric sailboat motor is suitable for your specific needs.

For example, the 9.9 HP electric sailboat motor Navy 6.0 allows you to go at 6.9 mph (11.1 kph) on a 30 ft sailboat, and the range can be extended to 46.4 miles if you decrease your speed to 2.9 mph (4.6 kph).

9.9 HP Electric Sailboat Motor Performance

Click to see more test reports with other electric motor and sailboat combinations, and find the electric sailboat motor that suits you best.

If you are still not sure about the size of the electric sailboat motor for you, feel free to leave us a comment and we will get back to you ASAP with professional suggestions.

Electric Sailboat Motor Conversion

Basically, there are two ways for you to convert your sailboat to a clean and quiet electric drive system:

You can either convert your current vessel to electric or buy an engineless yacht and install an electric sailboat motor on your own.

#1. Repower Your Sailboat with Electric Motor

If you decide to replace the diesel engine with an electric motor, you will need to do a lot of preparations:

The DIY approach requires an electric sailboat motor kit (including motor and controller), batteries, a good level of mechanical ability and basic electrical knowledge, as well as some common tools such as a voltmeter.

You will need to take the old engine out for the new electric sailboat motor installation. It’s not an easy task that involves removing the engine mounts and the drive shaft (dealing with the numerous hoses and cables), taking out the engine, exhaust system, fuel tank, and its attendant tubes, etc.

Remember to balance the boat to avoid listing during the electric sailboat motor conversion.

Then in with the new electric sailboat motor. The installation process can be straightforward if you choose the electric sailboat motor kit wisely (See steps below). Furthermore, you can set up solar charging for your electric sailboat motor with solar panels and charger.

Many sailors have recorded their electric sailboat motor conversion process and experience. Be sure to check them out to get some inspiration. For example, Ed Phillips has documented everything which can serve as a guide for newbies to get started.

Mind you there can be a whole heap that can go wrong in designing and maintaining the electric sailboat motor systems. You really need to be totally on top of it if you want decent performance or reliability.

If you are not that technically inclined, it’s better to talk to a specialist first to discuss your plan for a smooth electric sailboat motor conversion.

#2. Install an Electric Motor in a Sailboat

If you own an enginless sailboat, the electric sailboat motor conversion is much easier for you.

All you need to do is to find a reliable electric sailboat motor and install it in simple steps. The whole process can be easily done, even for beginners. Here we take the popular 6 HP electric sailboat motor Navy 3.0 as an example to show you the installation process:

Step 1 : Rotate the clamps or use the screws to fix the outboard onto the sailboat.
Step 2: Mount the steering system in the proper position.
Step 3: Install the tiller on the electric sailboat motor.
Step 4: Connect the batteries to the electric sailboat motor system.

Click to check the video tutorial that guides you through each step of the installation.

If you are worried about aesthetic issues and want higher horsepower options, an electric inboard motor can be a better suit for your sailboat. If you prefer an inboard motor for your sailboat, contact our OEM team to get an electric propulsion solution tailored to your needs.

Note : You might find some electric trolling motors rated by #s of thrust on the market. Actually, those electric trolling motors for sailboats can only provide limited speed and range. If you are heading into the wind, the trolling motors for sailboats are definitely not an ideal solution.

Once you’ve evaluated if electric sailboat motors are right for you, there are a lot of options for electric systems.

Here are some popular electric sailboat motors with positive reviews from customers worldwide. Fast charger is available for all the models recommended to reduce your charging stress.

#1. 3 HP Spirit 1.0 Evo

If you are looking for an electric motor for a small sailboat, be sure to check out the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo. It’s suitable for large daysailers or small cruising sailboats under 25 ft.

With the Spirit 1.0 Evo electric sailboat motor, you can go 5.5 mph (8.8 kph) at top speed on the 21 ft RS21 sailing boat, or troll for 20 hours continuously at 2.2 mph (3.5 kph) according to our test .

This electric sailboat motor with regeneration allows you to recover energy from the prop while under sail. It will start to generate power automatically when the sailing speed reaches 2 knots.

Electric Sailboat Motor Regeneration Efficiency

As an electric auxiliary sailboat motor, it can also be easily installed on your tender boats or yacht dinghies since it’s portable and easy to transport (with a lightweight integrated battery).

Features You Will Love:

Come with the industry-first hydrogeneration capability
Direct-drive technology makes it maintenance-free
Portable with a 1276Wh large integrated lithium battery for long range
Safety wristband keeps you safe in case of MOB
Digital operation keeps you informed of the battery status

Spirit 1.0 Evo Electric Sailboat Motor Reviews:

“Great weekend with my 17′ sailboat powered by the Spirit Evo. This is great. Quiet and reliable. Went at 3/4 throttle for about 1.5hrs when taking it back to boat ramp.” – Robert Taylor

“Very happy with our Spirit Plus. Pushing our Kolibri 560 a 750 Kg sailboat, with ease. Doing about 5.8 km/h at 500W.” – Frank van Asten

#2. 6HP/9.9 HP Navy Evo Series

If you want a little more juice on the electric sailboat motor, check out the ePropulsion Navy Series. It offers 6 HP and 9.9 HP models for your selection and it provides sufficient power for sailboats up to 30 ft.

According to our test , the 6 HP electric motor Navy 3.0 can push the Catalina 25 sailboat (25 ft) at 6 mph (9.6 kph) top speed, while the Olga 33 sailboat (33 ft) can go at 7.5 mph (12 kph) with the 9.9 HP Navy 6.0 motor.

The Navy series electric sailboat motor also comes with regeneration features which can be recharged with hydrogeneration, wind turbine, and solar panel.

Four controls to fit your sailboat installation and your boating style
Accompany LiFePO4 batteries (need separate purchase) are more energy efficient
Digital display offers real-time monitoring of the power and battery
Magnetic kill switch and safety wristband keep you safe on the boat
Electric start saves you trouble pulling the cord to start

Navy Series Electric Sailboat Motor Reviews:

“I have a Navy 3.0 with E80 on a Catalina 25 sailboat. It is working well. Currently I am using about 4% battery to go in/out of the marina by boat.” – Aaron Young

“Just finished my 8 weeks sailing journey in the Baltic Sea. The two Navy 3 outboards provide enough power for my 33ft catamaran. The 400W solar panels provided enough energy for engines and all other energy consumed on board with 2-6 persons. The two Navy Batteries provide power for engines and all other on-board electric devices. I never had to use shore power, so totally self-sufficient electric system.” – Martin Hildebrand

ePropulsion Sustainably Mobilizes Hundreds of Sightseeing Bamboo Rafts on the Guilin Li River

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HYBRID AND ELECTRIC MARINE POWER AND PROPULSION SYSTEMS

Zero Emission

No environmental restrictions

No high voltage risk

Remote System Interface

State of the art Lithium Ion battery technology

Safe installation and operation

Instant power output for maneuverability

Zero to full torque in an instant

No waiting for engine rev to settle

No pre-start warning beep

Best quality components available

Patented Technology

Hydro power regeneration

Superior thrust efficiency and energy capture

Remote diagnostics

Low maintenance

System Solutions for a Range of Marine Activity

THE FACTS ABOUT ELECTRIC POWER, BATTERIES AND PROPULSION

Today's electric motor technology has already moved from

the open road to the open ocean.

Instant High Torque

Electric motors are in constant ‘stand by’ mode; you can engage the control lever at any time for instant forward or reverse propulsion.

Electric motors achieve instant torque with Electromotive Force while internal combustion engines need to build RPMs gradually by increasing piston firing frequency.

Hydro Generation

At sailing speeds over 6 knots Oceanvolt systems are able to generate significant power for recharging the battery bank by activating at the touch of a button.

Power regeneration increases exponentially with each additional knot of speed.

Lithium Ion batteries are superior to other battery storage technology; highest storage capacity, high effective current delivery, high charge capacity resiliency and wide temperature range performance. In today's digital age, where everything is just a click away, 1xbet mobile takes a significant chunk of the online casino services sector. Starting as an online casino service in 2007, 1xBet expanded its services in 2014 to include sports betting. Fast forward to 2018, and they marked their entry into the Indian market. Their app and website, designed in a calming blue and white hue, are not just a treat for the eyes but are also super intuitive. With a support interface that covers 50 languages, including Hindi, the platform ensures that language is no barrier to placing your bet.

Oceanvolt highly skilled technical team ensures proper installation and system-optimization. Only the highest quality Li-Ion batteries are used - to ensure performance and safety.

For those interested in a hybrid solution, generators are a highly efficient way to extend range while at sea.

DC generators have the advantage of rapid recharging capability.

AC generators are, generally, smaller and even portable which means that the generator can be aboard only in situations where longer motoring might be required.

Battery recharging is accomplished with shore connection, hydro generation (an integrated part of all Oceanvolt systems) and/or solar panels.

In Hybrid solutions , a generator (either AC or DC) can be used to recharge batteries / extend motoring range.

Integrated components

It is essential that all system components are properly selected and installed.

Our team of highly skilled technicians ensure that all components are compatible and that system management software is optimized.

Oceanvolt blog

For immediate release: Oceanvolt appoints Mikael Heikfolk as new CEO

Oceanvolt & Blue Marine showcase electric innovation at Seattle Boat Show 2024

Where to find Oceanvolt at BOOT 2024

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Frequently Asked Questions

Quiet and vibration-free operation
No exhaust fumes or fuel smell
Seamless shifting between forwards and reverse
Having only one moving part significantly reduces potential failure points compared to a diesel engine.
Zero greenhouse emissions
No pollution released into your local waterways
Doesn’t scare away your local wildlife
Option to be 100% renewable with solar and wind generation
No more fuel and oil getting all over you and into your bilge
No more need to carry combustible fuels on board
Eliminate fuel costs
Higher energy efficiency
Charge from solar and wind
Reduced maintenance cost
Replacement components are relatively cheap

While sailing, our motor systems can harness wind power to recharge your batteries. Our display enables you to optimize energy capture by adjusting the braking level in real-time to match the sailing conditions. The amount of regeneration depends on various factors, with the propeller size being the primary determinant.

The motor size required for your boat depends on several factors, primarily the vessel’s size, weight, and operating conditions (such as currents, open sea, tides). User preference is also a consideration. As a rule of thumb, for displacement vessels, 1kW of electric power can replace approximately 3HP of diesel power. This may seem contradictory, but diesel motors are typically oversized to make up for their inefficiency and limited power delivery.

To assist you in motor sizing, we have developed an electric power calculator to simulate your vessel’s performance. Additionally, we provide a complimentary electrification report outlining the performance capabilities for your specific boat.

We have engineered our motor with retrofitting sailboats in mind, prioritizing ease of installation without compromising on durability or performance. Our free electrification report includes a 3D model illustrating how our motor system fits within the existing footprint of your diesel motor. We provide custom mounting brackets and shaft lengths to ensure a seamless installation.

Electric motors possess comparable power to diesel motors, while offering additional features that make them highly suitable for marine propulsion. They exhibit greater efficiency, typically 2 to 3 times more efficient than diesel motors, enabling an electric motor with one-third the size and weight to match the power output of a diesel motor. Moreover, electric motors can deliver torque across a broader range of speeds and provide full torque from 0 RPM.

Electric motors offer the advantage of seamless bidirectional operation, eliminating the need for a traditional gearbox with separate forward and reverse gears. While certain applications may still benefit from a gearbox, it would only require a single gear, effectively eliminating the inconvenient clunk often experienced when shifting between forward and reverse.

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Everything electric boats and boating

Electric Inboard Boat Motors

Plugboats Guides Motors News Motors For Sale

With information about 150 electric inboard boat motors from 17 manufacturers, welcome to what we believe is the most complete guide to electric inboard motors. It has been assembled to provide a single place where someone interested in electric marine propulsion can find the top line details to compare electric inboard motors made all over the world.

You may also be interested in our other guides »» Guide to Electric Outboards Under 5kW »» Guide to El ectric Outboards Over 5kW »» Guide to Electric Saildrives and Pods »» Guide to Electric Trolling Motors »» Guide to Electric Boat Batteries

»» Plugboats also has the world’s largest and most complete Directories of over 600 electric boats, motors, batteries, accessories, solar panels and rental/charter companies

Information on using the Plugboats Electric Inboard Guide

The top of this web page is an Illustrated Guide with photos of the motors and specifications to the right. At the bottom of the page is a Sortable/Searchable Table that lets you compare motors easily. If you are going to be using the table extensively the page is best viewed on a computer rather than smartphone or tablet.

Illustrated Guide

The motors are organized in alphabetical order by manufacturer, then by model line. For the specifications we have tried to make it a user friendly as possible. If there are 3 models in the line, we will give the specs for each model with a comma in between. If there are many models, we give a range from without lining the specs up with specific models.

Sortable/Searchable Table

The table can be searched with any keyword – manufacturer, for instance, or can be sorted by any of the columns: Peak kiloWatt power, Continuous kiloWatt power, estimated HP equvalent, Voltage, Dimensions (Length, Width, Height), Weight, RPMs, Type of motor and cooling system (air, liquid, water), and whether it is regenerative – capable of recharging when the boat is under sail propulsion.

All specifications are taken from the manufacturers’ websites or brochures without any independent verification. There is a lot of variety in the way manufacturers detail the attributes of their products, particularly when it comes to ‘Power’. Some use peak power as the measurement, some use continuous power, and there are other variations. Some quote minimum RPMs for their motors, others quote maximum RPMs. There is also no set standard for ‘horsepower equivalent’. We have tried to present the information as close as possible to an ‘apples to apples’ comparison.

The photographs and drawings are from the manufacturers’ websites and are not shown in any consistent scale.

Power Ratings – measured in kiloWatts kW power rating quoted is taken from the manufacturer website. Some quote only peak power or continuous power, some quote input power and output power. We have indicated what the measurement is, although in the table we have used peak power as equal to input power and continuous as equal to output. power. HP is ‘HorsePower equivalent’ so that you can get an idea of the power of the motor in comparison to a HP rating you might be more familiar with. As noted above, there is a lot of leeway in how this is interpreted. When manufacturers have provided an HP equivalent we have used that.

IN THE TABLE , when no HP equivalent has been provided, we have used the continuous power and multiplied it by 1.3 to indicate HP equivalent. We have noted it with an asterisk * when we have done this.

Voltage is most often referred to on the sites as simply ‘Voltage’. Some indicate nominal or peak, we have used nominal and indicated if peak is also referenced.

Current is noted when the manufacturer supplies the information. It is not included in the table.

Torque is shown in Newton metres, Nm. A Nm is about 3/4 of a foot-pound, or conversely, a foot-pound is about 1 and 1/3 Nm.

Dimensions of the motors and shaft are shown in millimetres – mm. There are about 300 mm in 1 foot, or about 25 mm in 1 inch.

Weight is in kilograms. A kilogram is 2.2 pounds.

Motor Types  There are advantages and disadvantages to each kind of electric motor. Some manufacturers use abbreviations to describe their motors, others use the full words. We have used whatever the manufacturer prefers, but when abbreviations are used, this is what they mean:

BLDC: BrushLess Direct Current

PMAC: Permanent Magnet Alternating Current

Information on this page updated February 4, 2023

You may also want to check our Directory of Electric Boat Motor manufacturers, dealers and distributors around the world, or the Plugboats Marketplace of electric boat motors for sale.

Manufacturers in this Buying Guide: Bellmarine • Combi • Damoto • Elco • Electric Yacht • Electrine • EP Technologies • ePropulsion • E-TECH • Fischer Panda • GreenStar Marine • Huracan • Krautler • Lynch • Mitek • Molabo • Newport Electric Boats • Oceanvolt • Piktronik • Synapseo • TEMA • Thoosa • Torqeedo • waterworld

Click on the Manufacturer’s name or red cross on right hand side to open and close window with information and links for that company’s electric electric inboards

Click »» here to see Bellmarine motors for sale from vendors in the Plugboats Market

»» Bellmarine website

Bellmarine is a very well established electric boat motor company with a history going back to 1999. They have now been purchased by and are merged with Transfluid, a large scale industrial motor manufacturer. Bellmarine offers a wide range of electric inboard motor configurations, both direct drive shaft and reduction geared. They range from 2 kW to 130kW and come in four model lines: the straight drive Drivemaster, dual motor ModularMaster, geared Thrustmaster and high power Shaftmaster. They are sold as complete systems with optional extras available.

Bellmarine DriveMaster Air Cooled Series 9 Models: DriveMaster 2A, 5A, 7A, 8A, 10A, 15A, 25A, 35A, 50A

kW : Peak: From 2kW – 50kW | Continuous: From 1.5kW – 40kW • Voltage : 48V – Models 2A, 5A, 7A, 10A | 96V – Models 8A, 15A | 144V – Models 25A, 35A, 50A
Motor Type : Permanent Magnet AC (PMAC)
Cooling : Air cooled
RPM : 1500
Includes : Motor with mounting brackets and silent blocks • Motor with integrated thrust bearing • Vector control inverter IP65 • NMEA2000 compatible (Apply Transfluid) • Main switch and main fuse • DC-DC converter 12 Vdc • 5m cable for display, lever, key • Quick install / easy connect / plug and play
Available : Regeneration (with upgrade to battery monitor), Control throttle, display, cooling kit, coupling, shaft with propeller
Country of Manufacture : Netherlands/Italy
Price : NA on website

Bellmarine DriveMaster Liquid Cooled Series 9 Models: DriveMaster 3W, 7W, 10W, 15W, 20W, 20W-EVO, 30W, 45W, 55W

electric inboard boat motor - DriveMaster by Bellmarine

kW : Peak: From 3kW – 55kW | Continuous: From 2.5kW – 45kW • Voltage : 48V – Models 3W, 7W, 10W, 15W, 20W-EVO | 96V – Model 20W | 144V – Models 30W, 45W, 55W
Cooling : Liquid cooled
Includes : Motor with mounting brackets and silent blocks • Motor with integrated thrust bearing • Vector control inverter IP65 • NMEA2000 compatible (Apply Transfluid) • Main switch and main fuse • DC-DC converter 12 Vdc 5m cable for display, lever, key • Quick install / easy connect / plug and play • Inlet and outlet liquid connections
Available : Control throttle, display, cooling kit, coupling, shaft with propeller

Bellmarine ModularMaster Series 3 Models: ModularMaster 40W-EVO, 40W, 60W

electric inboard boat motors - ModularMaster by Bellmarine

kW : Peak: 40, 40, 60 | Continuous: 30, 30, 50 • Voltage : 48V – 40W-EVO | 96V – 40W | 144V – 60W
Includes : True redundancy in case of one motor failure • Aluminum made split power drive • Mounting brackets and silent blocks • Live PTO available • Vector control inverter IP65 • NMEA2000 compatible (Apply Transfluid) • Main switch and main fuse • DC-DC converter 12 Vdc • 5m cable for display, lever, key • Quick install / easy connect / plug and play • Inlet and outlet liquid connections• Closed loop liquid cooling size XL mounted aboard
Available : control throttle, display, cooling kit, coupling, shaft with propeller
Country of Manufacture : Netherlands / Italy

Bellmarine TorqueMaster Series 2 Air cooled Models: TorqueMaster 20A, 25A 7 Liquid cooled Models: TorqueMaster 20W-EVO, 25W, 35W, 45W, 65W, 100W, 130W

kW : Peak: 20 – 130 | Continuous: 15 – 100 • Voltage : 48V – 20W-EVO | 96V – 20A, 25W | 144V – 25A, 35W | 288V – 65W, 100W | 384V – 130W
Cooling : See above
RPM : 20W-EVO – 1500, all other Models 3000
Includes : Motor with mounting brackets and silent blocks • Drop Box with integrated thrust bearing – 225 mm offset • Vector control inverter IP65 • NMEA2000 compatible (Apply Transfluid) • Main switch and main fuse • DC-DC converter 12 Vdc • 5m cable for display, lever, key • Quick install / easy connect / plug and play • Dropbox aluminum made – no cooling needed – low noise and low vibration • Oil temperature sensor • Elastic coupling between motor and Dropbox • DIN120 output (SAE 1410 upon request) – “U” drive possible

Bellmarine ShaftMaster Series 6 Models: ShaftMaster 25W, 35W, 45W, 64W, 100W, 130W

kW : Peak: 25kW – 130kW | Continuous: 20 – 100 • Voltage : 96V – 25W | 144V – 35W | 288V – 45W, 65W, 100W | 384V – 130W
Motor Type : Motor Type : Permanent Magnet AC (PMAC)
RPM : 3000
Includes : Motor with mounting brackets and silent blocks • Live Pto available • Marine gear with integrated thrust bearing (up to 130 kW) • Oil temperature sensor • Output offset 103 mm • Elastic coupling between motor and transmission • Vector control inverter IP65 • NMEA2000 compatible (Apply Transfluid) • Main switch and main fuse • DC-DC converter 12 Vdc • 5m cable for display, lever, key • Quick install / easy connect / plug and play • Inlet and outlet liquid connections • Throttle lever (TFC) • Self priming pump (mechanical) mounted aboard • Oil-water cooler mounted aboard • Closed loop liquid cooling size XL mounted aboard

»» Combi website

Combi Outboards was founded in 1979 in Giethoorn (‘the Dutch Venice’) to supply rental boats with clean electric power. It is now a leading international supplier of electric propulsion solutions for the maritime market. Combi inboards have all of the operating components in one housing, ready to plug in to batteries, throttle and monitoring systems. Motors are available both AC asynchronous (induction) and BLDC Permanent Magnet. The two larger inboards are dual motor, and can be operated on the Master / Slave principle but can also sail on a single motor.

Combi Inboard 5 Models: CI-3.5, CI-5, CI-7.5, CI-10, CI-16, CI-20

kW : From 3.5kW to 20kW • Voltage : 48V • Current : From Nominal –73 / Cruising speed – 50 to Nominal – 417 / Cruising – 240 • HP : From 9HP to 33HP
Motor Type : Brushless AC asynchronous • OR • Brushless DC Permanent Magnet (PMDC) Cooling : CI-3.5 Air cooled, all others liquid cooled
RPM : From 1200 to 1500
Shaft (cm) : Can be connected to all common propeller shaft sizes
Includes : Our systems are constructed in such a way that all components are used in a motor housing. You just need to connect only the power cables. The engine foundation is prepared so that it is easy to install.
Country of Manufacture : Netherlands

»» Damoto website

Damoto is a Dutch developer, manufacturer and distributor of an extensive range of premium electric inboard motors from 2kW to 40kW nominal. The first model dates from 2005 with more than 3000 boats equipped with it, including recreational sloops, charter and rental boats. The motors are now released under the name Damoto eFLOW but have been well known in the international maritime industry for many years.

Damoto eFLOW Original Series 5 models: eFLOW 2.0 Air, eFLOW 2.5 Air, eFLOW 3.0 Air, eFLOW 6.0 Air, eFLOW 11.0 Air

kW : Nominal: 2kW to 11kW | Peak: 3kW to 15kW max
Motor Type: Brushless 3 Phase Asynchronous • Cooling: Air cooled
IP : IP66
Includes : stainless steel motor frame with silent blocks, motor, thrust bearing, controller in stainless steel casing incl. marine software & PC/handheld connector for motor tuning, main power contactor & fuse, controller cable with connectors (Plug-n-Play)
Available : Displays, throttle levers, shaft couplings
Country of Manufacture : Netherlands / Europe
Price : Not available on website

Damoto eFLOW Liquid Original Series 8 models: eFLOW 3.0 Liquid, eFLOW 5.0 Liquid, eFLOW 10.0 Liquid, eFLOW 15.0 Liquid, eFLOW 20.0 Liquid, eFLOW 30.0 Liquid, eFLOW 40.0 Liquid Dual Motor, eFLOW 14.0 Liquid 4Hybrid Dual Shaft

kW : Nominal 3kW to 40kW | Peak: 6kW to 80kW
Motor Type: Brushless 3 Phase Asynchronous • Cooling: Liquid cooled
Includes : stainless steel motor frame with silent blocks, motor with liquid inlet & outlet, thrust bearing, controller in stainless steel casing incl. marine software & PC/handheld connector for motor tuning, on-board power converter (12V) integrated in controller casing, main power contactor & fuse, controller cable with connectors (Plug-n-Play)
Available : Displays, throttle levers, cooling kits, shaft couplings

Damoto eFLOW Air All-in-One Series 3 models: eFLOW 2.0 Air AiO, eFLOW 3.0 Air AiO, eFLOW 6.0 Air AiO

kW : Nominal 2kW to 6kW | Peak: 6kW to 80kW
Includes : stainless steel housing, motor with silent suspension, thrust bearing, controller module incl. marine software & PC/handheld connector for motor tuning, main power contactor & fuse, connectors on box front (Plug-n-Play), wired & tested
Available : throttle levers, shaft couplings

»» Elco website

Elco (Elco Motor Yachts) is the oldest electric boat motor company in the world, having been started in 1893 as the the Electric Launch Company to supply electric boats for the Chicago World’s Fair. It offers a full range of outboards, inboards and hybrids. Their Plug n Play system has all wiring and active power components in a marine grade aluminum casting rated IP-65. Can be purchased from the Elco website along with batteries, options and accessories, leading to a one-price checkout. They also have a ‘ Find My Motor ‘ calculator on the site.

Elco Inboards 6 Models: EP-6, EP-12, EP-20, EP-40, EP-70, EP-100

kW : Peak: From 4.4kW – 73.5kW | Continuous: From 2.5kW – 42.5k • Voltage : From 36Vdc to 144 Vdc • Amps : 70A – 295A • HP : 6HP – 100 HP
Dimension s: From L: 17” / W: 16.22” / H: 15.8” to L: 35” / W: 18.82” / H: 19.25”
Includes : Motor and controller.
Available : Motor mounts, shaft couplers, batteries, battery monitor, chargers, cables, and other accessories
Country of Manufacture : USA
Price (does not include options) : $US 7,000 – 21,000

Electric Yacht

Electric Yacht is one of the premier US suppliers of electric motors for sailboats with a Plug-n-Play system designed for DIY installation by “ a competent boat owner using simple tools and the easy to mount Electric Yacht system “. Their systems offer regenerative power while under the sail. 10 years of proven production with over 450 installs. 3 Year Warranty.

Electric Yacht QuietTorque single motor inboards 3 Models: QT5, QT10, QT10 Sport

kW : Input – 2.5kW – 30kW, Continuous 2kW – 8kW • Voltage : 24, 36 or 48V for Quiet Torque 5.0, all others 48V • Current : 100A – 200A • HP : 10-25
Motor Type : PMAC (Permanent Magnet Brushless AC) • Cooling : Air cooled • IP :
RPM :
Dimensions : L: 432mm, W: 245mm, H (with mountings): 342mm Adjustable mountings • Weight : 40 lbs, 70 lbs
Includes : The motors are sold as systems with everything included except the battery, which can also be purchased from the company. The systems can be purchased directly from the website.
Price : $US 5,000 – 9,000

Electric Yacht QuietTorque dual motor inboards 6 Models: QT20, QT30-Air-Cooled, QT30-Liquid-Cooled, QT40, QT45, QT60.0

kW : Input – From 20kW – 60kW Continuous – From 16kW – 52kW • Voltage : 48V – QT20, QT30-Liquid-Cooled 72V – QT30-Air-Cooled, QT40 96V – QT45, QT60 • Current : NA • HP : From 25 – 80
Motor Type : PMAC (Permanent Magnet Brushless AC) • Cooling : Air cooled – QT20, QT30-Air-Cooled, Liquid cooled – QT30-Liquid-Cooled, QT40, QT45, QT60 • IP : NA
RPM : NA
Torque : NA
Dimensions : L: 673mm, W: 534mm, H (with mountings): 534mm Adjustable mountings • Weight : From 135 lbs to 200 lbs
Price : $US 14,500 – 18,000

»» ELECTRINE website

ELECTRINE is a Korean manufacturer which has focused on maritime electrification since 2010, when the idea of electric mobility was still relatively uncommon. The company was known as LGM until 2020 and has had a consistent R&D effort for many years. They manufacture electric outboards, inboards and saildrives as well as accessories and Lithium-ion batteries using a Carbon Nano Tube heat exchanger technology. There are 7 models in the eINBOARD Line, the ZI40, ZI60, ZI90, ZI115, ZI180, ZI270 and ZI350

E-ELECTRINE e-INBOARD line 7 Models: ZI40 (shown), ZI60, ZI90, ZI115, ZI180, ZI270, ZI350

kW : (Max): 43, 60, 110, 150, 173, 200, 250 • Operating Voltage (Vdc): 72~96, 288~384, 288~384, 288~384, 288~384, 500~738, 500~738, 500~738
Motor Type : N/A
RPM (Max): 8006, 7160, 10,250, 8000, 6204, 3500, 3375
Torqu e (Max) Nm: 72, 167, 255, 251, 555, 2100, 2700
Weight | Dimensions (kg | mm) N/A | 390 x 360 x 323, N/A | 390 x 360 x 323, 93.5 | 665 x 468 x 476, 93.5 | 665 x 468 x 475, N/A | N/A, 500 | 902 x 1200 x 733, 500 | 902 x 1200 x 733
Country of Manufacture : Korea

EP Technologies

»» EP Technologies website

EPTechnologies is a complete marine propulsion provider for electric and hybrid vessels. The company specializes in custom electric and hybrid systems, but also has ‘off the shelf’ motors, including the drop-in Stern Drive unit below. The company delivers complete systems including batteries designed and built by EP Technologies.

EP Technologies Drop In Unit

Voltage: 400
Other: This motor system has been designed by EP Technologies as a complete drop-in unit for a Mercury Sterndrive. Includes all batteries, controllers and accessories
Country of Manufacture : Denmark
Price : Contact EP Technologies

EP Technologies Electric Motor

For boat sizes 60′-250′
kW (Continuous) : 400 (Peak) : 700
Torqu e (Max) Nm: 7800
Other : Can be stacked together for 800kW or 1400kW peak

ePropulsion

Click here to view motors from ePropulsion dealers in the Plugboats Marketplace

»» ePropulsion website

ePropulsion was established in 2012 and is led by a team of technology entrepreneurs that are focused on developing uncompromising, superior products. It was the first company to launch a brushless, direct-drive electric outboard motor in the market. ePropulsion offers a portfolio of electric outboard motors – some of which offer hydrogeneration – pod drives, and inboard motors. The company is focused on products and services for all kinds of electric boats from dinghies and fishing boat to sailing boats to commercial and leisure motor vessels up to 100-feet and displacement of 200 tons.

ePropulsion I-Series T hree (3) models: I-10, I-20, I-40

kW : 60kW to 140kW • Voltage : H-100: 540 VDC
Motor Type : permanent magnet motor technology • Cooling : I-10 Air cooled | I-20 & I-40 Water cooled (air cooling optional) • IP : IP67
RPM : 1500 all models
Torque : 56 Nm | 111 Nm | 222 Nm
Dimensions : I-10: 565 x 295 x 380 mm | I-20: 580 x 330 x 380mm | I-40 860 x 485 x 420mm • Weight : 43kg | 45kg | 75kg
Includes : Weather & impact resistant metal housing contains integrated motor, gearbox, electronic control system, ECU, thermal management system and suspension, Smart 5” Display, ePropulsion Smart System Architecture (eSSA), Advanced driver assistance system (ADAS), Wired & tested, plug & play installation to new boat or retro-fit to existing shaft, NMEA 2000 compatible, CAN Bus communication, Fault diagnosis system & full redundancy design
Available : Smart throttle, G102-100 battery, propeller, air-cooling, HVAC System, shaft and coupling, charger, remote data access & fleet management with IoT connectivity service
Country of Manufacture : China
Price : On application

ePropulsion H-Series Four (4) models available: H-60, H-85, H-100, H-140

kW : 10kW | 20kW | 40kw • Voltage : 86~115 VDC all models
Motor Type : permanent magnet motor technology • Cooling : Water cooled • IP : IP67
RPM : H-100: 1150
Torque : 797 Nm
Dimensions : H-100: H 433mm x W 433mm x D 315mm • Weight : H-100: 190kg
Includes : Weather & anti-corrosion metal housing contains integrated motor and gearbox, high torque density (max 2000Nm), modular design to extend range and power with extra motors, batteries and controllers, high accuracy position feedback, Boating IoT system enables remote monitoring and integrated management, Customised data for speed, power, track, mileage, safety alarm etc., NMEA 2000 compatible
Available : Controller, remote control and display – single & dual controls, custom batteries

»» E-TECH website

E-TECH is a subsidiary of boatbuilder Starboats that was started in 2008 because they were dissatisfied with other electric motor offerings in the market at the time. The company has developed fixed pods, steerable pods and outboard motors that all utilize an in-water BLDC (BrushLess DC permanent magnet) pod motor in a watertight aluminum casing. The inboard motors are designed to fit any engine bed and any propeller shaft. For in-line hybrid applications, there are shaft endings on both ends of the engine to make an easy and quick in-line installation.

Click here to view motors from E-TECH dealers in the Plugboats Marketplace

E-Tech Standard Inboards 6 Models: 4WG, 7WG, 13WG, 18WG, 23WG, 35WG

kW : From 4.3kW, 7.1, 11.9, 16.7, 21.5, 33.7 (power measured on the shaft) • Voltage : 48V, 48V, 48V (4WG, 7WG, 13WG) | 72V – 18WG | 96V – 23 WG, 144V – 35WG • HP : 6, 9.5, 16, 23, 30, 45
Motor Type : Brushless permanent magnet BLDC • Cooling : Water cooled • IP : 67
RPM : (min) From 1100, 1200, 760, 1140, 1520, 2500
Shaft : 25mm (4WG, 7WG) or f 30mm (10WG, 15WG, 20WG), 8mm spline
Includes : Controller, battery monitor / display, cabling, joystick (side or top mounting), integrated cooling circuit for controller with Quick-Click connections, main switch, main fuse.
Country of Manufacture : Poland

E-Tech High Torque Inboards 4 Models: 13 Pod, 18 Pod, 23 Pod, 35 Pod

kW : From 11.9 kW, 16.7 kW, 21.5 kW, 33.7 kW (power measured on the shaft) • Voltage : 48V, 72V, 96V, 144V • HP : ≈ 16, 23, 30, 45
RPM : (min) From 760, 1140, 1520, 2500
Shaft : f 30mm, 1:10 conic

Fischer-Panda

»» Fischer-Panda website

Fischer Panda is one of the world’s best known manufacturers of marine generators but are also manufacturers of high quality electric boat motors, sometimes marketed under the ‘Whisperprop’ name. They have an “EasyBox” system that is intended to take the guesswork and complication out of purchasing electric boat motors. There are various sample configurations on their website displaying how the EasyBox system is laid out in different boats.

Fischer Panda Easybox DE-Shaft systems 5 Motors: A06-140-6-SH, A50-160-6-SH, B00-150-8-SH 10 kW, B00-150-8-SH 20 kW, B00-300-8-SH 20 kW

kW : (continuous) 3.5kW – 20kW • Voltage : 48V • Current : • HP :
Motor Type : PMAC • Cooling : Water
RPM : 600 – 2500
Torque : 28Nm – 320Nm
Dimensions : L: 400mm – 560mm W: 270mm H: 270mm • Weight : 15kg – 96kg
Includes : EasyBox control, GD2 control panel, throttle
Available : Battery bank, charger, shore power connection, 230V adaptor
Country of Manufacture : Germany

GSM Electric (formerly Greenstar Marine)

»» GSM Electric website

GreenStar Marine was founded by a group of Swedish engineers in the 1990s to develop a series of electric propulsion systems, including a patented regenerative technology. All of the company’s systems are direct drive one-gear and complete except for batteries. The website has an interactive tool that shows approximate run times for different sized boats and battery/motor configurations.

GreenStar E-Line 2 Models: E-10, E-20

kW : Peak – 3.5kW, 5.5kW | Nominal – 2.1kW, 4.2kW • Voltage : 24V, 24V • HP : 10, 20
Motor Type : Brushed DC • Cooling : Air cooled
RPM : 1000, 1000
Torque : Nominal: 20 Nm, 40Nm | Peak: 40Nm, 50Nm
Includes : Motor mountings, control system, basic system monitor, battery charger, monitoring, speed control, shore power system, cables, propeller shaft with low friction bearings, fixed propeller
Available : Hydrogeneration, folding propeller, extra DC/DC
Country of Manufacture : Sweden

GreenStar P-Line 3 Models: P-10, P-20, P-35

kW : Peak – 10kW, 10kW, 30kW | Nominal – 2.5kW, 5.5kW, 11kW • Voltage : 48V, 48V, 48V • HP : 10HP, 20HP, 35HP
Motor Type : Brushless AC • Cooling : P-10 – Air cooled | P-20, P-35 – Water cooled • IP : 65 or higher classed components
RPM : 1250, 1250, 1250 •
Torque : Nominal: 20 Nm, 45Nm, 85Nm | Peak: 75Nm, 85Nm, 130 Nm
Includes : Hydrogeneration, motor mountings, advanced control system, system monitor, battery charger, monitoring, speed control, shore power system, cables, propeller shaft with low friction bearings, fixed propeller
Available : Folding propeller, extra DC/DC

»» Huracan website

Huracan was founded at the beginning of 2012 in Venice with the goal of building entirely electric marine motors with the highest reliability of any on the market. The Thor motor is sold in a housing that includes the controller, with throttle, displays, monitors and other accessories sold separately.

Huracan Thor NOTE : The information for Huracan is presented in a different format from other manufacturers because the Thor is the only model, which provides different power ratings at different motor speeds.

kW : 10kW at 3000 rpm | 20kW at 4000 rpm | 30kW at 5000 rpm | 40kW at 5500 rpm • Voltage : 220V • Current : NA • HP : NA
Motor Type : NA • Cooling : Water cooled • IP : 69
RPM : 3000 – 5500
Torque : (at axles): 30Nm at 3000 rpm | 49Nm at 4000 rpm | 56Nm at 5000 rpm | 70Nm at 5500
Dimensions : L: 543 mm H: 300mm W: 191mm • Weight : 40 kg
Available :
Country of Manufacture : Italy

»» Kräutler website

Kräutler is a long-established Austrian manufacturer of industrial electric motors. They began construction of electric boat motors in the 80’s mainly because they could not find a product that would live up to the standards of founder Oswald Kräutler. They make motors for industrial and ship use as well as recreational boats and offer a wide range of inboards for any size boat or usage. Krautler has 3 lines of electric inboard motors. The WAd and WAz lines are direct drive and run from powers of 2.0kW to 25kW (WAd) and 6kW to 37kW (WAz). The WA line is made up of motors from 30kW to 100kW, for high speed / planing boats.

Krautler WAd and WAz line WAd – 11 Models WAd 2.0AC, WAd 3.0AC, WAd 4.3AC, WAd 5.0AC, WAd 6.0AC, WAd 8AC, WAd 11.0AC, WAd 15.0AC (48V, Air), WAd 15.0AC (96V, Water), WAd 18.5AC, WAd 20.0AC WAz – 10 models WAz 6,0AC, WAz 8,0AC, WAz 11,0AC, WAz 15,0AC (Air), WAz 15,0AC (Water), Waz 18,5AC, WAz 20,0AC, WAz 25,0AC, WAz 30,0AC, WAz 37,0AC

kW : (Output) From 2.5kW – 37kW • Voltage : 24V – 144V • Current : 104A – 292A • HP : 3.5 – 50 HP
Motor Type : • Cooling : Air – 6,0 models to 15,0 models (WAd and Waz), Water for 18,5 models to 37,0 WAz model
RPM : NA
Dimensions : • Weight :
Includes : Controller, throttle, monitor, display, cables
Country of Manufacture : Austria

Krautler WA High Speed line 6 Models: WA 100/30, WA 150/40, WA 350/50, WA 350/60, WA 500/80, WA 500/100

kW : (Output) From 30kW – 100kW • Voltage : 100V – 500V • Current : NA • HP : 45 – 130 HP
Motor Type : • Cooling : Water
Includes : Battery, controller, throttle, monitor, display, cables

»» Lynch website

The Lynch motor was invented by Cedric Lynch in 1979 – a unique axial gap permanent magnet brushed DC motor with high efficiency. The company offers three lines – the direct drive Yellowtail, geared drive Marlin and dual motor Swordfish. Motor systems include motor in mounting frame, controller, electronics, throttle and basic battery monitor and control cables. (options available on throttles and monitors) Lynch has 3 lines of electric inboard motors: the Yellowtail, Marlin and Swordfish, although the Yellowtail ‘line’ is only one motor.

Lynch Yellowtail

kW : Peak – 6.0kW, Continuous – 2.5kW • Voltage : 24 • Current : 120/Peak 250A • HP : 5 – 10
Motor Type : • Axial Flux ‘Pancake’ Permanent Magnet DC • Cooling : NA • IP : NA
RPM : 1080 • Efficiency : 88%
Torque : 16/Peak 35Nm
Dimensions : NA • Weight : Motor: 14 kg Control box: 12 kg
Includes : motor in mounting frame, controller, electronics, throttle and basic battery monitor and control cables.
Available : options on throttles and monitors
Country of Manufacture : UK

Lynch Marlin : Marlin 5 Single, Marlin 8 Single, Marlin 13 Single

kW : Peak – 14kW, 14kW, 26kW • Voltage : 48V, 48V, 72VDC • Current : 140/Peak 350A, 180/Peak 350A, 200/Peak 400A • HP : 10-20, 17-25, 35-50
RPM : 2160, 2160, 3240 • Efficiency : 90%
Torque : 18/Peak 38Nm , 36/Peak 44Nm, 36/Peak 72/Nm
Dimensions : NA • Weight : Motor: 21 kg • Controller: 12 kg (14kg on model 13 Single)

Lynch Swordfish : Swordfish 16V Twin, Swordfish 26V Twin

kW : 16kW/Peak 30, 26kW/Peak 53 • Voltage : 48VDC, 72 VDC• Current : 180A/350 Peak, 200A/400 Peak • HP : 48-60, 60-75
RPM : 2160, 3240 • Efficiency : 90%
Torque : 72Nm/144 Peak,
Dimensions : NA • Weight : Motor: 27 kg Controllers: 14.5 kg X 2 (29kg)
Includes : motors in mounting frame, controller, electronics, throttle and basic battery monitor and control cables.

»» Mitek website

Mitek is an Italian company with more than 10 years of experience in electric motors. It first came to the attention of the electric boat world when it exhibited its outboards at the Venice Boat Show in June. The Mitek inboards are not sold as systems but as standalone motors to boat manufacturers or boat owners who are keen on DIY.

Mitek Inboards : 4 Models: 260038, 260054, 260061, 26115

kW : From 17kW/Peak 29 to 85kW/Peak 115 • Voltage : 48V, 96V, 192V, 384V• Current : From 260A/650max to 200A/300max • HP : From 23-39 to 114-154
Motor Type : NA
RPM : From 1700 to 2200
Torque : From 88Nm/Peak 205 to 380Nm/Peak 540
Dimensions : L: 388mm – 588mm W: 370mm H: 370mm • Weight : 32 – 69 kg
Includes : Standalone

Click »» here to see Molabo motors for sale in the Plugboats Market

»» Molabo website

Molabo was founded in 2016 with the goal of providing safe-to-touch low-voltage e-solutions to enable sustainable mobility worldwide. To achieve this they developed the ISCAD (Intelligent Stator Cage Drive) motor technology and have been granted 10 patents worldwide with automotive and marine OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) partners in Europe and China.

Molabo ISCAD V50

kW : Peak: 80 | Continuous: 50 • Voltage : 48V
Motor Type : PM-SynRM (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Reluctance Motor) ISCAD (Intelligent Stator Cage Drive)
Cooling : Water: 7 l/min, max. 45°C (dual circuit cooling possible) • IP67
RPM : 4350 • Efficiency : 95.6 % (Motor: 97 %, Controller: 98 %)
Dimensions : L: 265mm, Diameter: 254mm • Weight : NA
Includes : Available as components or compete set-up including motor, reduction gear, rubber mounts & brackets, 5″ touch display, throttle top or side mount, molaCONNECT & molaLINK (IOT), communication cable set
Available : Battery and charger packages: LFP 36kWh, 48kWh and 12kWh additions
Price : Motor: €19,990 ($US 21,000) • With all components package (excluding battery): €28,400 ($US 29,900)

»» Oceanvolt website

Click »» here to Oceanvolt motors for sale in the Plugboats Market

Oceanvolt is one of the best known names in electric boat motors, especially for sailboats, and is a leader in regenerative / hydrogenerative props systems. There are standard systems available, the motors can be purchased separately, and the company can also do custom installations. Oceanvolt has both all-electric and hybrid systems, we have only included the all-electric systems here, and only the standard preconfigured systems.

Oceanvolt Inboard Systems with AX motors: 3 Models: Shaftdrive 3, Shaftdrive 5, Shaftdrive 8

kW : (continuous) – 3.7kW, 5.3kW, 8.7kW • Voltage : 48 • Current : • HP :
Motor Type : Synchronous permanent magnet electric • Cooling : Air
RPM : 2400
Dimensions : NA • Weight : 22kg, 28kg, 28kg
Includes : Controller/battery communication kit, Hydrogeneration feature
Available : Batteries, charger, propeller
Country of Manufacture : Finland
Price : $US 6,500 – 8,000

Oceanvolt Inboard Systems with AX3 motors: 2 Standard Systems: Shaftdrive 10, Shaftrdive 20 NOTE: The AX3 motors are 10kW motors that can be ‘stacked’ to create higher powered system, up to 40kW. i.e. the illustration below shows 1 X 10kW AX3 in the diagram but 2 X 10kW AX3s coupled to form a 20kW motor in the photograph .

kW : 10kw, 20kW • Voltage : NA • Current : • HP : 20 – 60
Motor Type : PMAC • Cooling : Liquid
Includes : Battery, controller/battery communication kit, Hydrogeneration feature
Price : $US 36,000 – 59,000 (includes Lithium battery pack – 13.3kWh/26.6kWh)

»» Piktronic website

Piktronik is an Austrian-Slovenian company working on the research, development and production of components for electrical vehicles (EV) and boats. Their inboards are available as standalones and also as complete systems.

Piktronik Motors : 7 Models: PMSM10, PMSM40 PMSM50 PMSM60 PMSM100 PMSM110 PMSM180

kW : (continuous) From 10 to 180 • Voltage : From 30V to 307V • Current : From 205A to 370A • HP : From 13.6 to 245
Motor Type : 3 – Phase Permanent Magnet Synchronous ( PMSM ) • Cooling : Water cooled • IP :
RPM : From 1200 to 3600
Torque : From 80Nm – 555Nm
Dimensions : From L: 431mm W: 220mm H: 220mm to L: 565mm W: 396 H: 396mm • Weight : From 45kg to 171kg
Includes : See Piktronik systems below
Country of Manufacture : Austria/Slovenia

Piktronik Systems : All of the motor power sizes above are available as complete systems. System includes:

Display, control and battery monitoring unit
DC-DC converter
Battery chargers
Wire harness, Distribution box, battery fuses and contactors, FI-Box, Ignition switch, User guide

»» Synapseo website

Synapseo was founded by a group of passionate sailors who have a common interest in making our oceans, seas and rivers great again. They have developed the KYWAT, an adaptive in-board solution to easily replace old diesel or gasoline engines. It is available in five models with power outputs from 4kW to 20 kW. The have output shaft diameter of 25mm to 30mm and mounting brackets hat adapt to all standard engine cradles. All motors have hydrogeneration / regeneration.

Synapseo Motors : 5 Models: AE-10, AE16, AE24, AE36, AE60

kW : 4kw, 6kW, 10kW, 16kW, 20kW • Voltage : AE-10 – AE36: 48V, AR60: 72C • HP : 10, 16, 24, 26, 60
Dimensions (mm): • AE-10 – AE24: W: 400 L:630 H: 440, AE 36 and AE60: W: 448 L:742 H: 512
Includes : Control panel, digital throttle, power cables, coupling, four silencing blocks.
Country of Manufacture : France

»» TEMA website

TEMA was founded in 1989 by Branimir Ruzojcic, Dr.Sc, who is still GM of the company. Its goal was to merge academic and scientific researches and engineering practical resources for offering sophisticated industrial automation products to the market. Today TEMA offers advanced motors/generators using Permanent Magnet technology ranging from 10KW to 1500KW and offers complete electric propulsion systems for all-electric, serial hybrids and parallel hybrid boats, from small leisure yachts to large commercial boats.

TEMA Motors : 5 Models: SPM132-1, SPM132-12, SPM132-2, SPM132-22, SPM132-3

kW : 10kW – 60kW • Voltage : 48 – 450Vdc • Current : • HP :
Motor Type : PMAC • Cooling : Air – either natural or forced air/fan
RPM : Nominal – 3600
Torque : (Nominal): 70 – 205Nm
Dimensions : • From L:275mm, H: 260mm, W: 260mm to L: 552mm, H: 260mm, W: 260mm Weight : 70 – 148kg
Includes : motor controller, marine throttle, information display, Plug and Play easy wiring
Country of Manufacture : Croatia

»» Thoosa USA website

The Thoosa design has been in production in Denmark since 1998, originally by ASMO Marine, which became Clean eMarine in 2012. They manufacture the AC Triton motor and the DC Thoosa line, which includes four models with power ratings from 5kW to 12kW. All are geared motors. Motor and controller are sold together, with mounting brackets. Throttles and monitors are also available from the company.

Thoosa DC Motors : 4 Models: Thoosa 5000, Thoosa 7000HT, Thoosa 9000, Thoosa 12000

kW : (continuous) – 5kW, 7kW, 9kW, 12kW • Voltage : Thoosa 12000 is 72V, others are 48V • Current : (Peak) 300A – 400A • HP : 10 – 50
Motor Type : Axial Flux ‘Pancake’ Permanent Magnet DC • Cooling : Air cooled
RPM : 1080 – 1270
Torque : (Peak) 59.5Nm – 73.3Nm
Dimensions : NA • Weight : (System) 37kg – 47.5kg
Includes : Motor, controller
Available : Throttle, battery monitor
Country of Manufacture : Denmark / US Assembly for US models

»» Torqeedo website

Torqeedo is the world’s leading manufacturer of electric outboards. The company was founded in 2004 by Dr Christoph Ballin and Dr Friedrich Böbel when they decided they could build a better electric motor than the one on the boat Dr. Ballin had just purchased. The inboards are sold as a complete system, including batteries, and each is designed for different usage: the 1400 (RPM) models for displacement sailing with heavy boats, the 1800 (RPM) models for for planing with fast boats and the 100kW 900 for large sailing yachts and heavy displacement vessels.

Torqeedo Deep Blue Inboard Line – 25i and 50i models 4 Models: Deep Blue DB25i 1400, Deep Blue DB50i 1400, Deep Blue DB25i 1800 , Deep Blue DB50i 1800

kW : 25i models – 27.6kW/33 Peak, 50i models – 55kW66 Peak • Voltage : 360V • Current : • HP : 25i models = 40HP, 50i models = 80 HP
Motor Type : Permanent Magnet Synchronous (PMSM) • Cooling : Water cooled • IP :
RPM : Model number1400 and 1800 refer to RPMs
Torque : <280Nm – 343Nm
Dimensions : L: 680mm W: 512mm H: 376mm • Shaft sizes : 30, 35, 40mm | 11/8,11/4” • Weight : 80kg
Includes : Complete integrated system, including on-board touchscreen computer, batteries, shafts and propeller.

Torqeedo Deep 100kW 900

kW : 100kW continuous • Voltage : 360V • Current : • HP : 135
Motor Type : Permanent Magnet Synchronous (PMSM) • Cooling : Water cooled
RPM : 900 (max)
Torque : 1060Nm
Dimensions : NA • Shaft sizes : 30, 35, 40mm | 11/8,11/4” • Weight : 450kg (w/o battery, including electronics)

»» WaterWorld website

WaterWorld is a joint venture undertaken by two companies, De Stille Boot, a distributor specializing in electric boating and Water World Electronics, a Dutch specialist in low voltage electronics. WWE develops and produces its own printed circuit boards and complete controllers for various markets such as the building and car industry. They have joined together to “offer boat owners and -users the ultimate joy of a quiet, calm and carefree boat ride.” The company offers four direct drive electric inboard systems, with the motor and controller in one housing with adjustable engine supports as well as monitors and other accessories.

WaterWorld Inboards : 3 Models: 4.0 i , 7.5 i , 10.0 i , 15.0 i

kW : (continuous) – 4kW, 7.5kW, 10kW, 15kW • Voltage : 48V • Current : 92V (max), 172A, 230A • HP :
Motor Type : Asynchronous • Cooling : Air cooled • IP :
RPM : 1450 (max), 1350, 1450
Torque : 27Nm, 53Nm, 66Nm
Dimensions : (Motor and controller in frame) 4.0i: L- 558mm x W-225mm x H-221mm | 7.5i and 10.0i – L-681mm x W-290mm x H-271mm • Weight : (Motor and controller in frame) 4.0i: 39kg, 7.5i and 10.0i: 76kg
Includes : Motor, controller, thrust bearing, relay, digital colour touch screen display, throttle
Price : $US 3,675 – 5,500 (15.0 i tba)

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4 Best Electric Outboard Motors

Best Electric Outboard Motors | Life of Sailing

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

Taking a small dinghy with an electric outboard motor on your sailboat can provide a means of quick and reliable transportation.

While electric outboard motors can have difficulty moving full-size sailboats around, they are more than powerful enough to get a small dinghy going fast. While trolling motors are only good for slow speeds, an electric outboard motor can get a boat going fast as long as the boat is small enough.

Electric outboard motors can be a better choice than gas motors. As well as being powerful enough, they are lighter, more compact, and more reliable. You can count on motors from ePropulsion and Torquedo to last for a while.

If your sailboat is large enough, you should always take a dinghy with you. As well as being a potential lifesaver in an emergency, a dinghy is useful any time you need to drop anchor and make it to shore. A dinghy with a motor is cheap compared to a sailboat, so a sailor should always have a dinghy with them.

Table of contents

How fast can you go with an electric outboard motor?

If you are running a powerful motor on a small boat at full speed, you might be able to do 15 knots or better. Usually, you won't go that fast when you are in a dinghy and running an electric motor.

If you want to make it as far as possible, you will run the motor on much less than full power. Fifteen knots is what you might get if you are running a powerful 6000 watt motor on a small boat. Normal speeds are slower - you might move at less than five knots if you want to travel as many miles as possible before the battery dies.

How far can you make it in a dinghy with an electric motor?

Something like 20 miles is a rough, ballpark figure, although with some motors, you might be able to make it 70 miles at a slow speed. Don't take any risks when it comes to whether or not your battery will run out in the middle of the sea. Be on the safe side.

You will do much better if you run your motor at a slower speed. If you run your motor as fast as possible, you might make it only a fraction of the maximum distance before your battery runs out. Distances high above 20 miles are sometimes possible if you go slow, although it depends on the boat and the motor.

How is power measured for electric motors?

The power of an electric motor is usually measured in watts, not horsepower. Sometimes the power of an electric motor is given in horsepower, but usually in watts.

Boat motors vary greatly in how powerful they are. A motor that is only 10hp, 5hp, or 3hp is common even though outboard motors can be 20hp or more.

Usually, you can go more like 5 knots than 15 knots with an electric or gas motor. To go 15 knots, you might need something like a 100hp motor - this is too expensive and not what people are likely to put on a small dinghy.

What are the advantages of gas motors?

In the long run, electric motors can save you money because it costs less to keep them running. After the first few years, electric motors are the cheaper choice.

The maintenance cost per hour of use is much higher for petrol motors. After only a few hundred hours of use, a petrol motor's cost will exceed the cost of an electric motor.

One disadvantage of electric motors is that they run on batteries, which take time to charge. You will have to charge your batteries overnight, compared to quickly refueling a gas engine.

One way out of this problem is to use a solar charger. With a solar charger, you can charge your batteries anywhere as long as the sun is out.

Electric outboard motor advantages

As well as being effectively cheaper than gas motors, electric motors are much quieter. Compared to a gas engine, an electric motor is almost silent. You will hear almost nothing and will not scare fish away.

Electric motors are also much cleaner to deal with than gas motors. If you use an electric motor, you won't have to deal with engine grease. You can get engine grease on your boat and not just on your hands and clothes with a gas motor.

Gas motors also have exhaust fumes, so an electric motor is better for your health. Electric motors are also simpler than gas motors, so you won't have to repair them as often.

Is it possible to buy high powered electric outboard motors?

Yes, you can find an electric motor with a power equivalent to an 80 horsepower gas engine. Not many people put such powerful motors on their dinghies, though. Dinghies mostly have weaker motors, often less than five horsepower.

Is it easy to break a propeller if you hit something?

You can definitely do expensive damage to a propeller if it hits a rock. A small bump won't damage it - most propellers are made well and are reasonably durable. If your motor does not come with a propeller guard, you should buy one separately.

Are 3hp motors good enough for many boats, or are they too weak for most purposes?

If you are using a small dinghy that weighs less than two tons, and do not intend to go very fast, a 3hp motor is good enough. You can go much faster than trolling speed with only a 3hp motor if your craft is small enough. For a small sailboat that weighs more like six tons than one or two tons, a 10hp motor may be enough.

Best electric outboard motors

Make sure you buy a high-quality motor because these are not tiny investments. You can lose more than a little money if you buy a shoddy product that does not have a good warranty. Put a bit of time into verifying the reliability of whatever you purchase.

1) ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus

If you are fine with a fairly weak 3HP motor, the Spirit 1.0 Plus is a great product with few disadvantages. The Spirit 1.0 Plus from ePropulsion is built to last, uses power efficiently, and doesn't cost a fortune.

At full speed, the Spirit will only last for about 90 minutes on a single battery. With a 12 foot boat, you can go about 9 km/h - not bad for a relatively low power engine. You also do not need to run the boat on full power to approach your boat's maximum speed.

If you run the Spirit on 1/4 power, you can keep it going for 6 or 8 hours. Batteries are fairly heavy, but you can keep the motor running for a long time if you bring extra batteries. The motor can save you in a dangerous situation and is great for non-emergency uses as well.

Another advantage of the Spirit is that the battery floats, so it won't sink if you drop it in the water. The Spirit is also light, even with the powerful battery it comes with. The digital display that shows how much battery power you have left is accurate.

Like other electric boat motors, the Spirit is more environmentally friendly and healthier than a gas engine. Gas engines have fuel leakage and fumes; an electric motor avoids these problems. The Spirit even comes with a 180W solar panel to charge it, although this is not the only or the fastest way of charging the battery.

The motor even has a remote control, so you can steer it and adjust the speed with a console. If the Spirit has a disadvantage, it is that the range on a single battery is unimpressive. You can make it a little more than 20 miles, but many other electric motors let you go farther on a single battery.

2) ePropulsion Navy 6.0

If you are looking for something longer lasting than and more powerful than the Spirit 1.0 Plus, ePropulsion also offers the more powerful Navy 6.0 . The Navy 6.0 is equivalent to a 10Hp engine, so it won't struggle to move a relatively big boat.

The range on the Navy 6.0 is impressive. The battery is powerful enough that you can travel 40 miles before having to recharge. If you want to bring more than one battery, the Navy 6.0 can be compatible with other companies' batteries.

The Navy 6.0 also has a propeller that will stop immediately if it hits anything. This can save your engine from damage if the propeller hits a rock or anything else. There is also an emergency stop kill switch to

The Navy 6.0 works just as well in freshwater as in saltwater. It is advantageous to have an electric motor on a lake because there are laws against gas motors in some lakes.

3) Torquedo Travel 1003

One thing that makes the Torquedo Travel stand out is its onboard GPS computer, which can calculate how far you can travel before the battery runs out. The computer will continuously update how far you can travel based on how much battery power is left, how fast you are going, and how much power you are using.

While the Torquedo Travel can run for 10 or 11 hours on a full charge, it can only move a small boat at 1.5 or 2 knots for that long. If you run the engine at half throttle, it will last for 3.5 hours at 3 knots. If you travel faster, the battery runs out very fast - it will only last half an hour at 5 knots.

If you want a solar charger for the motor, you can buy it separately from the company. It is costly, but the solar panels do work well and give you a way to charge the battery at sea.

The Torquedo Travel is also a small and light motor that does not take up much room. Without the battery, it weighs only 8.9 kilograms. You can easily remove and store the engine.

Another useful feature is the kill switch that allows you to stop the motor immediately in an emergency. You can also use the engine/battery as a power source for electronics through a USB.

The Torquedo is a reliable engine backed by a two-year warranty. It is equivalent only to a 3HP engine, so it is not powerful enough for everyone.

4) Torquedo Cruise 4.0 T

The Torquedo Cruise is the best choice if you want a more powerful alternative to the Torquedo Travel. The Torquedo Cruise electric outboard motor is equivalent to an 8HP gas engine. If you need a motor for a boat that weighs three or four tons instead of one or two tons, get the Cruise instead of the Travel.

The Torquedo Cruise will stay completely waterproof for a long time and not develop small leaks quickly. Small leaks can ruin some of the cheaper engines on the market. The Torquedo Cruise is also very corrosion resistant, so you can use it in saltwater for a long time without damage.

The Torquedo Cruise has the same onboard GPS computer, emergency off switch, and two-year warranty as the Torquedo Travel does. The only disadvantage compared to the Torquedo Travel is the higher price. Not everyone needs a more powerful motor, but it is an excellent engine if you do.

I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

by this author

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Systems & Propulsion

Electric and Hybrid Propulsion for Sailboats

Practical sailor looks at the players in the developing field of electric auxiliary engines.

How soon will electric auxiliary propulsion be available to everyman? That depends on whom you ask. Opinions differ widely not just on what type of drive system might surge to the forefront, but even on whether the concept itself is viable. While a handful of companies forge ahead, notably Glacier Bay and Electric Marine Propulsion on this side of the Atlantic, some expected participants are waiting on the sidelines.

Photos courtesy of Manufacturers

One of the big issues that divides promoters and detractors alike is whether the appropriate way to go in a sailboat is with a pure diesel-electric drive train, with a hybrid electric drive with a diesel generator as back-up, or as a pure electric drive with regeneration capability. We’ll take a look at these and other options later in this article. For now, the short answer is that no single approach suits every sailor all the time.

Simply put, in the diesel-electric system, the electric motor runs only when the diesel-driven generator is running. Such arrangements have long been employed in railway locomotives, submarines, and commercial vessels of many types. In the hybrid system, a large bank of batteries provides the energy for the electric motor and the diesel generator recharges the batteries. On the face of it, the hybrid system offers a certain degree of redundancy in that, assuming the batteries are kept well charged, the boat has a measure of emergency power should the generator fail at an inopportune moment. The hybrid also is capable of recharging its batteries when sailing: Driven by the turning propeller, the motor becomes a generator.

Each of these approaches has its strengths and weaknesses, and while we’ll leave it to their developers to work out the technical issues, we would like to urge anyone contemplating installing an electric drive, or purchasing a boat that has one, to first look very closely at how they expect to use the boat. There’s more entrained in the choice than in picking a flavor at Baskin-Robbins. More on this later.

Among the electric drives currently available in one form or another, or as components, the big variable is operating voltage. Motors are available that run on 24, 36, 48, 72, and 144 volts, and, in the case of Glacier Bay’s diesel-electric system with Ossa Powerlite technology, 240-volt DC. Each supplier will discourse at length on the merits of their voltage choice, but an inconvenient fact haunts the entire field: High-voltage DC is deadly, potentially more so in some circumstances than AC.

While neither form of high-voltage is “safe,” we have a lot more experience with AC aboard recreational vessels than with high-voltage DC. An extensive body of knowledge exists on which to base AC installations so as to make them safe as well as reliable. High-voltage DC is used in a variety of marine and non-marine commercial applications, but these installations are well protected from access by untrained operators.

What voltage constitutes high voltage? That, again, depends on whom you talk to. The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC), which sets voluntary standards for the marine industry, defines it as 50 volts and above. Prompted by rapid adoption of high-voltage services in small commercial craft and bigger yachts, though not specifically in propulsion systems, the ABYC is in the process of drawing up guidelines for voltages higher than the 48 volts covered by existing standards.

An absence of standards might not deter individuals from installing an electric drive, but it might impede widespread adoption of the technology. If a surveyor can’t state in an insurance survey that a boat is built according to ABYC standards, that could affect its insurability.

Jim Nolan, who manages the underwriting department for BoatUS, said the company has no clear cut guidance regarding insuring boats with electric propulsion. Each boat is dealt with on a case-by-case basis. A new boat with a factory-installed system would be a good deal easier to underwrite than a one-off or do-it-yourself project, especially in the absence of a standard practice. Lagoon Catamarans’ 72-volt-DC hybrid system, for instance, has qualified for the European standard (CE) certification on the strength of following industrial standards that apply to such applications as fork-lift trucks. Anyone contemplating an electric drive would be well advised to discuss it ahead of time with an insurer and even get a surveyor involved from the outset.

Because of the safety issues surrounding the voltages involved in electric propulsion, Fischer Panda has decided to limit its DC product line to boats weighing 10 tons or less. A company representative we spoke to said that while Fischer Panda currently sells DC generators up to 48 volts in the USA for marine use, it “won’t touch” high-voltage DC because it’s lethal.

A proposed collaboration with Catalina Yachts to fit a diesel-electric system in a Catalina-Morgan 440 never came to fruition due to budget constraints, according to Fischer Panda. But in Europe, Fischer Panda teamed up with Whisperprop to equip a Bavaria 49. (Beyond the fact that one of its boats was used, Bavaria Yachts was not involved in the project.) According to Fischer Panda, after evaluating the Bavaria project, the company decided that the diesel-electric AC system is a niche product that wouldn’t interest their prime market: original equipment builders.

“Although the AC system has some advantages in the improved response of the electric motors … and the quietness of the system, the desired fuel efficiency and weight savings were not evident,” Fischer Panda reported.

Fischer Panda considers the DC system to be more suitable for its North American customers. Although it’s limited in output due to its limited battery voltage of 48 volts, it is still able to power multihulls up to 10 tons.

Currently, much of the movement toward electric drives is taking place in the catamaran world. This makes sense when you consider that a single diesel generator can, in theory, provide all the boat’s electrical needs and also take the place of two diesel-propulsion engines. Taking the lead in the field, Lagoon Catamarans introduced in 2006 the Lagoon 420. Originally offered only as a hybrid, it now is also available in two diesel versions. Corsair Marine is building the Corsair 50 catamaran around the Glacier Bay diesel-electric drive, but the boat’s launch date—formerly set for this summer—has been postponed.

Dick Vermeulen, president of Maine Cat, tried the Glacier Bay system in a prototype power cat, but it failed to meet performance expectations, so production models will have conventional diesels. A number of other cat builders have announced hybrid or diesel-electric projects, but feedback on how they perform is scan’t.

So much for the mainstream—but backwater sailors will go their own way, as they always have. As more vendors and components enter the market, the options for do-it-yourselfers or custom-boat customers become broader and more attractive. However, before going ahead with an installation, make sure it’s appropriate to how you plan to use your boat, and even then be prepared to adapt the way you sail to take best advantage of the system’s characteristics. Here’s a rundown of the various types.

Electric Drive Only

Duffy Electric Boats has for years been building electric launches and lake boats that have the simple capability of puttering around in sheltered waters for a period of time determined by battery capacity and speed maintained. A battery charger powered by shore power charges the batteries overnight. Transferring that approach to a sailboat up to about 25 feet used for daysailing and kept near an electrical outlet shouldn’t be too difficult. It won’t offer the assurance of diesel when trying to get home against current or wind, but a proven 36- or 48-volt system will keep you out of uncharted standards territory.

For a bigger boat, more power, a greater range, or a combination of these requirements, it will be necessary to install a large battery bank and almost certainly will entail going to a higher voltage to keep the amps and the cabling needed to carry them manageable. The boat’s range under power will be limited by the weight of batteries, and while lighter lithium-based technology is on the horizon, for now the standard is lead/acid. The fast charging, but expensive pure lead thin plate (PLTP) Odyssey batteries have attracted particular interest among propulsion enthusiasts.

Electric Drive with Regeneration

The next level up in complexity is a “reversible” system. When the boat is sailing, the propeller turns the motor, which then becomes a generator. The electricity it makes is used to recharge the batteries. The capability to regenerate extends the boat’s potential range, but the drag on the propeller slows the boat measurably. One hour of regen will not restore the power consumed by one hour of motoring, but if sailing time sufficiently exceeds motoring time, this arrangement offers considerable range.

A regenerating system does have the potential to overcharge the batteries once they become fully charged and the boat continues to sail fast. The solution is, ironically, to give the motor some “throttle,” which reduces the drag on the propeller and consequently the power output. This phenomenon gives rise to a new technique, that of “electro-sailing” in which sails and an electric motor complement each other. At present, the “throttle” must be adjusted by hand, but developers are working on automatic controls. Field trials of existing regen motors such as the Solomon systems suggest that a small regen motor’s ability to match the output of a much higher-rated diesel have been overstated.

Hybrid Electric Drive

A hybrid system adds to the mix an onboard generator, which is used primarily to maintain charge in the batteries, both those for the propulsion motor and for the house services. This arrangement extends the boat’s capability to lie for long periods at anchor, independent of shore power for electricity and without the need to go sailing for the sole purpose of charging the batteries. A hybrid can motor constantly, as long as there is fuel, but it cannot sustain full speed for long periods. This is because the generator is usually rated at a far lower horsepower than that required to drive the boat at full speed.

Diesel-Electric Drive

In a pure diesel-electric, the electric propulsion motor runs only when the generator is running. Storage batteries are not needed for propulsion purposes, and the generator is the source for all onboard electrical power needs. The rationale behind diesel electric lies in the relationship between a diesel engine’s rate of fuel consumption and the load it’s working under. It burns fuel more efficiently when heavily loaded than when lightly loaded. When the diesel engine is disconnected from the propeller, it can be controlled so that it is working in the upper range of its efficiency regardless of how fast the propeller is turning. Nigel Calder’s series of articles in Professional Boatbuilder magazine (www.boatbuilder.com) beginning with the June/July issue delves deeply into the efficiency discussion surrounding these engines. Systems on large vessels are built around multiple generators that switch on or off according to the power demands of the moment. Translating those efficiencies into a smaller boat scenario has proven to be challenging.

Hype vs. Experience

Maine Cat’s Vermeulen, on the company’s website, describes the sea trials he performed in the Maine Cat 45, a power catamaran. He began with a Glacier Bay diesel-electric system with two 25-kW generators, each weighing about 550 pounds.

“With both generators putting out their full power of 25 kW each … our top speed was a disappointing 8.4 knots, and the assumption that electric horsepower was somehow more powerful than conventionally produced horsepower was in serious doubt.”

He replaced the propellers with a pair with less pitch, which allowed the electric motors to reach their full rating of 1,100 rpm, but that only increased the speed to 9.1 knots.

“These are about the same speeds and fuel burns we get on our Maine Cat 41 sailing cat … powered by twin 29-horsepower 3YM30 Yanmar diesels with saildrives and two-bladed, folding propellers.” At the time he installed them, the 25-kW generators were the highest power available from Glacier Bay.

Vermeulen replaced the diesel-electric system with twin 160-horsepower Volvo diesels. At 9.1 knots, they together burned 2.2 gallons per hour, considerably less than the 3 gallons per hour that the Glacier Bay system burned at the same speed. With the twin Volvos maxed out at 3,900 rpm, the boat made 24.5 knots.

Also among the unconvinced is Chris White, well-known designer of ocean-going catamarans. “To date, I’ve not seen any system that makes sense for a cruising boat,” he says, but he might change his mind, “if someone can show me by building one that delivers an advantage in performance, weight, or cost.”

White sees the current bubble of interest in diesel-electric drives as a fad. In the end, he says, you’re getting the horsepower the diesel creates at the crankshaft, which is basically the same whether it’s delivered to the prop via a conventional reduction gearbox or via a generator and an electric motor. Besides, he says, diesel engines and diesel fuel are understood and available anywhere in the world you might take a sailboat. Complex, electronically controlled electric motors are not.

White’s reservations notwithstanding, it’s in the world of catamarans that we’re seeing most of the applications. At first sight, it does seem logical that replacing three diesel engines—two propulsion and one generator—on a fully equipped cruising cat would result in fuel savings. Still, if the generator is big enough to drive the boat at cruising speed (which in a cat is expected to be in the vicinity of 10 knots) and run the air conditioning at the same time, it will be overkill for the times it’s only needed to operate the boat’s services. For this reason, commercial and military diesel-electric systems employ multiple generators that can be switched on and off according to the power demand of the moment.

Corsair Marine hopes that by installing a diesel-electric system in its 50-foot catamaran, it will be able to descend the weight spiral. Where a conventional installation would involve two 75-horsepower saildrives plus a 6-kW genset, it’s fitting a pair of 28-horsepower electric motors, one 25-kW generator, and a 40-amp, 230-volt battery bank. It expects to save about 700 pounds in equipment weight, some of it through the use of high-voltage, low-current systems, which will in turn reduce the rig requirement, thus the structural weight, and so on toward an estimated overall weight savings in the thousands of pounds.

Corsair’s David Renouf estimates that the boat will cruise at 8 knots and be capable of short bursts at 10. He admits that, until the first boat is launched, his information is “based on extrapolation, not proven numbers.” He says that some clients will add a second 25-kW genset to assure longer periods at 10 knots. Currently, the project is running behind schedule, with a launch scheduled before the end of the year.

Cost and Other Benefits

At the present time, there appears to be no reason to install any proprietary electric drive of any description in the expectation of bettering the economics of a standard diesel drive. The motors and their electronic controllers are sophisticated and expensive. A battery bank sufficient to provide a useful motoring range is a big investment in weight, space, and money. When you add a generator and its peripherals, the cost and weight take another upward leap.

Only the simplest system will begin to pay itself off in terms of fuel not burnt, and then only if the boat sees a great deal of use. A diesel-electric system designed to closely dovetail with the way you use the boat may prove to be more efficient over time than a conventional diesel installation, but until enough systems have been installed and used and data from that use compiled and compared, we can’t know that.

So why even consider going electric? Cleanliness and silence of operation are two qualities that make electric propulsion an attractive proposition for a sailboat, but in order to enjoy them, we have to accept the limitations they impose.

A hybrid or a diesel-electric system enables us to have a single fossil-fuel power source for both propulsion and onboard appliances, but whatever fuel we might save as a consequence of motoring more efficiently for a couple of hours will be inconsequential if we run the generator all night to power the air conditioning.

Conclusions

As we go to press, pickings are slim for sailors looking for an electric solution to the diesel problem. Suppliers of components are few, prices are high, and the feedback on long-term reliability is nonexistent. On top of all this is the elephant in the room: the unexplored safety ramifications that accompany high-voltage DC.

However, none of this should deter the dedicated tinkerer who has funds to match his curiosity and who can live within the parameters imposed by electric propulsion.

Practical Sailor encourages our readers to explore the technology, because ultimately, it is the experimenters who bring us the equipment we eventually come to take for granted.

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Yachting Monthly

Digital edition

Electric yacht: What are the options for going electric?

Will Bruton
July 17, 2020

The options for having an electric yacht or a hybrid-electric yacht are growing in popularity; we outline the current options for those making the switch

An Arcona 380z which has electric propulsion

The Arcona 380Z is a standard production yacht that has been adapted for electric propulsion. Note the increased solar panel surface area with soft panels bonded to the sails. Credit: Jukka Pakainen

A modern electric yacht can come in all shapes and sizes, from the latest high-tech speed boats with recently developed high-performance electric engines, to a traditional tender with an electric outboard on the back. Increasingly yachts are going electric too as electric engines become increasingly capable of propelling boats weighing several tonnes, and with the rigging for sails, at a reasonable speed for an acceptable length of time.

Since the invention of the marinised engine , there has never been the capacity to store enough fuel to cover significant distances in boats that are smaller than a tanker, with fuel capacity always being the limiting factor. As such the best way to cover long distances on a boat fit for a small number of passengers was, and remains, wind power.

For all the many green attributes that using the power of wind offers, there is no escaping that for most, fossil fuels still represent some part of sailing – whether that be a diesel engine to motor in light winds, onto and off a mooring , or to generate power for onboard electronic systems. Even a small tender used to go from ship-to-shore is often fitted with an outboard motor.

Recent advances in electric power, however, have started to make electric propulsion a reasonable alternative to fossil fuel power. Range will always be an issue but that has long been true of a traditional diesel engine. Improvements in lithuim-ion battery performance is, and likely will continue to, increase range every year.

Spirit Yachts 44e – the ‘e’ stands for electric

Additionally electric power and batteries offer the bonus of being able to be recharged via solar panels , a wind turbine or hydroelectric power – via a hydrogenerator mounted on the stern of a boat sailing.

At first glance the electric yacht market could appear in its infancy, but like every revolution, the will of the people is driving forward technology that only a few years ago was seen as the stuff of fantasy.

The market has responded to demand, and battery and motor technology has come on leaps and bounds, driven in part by the rapid development of electric cars.

It may not be commonplace yet, but electric yachting is here, even available ‘off the shelf’, so is it time to get onboard?

The Spirit 111 is a bold hybrid yacht, promising 30 miles motoring under electric power alone. Credit: Ian Roman/Waterline Media

A cutting edge electric yacht

Like Formula One, it’s the cutting edge of electric yachting that trickles down into mainstream production in no time at all.

For Spirit Yachts, a builder defined by a unique blend of traditional and state-of-the-art, electric yachting has been driven by demanding clients that want their yachts to be at the cutting edge.

Spirit Yachts have now produced a number of projects aimed at the all electric luxury yacht market including the Spirit 44e electric yacht and a recent project, the Spirit 111, had all the hallmarks of a superyacht project and the team had to earn their keep delivering to brief.

Managing Director Nigel Stuart explained how it works.

‘The 111 combines several cutting-edge technologies to deliver a something that’s never really been done before. A lithium-ion powered electric drive system can be charged by hydrogenation and also two high-wattage diesel generators.

‘Each generator is 22kw, meaning they can pack a lot of power into the system in a short period of time, they don’t need to run for long to fully recharge.

‘The prop is both a means of drive and power generation, so no separate hydrogenerator is needed. She will be capable of motoring under electric alone for more than 30 miles.

‘When you take on a project that’s electric, it makes you think hard about efficiency so the air conditioning, water heaters and everything in the galley has also been carefully selected to use less power.

‘For her owner there is very little compromise and some major advantages.’

Whilst it’s a long way from the average cruising yacht, the trickle-down effect of projects like the Spirit 111 can’t be underestimated.

A Contessa 32 which has electric propulsion

Calypso , a Contessa 32, was the yard’s first foray into electric-powered yachts. Credit: Jeremy Rogers

Traditional electric yacht

Jeremy Rogers’ yard in Lymington is the birthplace of the iconic Contessa designs and a veritable temple to long keeled , traditional craft.

Less well known is the yard’s interest in electric auxiliary engines, something they have been involved in for more than 10 years.

Their first project, the refit of a Contessa 32 called Calypso, was an experiment by the Rogers family to see what was possible.

‘ Calypso was a test bed in the technology’s infancy,’ explains Kit Rogers of this early electric boat.

‘Inevitably, we didn’t get it all right, but we learned a lot about the dos and don’ts of electric yachting. The end result was a hybrid. The more we did, the more interesting the project became.

‘It’s not just the obvious, silent peaceful propulsion; it’s also the things you take for granted about a cruising boat. For example, no gas, we didn’t need it because we had electric power.

The yard has also worked on an electric folkboat conversion for a foreign customer.

‘The client, first and foremost, loves to sail. He sees the electric as an auxiliary option, along with the rowing and is excited to own a boat that’s quietly different.

‘He’s looking for a more connected experience and an electric boat helps him achieve it. When you’ve been motoring in and out of marinas under chugging diesel engines for years, the electric motor is something of a revelation.

Arcona 380Z has solar panels to help generation in this electric boat

Arcona has installed solar sails on its latest 380Z electric yacht

Off-the-shelf electric yacht

Perhaps the biggest indication of the future of the electric boat is the willingness of production and semi-production builders to pin their flags to the mast and embrace it.

One of the first was Hanse, who developed a version of their 315 utilising a Torquedo electric pod system.

Providing around the same amount of power as a 10 horsepower diesel, a 4.4kWh lithium ion battery pack powers the system.

Arcona, Dufour, Elan and Delphia also have electric boat models and are each taking their own direction on entering the market.

Arcona’s 380Z (the ‘Z’ stands for ‘zero emission’) fully electric boat has solar panel covered sails, capitalising on the large surface area to top up batteries under sail.

In the multihull market, there is even more scope for solar, wind and hydrogenation due to the horizontal surface area available for solar charging.

What are the options for an electric yacht?

Pure electric.

Purely electric systems can be broadly divided into two categories, high and low voltage.

The latter is the simplest option in terms of how it works and requires less specialist knowledge to install.

Kit Rogers installed a 48v Ocean Volt system in his latest project and remarked on the experience.

‘The advantage of the low voltage system is its inherent lack of complexity. Whilst we’ve coupled it with lithium ion battery technology, it can also be wired up to conventional lead acid batteries. There are pros and cons to both. What surprises everyone is the size, it’s a tiny motor and is surrounded by lots of space where the engine would normally sit.’

High voltage systems are more advanced, and utilising lithium-ion technology, their capacity is improving year on year.

For larger yachts this is generally seen as a better option.

A partnership between BMW and Torqueedo has led to the development of the Deep Blue 315v high voltage battery.

Effectively the same unit as found in the BMWi3 electric cars now often seen on the high street, the system produces a lot of power and is being used on the Spirit 111 project as well as catamarans.

Electric hybrid

One big barrier to entry exists for most potential electric yacht buyers – range.

Even the most advanced set-ups are limited to a maximum of a few hours motoring at cruising speed.

‘The electric motors excel at two things in particular,’ explained Kit Rogers.

‘The first is as auxiliary power for getting in and out of marinas. The second is engaged at low power to very efficiently motor-sail in light airs. If you want to do more than that, at present, you need to add a way of packing in the charge into the battery quickly whilst at sea; which means a generator’ .

As with electric cars and as enthusiasm builds for the technology, a hybrid option, pairing a generator with an electric drive system, is already proving popular and is probably the most practical option for those planning to cruise any distance.

Using a large generator, charge can be quickly put into the system when needed.

Once under sail, the yacht’s propeller becomes a hydro generator, meaning that diesel power is not needed day-to-day.

Solar can also be used to add additional charging capacity.

‘When a fully integrated electric hybrid system is incorporated into a cruising yacht from the outset, its possibilities really become clear,’ explains John Arnold, UK manager at Torqeedo.

‘Sailing for days on end with no engine noise is entirely possible. There are other less obvious benefits too. Electric drives have no long rotating shaft, so can be used as pod drives as well, meaning the boat is far more manoeuvrable than even a yacht equipped with bow and stern thrusters.’

Spirit Yachts 44e

How much does it cost to convert a yacht to electric power?

The technology exists, but anyone seriously considering going electric will want to crunch the numbers.

In the case of taking out a traditional inboard diesel and replacing it with an electric system, it’s relatively easy to work this out.

However, unless you include an auxiliary generator, you will be limited to battery range alone.

For this reason, we’ve done a like for like comparison for a 35ft yacht engine refit, including the cost of a generator to make the system a practical hybrid.

Unsurprisingly, at the moment, there’s a big difference in cost, but at between three to six times the cost, it is gradually coming into the realms of possibility, and prices should continue to drop as technology develops and evolves.

Ocean Volt SD10 Motor system (including batteries, charger and 6kw generator): £30,825.16

Beta Marine Beta 20hp Marine Diesel: £4,100

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The Promises and Pitfalls of an All-Electric Yacht

By Tim Murphy
Updated: November 8, 2021

This past October, I saw one of the most interesting exhibits in more than 500 new cruising sailboats I’ve reviewed over two decades. It was the Arcona 435Z, built in Sweden and introduced by Graham Balch of Green Yachts in San Francisco. Balch describes his business as “a new brokerage dedicated to the electric revolution on the water,” and it was the “Z” in the boat’s name, which stands for “zero emissions,” that made this boat so interesting. This was the first electric propulsion system—not hybrid but all-electric —I’d ever seen on a cruising sailboat.

Electric propulsion isn’t new. Since 1879, electric motors have propelled boats; a fleet of some four-dozen electric launches transported visitors around the 1893 Colombian Exposition in Chicago. But cruising sailboats are not launches, and the open sea is not a protected canal. When we’re using cruising boats as they’re meant to be used, they seldom end their day plugged into a shore-power outlet. Cruising boats comprise many devices —stove, refrigerator, freezer, windlass, winches, autopilot, radar, lights—whose power typically comes from a tank of fossil fuel. And today’s cruising sailors are accustomed to using diesel auxiliary power to motor through lulls or punch into headwinds and seas.

Starting about 15 years ago, we saw a wave of diesel-electric and hybrid propulsion systems on production and custom cruising boats ( see “Perpetuated Motion,” CW , March 2005 ). Both of those systems ultimately start with an onboard internal-combustion engine. A diesel-electric propulsion system relies on a running genset to directly power the electric motor that turns the propeller. A hybrid system relies on batteries to power the electric motor, plus an internal-combustion genset to recharge the batteries. One of the promises of a hybrid system is the ability to regenerate electrical power. Regeneration means using boatspeed under sail to turn the propeller, whose spinning shaft sends electrons from the electric motor back through an electronic controller to recharge the batteries. In such a system, the boat’s propeller is both an electrical load (when running under power) and a charging source (when sailing in regeneration mode).

The Arcona 435Z was different from both of these systems: It incorporates no onboard fossil-fuel engine at all. Instead, it has a bank of lithium batteries, several solar panels, and a proprietary propulsion leg that looks like a saildrive. “This boat,” Balch said, “has the very first production unit in the world of Oceanvolt’s newest electric propulsion system, called the ServoProp.”

For our sea trial, Balch was joined by Derek Rupe, CEO of Oceanvolt USA. “If you can sail the boat and you have some solar, you can go anywhere in the world, and you can make all your power underway while you go,” Rupe said. When we spoke in October 2020, he touted three high-profile sailors who were using the Oceanvolt electric propulsion system: Alex Thomson, for his Hugo Boss Open 60 Vendée Globe program; Jimmy Cornell, for his Elcano 500 expedition; and Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu, who had been teasing their new boat for months on their popular Sailing La Vagabonde YouTube channel.

The efficiency of Oceanvolt’s ServoProp and the regeneration from it is the promised game-changer in each of these boats. The ServoProp is a leg with a feathering propeller that can be set for optimal pitch in three modes: forward, reverse and regeneration.

“You don’t need fuel,” Rupe said. “You don’t need to dock; you can go anywhere you want to go and always have the power for living and propulsion.”

That’s the promise. But are there also pitfalls?

Innovation and Risk

Marine electric propulsion is an emerging technology. Compared with the mature and settled technology of diesel engines and lead-acid batteries, electric-propulsion systems—with their electronic controllers and lithium batteries—are in a stage of development best described as adolescent. Every sailor has his or her own tolerance for technical innovation. For the promise of fewer seconds per mile, grand-prix-racing sailors willingly trade a high risk of expensive damage to the sails, rig or the boat’s structure itself; cruising sailors, by contrast, tend to favor yearslong reliability in their equipment as they seek miles per day.

Folks who identify as early adopters take special joy in the first-wave discoveries of a new technology; if they’re clear-eyed about supporting an ongoing experiment, they see themselves as partners with the developers, accepting failures as opportunities for learning. Sailors motivated primarily by changing the trajectory of climate change might be especially willing to modify their behavior to limit their own output of greenhouse gases. Investing in any emerging technology asks you to start with a clear assessment of your own risk tolerance. We’ll return to this theme with one or two real-life examples.

The American Boat and Yacht Council, founded in 1954, sets recommended standards for systems installed on recreational boats. For decades, ABYC has published standards related to installations of diesel and gasoline engines, as well as electrical systems based around lead-acid batteries. By contrast, it was only three years ago that ABYC came out with its first electric-propulsion standard (revised July 2021). And only last year it published its first technical-information report on lithium batteries (a technical-information report is an early step toward a future standard). The takeaway is that if you need help servicing your diesel engine or electrical system built around lead-acid batteries, you can pull into any reasonable-size port and find competent technicians to help you. With electric propulsion and lithium batteries, that pool of skilled talent is significantly scarcer.

To say that a technology is mature simply means that we’ve learned to live with it, warts and all, but that it holds few remaining surprises. Certainly, diesel-propulsion and lead-acid-battery technologies each leave plenty of room for improvement. When a charge of fuel ignites in the combustion chamber of a diesel engine, some three-quarters of the energy is lost in heat and the mechanical inefficiencies of converting reciprocating motion to rotation. Lead-acid batteries become damaged if we routinely discharge more than half of their capacity. During charging, they’re slow to take the electrons we could deliver.

Lithium batteries are comparatively full of promise. Their power density is far greater than that of lead-acid batteries, meaning they’re much lighter for a given capacity. They’re capable of being deeply discharged, which means you can use far more of the bank’s capacity, not merely the first half. And they accept a charge much more quickly; compare that to several hours a day running an engine to keep the beers iced down.

But the pitfalls? Let’s start with ABYC TE-13, Lithium Ion Batteries. Some of its language is bracing. “Lithium ion batteries are unlike lead-acid batteries in two important respects,” the report says. “1) The electrolyte within most lithium ion batteries is flammable. 2) Under certain fault conditions, lithium ion batteries can enter a condition known as thermal runaway, which results in rapid internal heating. Once initiated, it is a self-perpetuating and exothermic reaction that can be difficult to halt.”

Thermal runaway? Difficult to halt? Self-perpetuating?

“Typically, the best approach is to remove heat as fast as possible, which is most effectively done by flooding the battery with water,” TE-13 continues, “although this may have serious consequences for the boat’s electrical systems, machinery, buoyancy, etc.”

If you were following the news in January 2013, you might remember the story of Japan Airlines Flight 008. Shortly after landing at Boston’s Logan Airport, a mechanic opened the aft electronic equipment bay of the Boeing 787-8 to find smoke and flames billowing from the auxiliary-power unit. The fire extinguisher he used didn’t put out the flames. Eventually Boston firefighters put out the fire with Halotron, but when removing the still-hissing batteries from the plane, one of the firefighters was burned through his professional protective gear.

Samsung Galaxy cellphones, MacBook Pro laptops, powered skateboards—in the past decade, these and other devices have been recalled after their lithium batteries burned up. In that period, several high-end custom boats were declared a total loss following failures from lithium batteries. In March 2021, a 78-foot Norwegian hybrid-powered tour boat, built in 2019 with a 790 kW capacity battery bank, experienced thermal runaway that kept firefighters on watch for several days after the crew safely abandoned the ship.

Yes, experts are learning a lot about how to mitigate the risks around lithium batteries. But we’re still on the learning curve.

ABYC’s TE-13 “System Design” section starts, “All lithium-ion battery systems should have a battery management system (BMS) installed to prevent damage to the battery and provide for battery shutoff if potentially dangerous conditions exist.” It defines a bank’s “safe operating envelope” according to such parameters as high- and low-voltage limits, charging and discharging temperature limits, and charging and discharging current limits.

Graham Balch takes these safety recommendations a step further: “To our knowledge, the BMS has to monitor at the cell level. With most batteries, the BMS monitors at the module level.” The difference? “Let’s say you have 24 cells inside the battery module, and three of them stop working. Well, the other 21 have to work harder to compensate for those three. And that’s where thermal events occur.”

Balch followed the story of the Norwegian tour boat this past spring. He believes that the battery installation in that case didn’t meet waterproofing standards: “The hypothesis is that due to water intrusion, there was reverse polarity in one or more of the cells, which is worse than cells simply not working. It means that they’re actively working against the other cells. But if the BMS is monitoring only at the module level, you wouldn’t know it.”

On the Green Yachts website, Graham lists five battery manufacturers whose BMS regimes monitor at the cell level. “If I were sailing on an electric boat, whether it be commercial or recreational, I would feel comfortable with having batteries from these five companies and no other,” he said.

The broader takeaway for today’s sailors is that lithium batteries bring their own sets of problems and solutions, which are different from those of conventional propulsion and power-supply technologies. A reasonably skilled sailor could be expected to change fuel filters or bleed a diesel engine if it shuts down in rough conditions. With lithium-ion batteries aboard, an operator needs to understand the causes and remedies of thermal runaway, and be ready to respond if the BMS shuts down the boat’s power.

Real-World Electric Cruising Boats

When we met Oceanvolt’s Derek Rupe a year ago, he and his wife had taken their all-electric boat to the Bahamas and back the previous season. Before that, he’d been installing electric-propulsion packages for six years on new Alerion 41s and other refit projects. “My real passion is on the technical side of things—installations, really getting that right. That’s half the picture. The technology is there, but it needs to be installed correctly.”

When talking to Rupe, I immediately encountered my first learning curve. I posed questions about the Oceanvolt system in amps and amp-hours; he responded in watts and kilowatt-hours. This was yet another example of the different mindset sailors of electric boats need to hold. Why? Because most cruising boats have just one or two electrical systems: DC and AC. The AC system might operate at 110 or 220 volts; the DC side might operate at 12 or 24 volts. On your own boat, that voltage is a given. From there we tend to think in terms of amps needed to power a load, and amp-hours of capacity in our battery banks. Going back to basics, the power formula tells us that power (watts) equals electrical potential (volts) times current (amps). If your boat’s electrical system is 12 volts and you know that your windlass is rated at 400 watts, it follows that the windlass is rated to draw 33 amps.

But an all-electric boat might comprise several systems at different voltages. A single battery bank might supply cabin lights at 12 volts DC; winches and windlasses at 24 volts DC; the propulsion motor at 48 volts DC; and an induction stove, microwave and television at 110 volts AC. A DC-to-DC power converter steps the voltage up or down, and an inverter changes DC to AC. Instead of translating through all those systems, the Oceanvolt monitor (and Derek Rupe) simply reports in watts coming in or going out of the bank.

“We keep all our thoughts in watts,” Rupe said. “Watts count in the AC induction. They count in the DC-to-DC converter. They count the solar in. They count the hydrogeneration in. And the power-management systems tracks it that way for shore-power in.

“On a boat like this, maybe I have 500 watts coming in the solar panels,” he continued. “So then I can think: ‘Well, my fridge is using 90 watts. My boat has an electric stove. When I cook a big meal, I can see that for every hour we cook, we lose about 10 to 12 minutes of our cruising range.’”

During his Bahamas cruising season, Rupe observed that on days that they were sailing, the combination of solar panels and hydroregeneration supplied all the power he and his wife needed. “When we weren’t sailing,” he said, “we found that we were losing 8 percent each day, in the difference from what the sun gave us to what we were using for the fridge, lights, charging our laptops, and all that stuff.”

Rupe’s solution? “Twice in Eleuthera and once outside Major’s, we went out and sailed laps for a couple of hours because the batteries were below 30 percent of capacity. It was good sailing, and the wind was coming over the shore, so we didn’t have any sea state. We did a couple of hot laps on nice beam reaches, and generated about 700 watts an hour.”

Of the three sailors Rupe touted in October 2020—Alex Thomson, Jimmy Cornell and the Sailing La Vagabonde couple—only Cornell can report back on his all-electric experiences with Oceanvolt. Alex Thomson ended his circumnavigation abruptly last November, just 20 days after the Vendée Globe start, when Hugo Boss collided with an object in the South Atlantic. And at press time in early fall 2021, Riley and Elayna had just recently announced the build of their new Rapido trimaran; keep an eye on their YouTube channel for more about their experiences with the Oceanvolt propulsion system.

As for Cornell—circumnavigator, World Cruising Routes author, creator of the transoceanic rally, and veteran of some 200,000 ocean miles—he suspended his planned Elcano 500 round-the-world expedition solely because of the Oceanvolt system in his new Outremer catamaran. His Aventura Zero Logs on the Cornell Sailing website, particularly the Electric Shock article posted on December 2, 2020, are essential reading for any sailor interested in sailing an electric boat. “Sailing around the world on an electric boat with zero emissions along the route of the first circumnavigation was such a tempting opportunity to do something meaningful and in tune with our concern for protecting the environment that my family agreed I should do it,” Cornell wrote. “What this passage has shown was that in spite of all our efforts to save energy, we were unable to regenerate sufficient electricity to cover consumption and top up the batteries.”

Cornell’s experience in that article is raw, and his tone in that moment bitterly disappointed. We recommend it as essential reading—not as a final rejection of the electric-boat concept or of Oceanvolt’s system, or even as an endorsement of Cornell’s own decision that the system didn’t work. I suspect that I may have arrived at the same conclusion. Yet given the same boat in the same conditions, one imagines that a new breed of sailor—a Graham Balch or a Derek Rupe—may have responded differently to the constraints imposed by an all-electric boat, as nearly every cruising sailor today habitually responds to the inconvenient constraints of diesel engines and lead-acid batteries.

“If you bring electric winches, electric heads and an induction stove, and then sail into a high-pressure system, you’ll set yourself up for failure,” Balch said. “You have to balance your power inputs and your power outputs.

“Sailing an electric boat is a return to the tradition of sailing that the crutch of a diesel engine has gotten us away from,” he added. “Magellan’s fleet got all the way around the world, and they didn’t have a diesel engine.”

Tim Murphy is a Cruising World editor-at-large and longtime Boat of the Year judge.

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Electric repower

Thread starter Guan
Start date Jul 15, 2021
Forums for All Owners
Ask All Sailors

Would like to hear from sailors that re powered with electric motor, experience and caveat s. As I'm thinking of going this route.

Repowering with and electric engine?

Converting from diesel engine to electric motor.

sail sfbay said: That subject came up on these SBO threads: Repowering with and electric engine? Anyone considering or already gone electric? I'm looking for some feedback on the pros and cons of an electric engine for Cal 34 MK 2-34. The main issues I believe are amp hours and recharge time. forums.sailboatowners.com Converting from diesel engine to electric motor Has anyone converted from diesel engine to an electric motor? If so, what are your thoughts on the conversion? forums.sailboatowners.com Might consider an inboard Torqeedo: Inboards - Electric motors from Torqeedo Click to expand

Guan said: I'm thinking of going this route. Click to expand

Great summary by John. My take is pretty much in-line with that. I'll add in, I'm planning on doing some long distance cruising and wish to have the ability to store enough power to run my engine for potentially several days at a time. Looking at the electric option, from this perspective it's not up to the same auxiliary motor support that I'll want. But there are those that are doing exactly this - just relying on the auxiliary engine to get into and out of ports (see Sailing Uma for example). What I have seen is sometimes these folk run a bit close to making port when running up long rivers, for example, to arrive at the final port. I love the concept - have a completely free of any dino-fuel, completely self-sufficient system, has a strong attraction. But I don't see it fitting my sailing style, yet. You need to evaluate your specific needs and concerns while sailing. dj

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One man’s experiment with electric propulsion

By [email protected] | november 20, 2016 | comments 28 comments.

I live on a small sailboat with electric motor as auxiliary power, and even if this happened by accident, I decided to try out this technology as a total novice. Five years and 6000 miles later I describe my experience in this post, trying to draw a general picture of the use of electric motors aboard small sailboats.

Electric vehicles (EV) and hybrids are conquering little by little the market of light duty vehicles, with some forecast that put internal combustion engines (ICE) to soon be less competitive when compared to EVs. Other experts are more conservative on how soon this is going to happen, but it seems clear that ICE is fated to become obsolete as EVs are “the rational, economic choice”.

The simple yet powerful setup for Tesla S

But what is the situation with marine electric propulsion? Can small sailboat be propelled by electric motors?

Over the water, the most common form of auxiliary propulsion for sailboats is marine diesel engine. This proven technology benefits from many years of successful use and a well established industry of dealers and technical repairs. It’s clear that the diesel option dominates the market on sailboats auxiliary propulsion. In fact, before owning a boat with electric propulsion, my only experience was with diesel engines and, less often, gasoline outboards.

THE DIESEL BIAS Diesel fuel has a couple of good features: a high flash point that allows a relatively safe handling and a good energy density that provides satisfying motoring range with limited storage required. Today new, smaller and more efficient units fit easily in every engine room. Marine diesel give a sailboat an extended range under power and enough power to face many difficult situations and emergencies.

When I first encountered electric propulsion it was a quirky novelty, something I was not prepared to deal with. I was reluctant, but I knew that if I was not happy with it, I could easily revert to ICE. It was hard to find good information on the topic, so I guess the only way to know was to run the experiment myself.

One of the common temptations is to approach the topic trying to answer the question if electric propulsion can replace the diesel engine. After all why choosing an option that cannot compete with the market leader? After a lot of research, re-doing myself the installation of my electric motor, and using it for more than 2000 nautical miles, I finally have an answer. Electric propulsion can’t replace the diesel engine. What it did for me was to change the way I see and use auxiliary propulsion.

A DIFFERENT MINDSET It is common practice on a sailboat to turn on the engine not only when you need to maneuver around tight docks or anchorages, but also when wind or wave direction shifts to an undesired angle, when the speed drops under a certain threshold, if the battery charge is low or to fight against tides and currents. No matter what is the source of the annoyance, it takes little effort to fix it. Just turn the ignition key on, wait few seconds and put the throttle in gear and the problem is solved.

Fuel and general consumables are what sit between the choice of motoring or not motoring. They are usually very easy to find everywhere and reasonably cheap. This mindset implies that power is abundant and available at all times, we can get to destination in less time, going through very little trouble.

Electrical propulsion on the other hand, requires a switch from this mindset, from considering power abundant to scarce. Scarce however doesn’t mean non-existent, it simply means that your reserve has to be cared for and maintained.

ANATOMY OF OUR “LOW COST” SYSTEM Tranquility, our Columbia 29 built in 1965 is powered by an inboard electric propulsion. The conversion from presumably an Atomic 4, was performed by a former owner who installed an earlier model from the company Electric Yacht . The motor is a simple DC Eltek brushed motor mounted on a 2 to 1 gear, and it works at 36Vdc-65Vdc (48Vdc nominal), with a maximum peak of 130Amps and 100Amps continuous. The power conversion is estimated equal to 5kW (6 h.p.). It is compact in size and weights a little more than 40 pounds.

Here is a video of Tranquility’s conversion to electric propulsion:

At the time of purchase the boat and the propulsion system needed serious updates, and we were forced to replace the existing battery bank with a new one. We opted for eight 6v Trojan T-125 batteries connected in series for a total capacity of 240ah at 48v.

The reasons behind the choice of a “traditional” lead acid 6v battery are both economical and practical. Lead acid batteries are at least five time cheaper than Lifepo4, and our sailing budget is very limited. Also, in case of a single battery failure it would be easier to replace one “golf cart” battery in different places of the planet, without dealing with the manufacturers of a “rare” battery, with expensive shipping and duties.

We use wind, hydro, the grid and fossil fuels to o recharge our batteries. In details, we installed a 48v wind turbine, a 20amp AC to DC battery charger powered by the grid when we are at the dock and by a portable gas generator when at sea, the 12×12 fixed three blade propeller that regenerates power under sail when boat speeds exceed 5 knots.

CRUISING WITH ELECTRIC PROPULSION: THIS IS HOW WE DO IT

With our current system we are able to motor in calm conditions at 3 knots while drawing 20 amps for approximately 15miles before we need any recharge. This estimated range is considered an ideal situation and we try to avoid to use our motor for that long.

If we have to motor for more than 1 hour for instance, we would use our gas generator on deck to give some power back to the batteries. The motor rarely runs at more than 20 amps, and when it happens my hearth races as if they were taking my blood rather than electrons from the battery plates.

When we are drawing more than 20 amps it’s because we are fighting headwinds, currents in a narrow passage or performing a maneuver that requires high thrust, situations that should not last long if we plan our sail wisely and that does not affect too much our power reserve.

We always try to be very conservative with our batteries but at the same time we are happy to know that we can demand more power if conditions arise. How little we can motor became a game for us, and we feel particularly accomplished when we don’t use it at all.

OUR TESTING GROUNDS Coastal sailing is the most demanding situation for auxiliary propulsion because of narrows, currents, navigational hazards that make sailing hard work and sometimes extremely time consuming. For these reasons, most of our sailing is done offshore where we don’t need auxiliary propulsion.

Since we fixed our boat and hooked up the electric propulsion we have been sailing the East Coast of the United States from Massachussets to Georgia round trip with electric propulsion. As we are planning to take on more distance sailing, we considered that a successful test.

Occasionally we used the ICW, especially on the southbound trip when we went from Norfolk, VA to Beaufort, NC. In that situation, time was a constraint as we were cruising in cold weather. Our priority was to get south as fast as we could, without taking the risk of rounding Cape Hatteras during winter.

One day for example we needed to sail from Manteo NC, to Hatteras, NC via the Pamlico Sound. The forecast gave us very light wind for the next day, not great sailing conditions. If we waited, we would have to face strong headwinds for the rest of the week and possibly get stuck there.

Considering the scenario, we decided to leave early, hooked up our gas generator to motor all the way in a flat Pamlico Sound. Because of the short winter days we arrived at night but once there we had no worries about when to leave for the next leg of the trip that was done under sail.

During the rest of the trip we sailed and motor-sailed along portions of “the ditch”, but making most of our miles offshore picking good weather windows. A gentle breeze is sufficient to sail faster than we would motor, and we also tolerate to move slower if that is possible under sail. Carefully timing the tides we can motor faster using less power and so our journey is entirely planned in consideration of weather patterns and current.

THE ART OF COMPROMISE

Kate and I live aboard and cruise full time. So far electric propulsion has never been a concern, nor we live it as a limitation. After some adjustments in our cruising style, we quickly adapted to it. Cruising with an electric inboard propulsion makes it necessary to compromise.

The reduced range limits our possibilities in terms of routes and landing options. Sometimes it’s necessary to leave earlier from places we like to take advantage of a favorable weather window. Sometimes we had to stay longer in places we liked less. More than once a sudden calm, a favorable tide or other “disturbances” led us to places we din’t plan to visit.

With these limitations, we learned that it’s not a coincidence that most of the main harbors are built in locations accessible under sail in most conditions, as historically that was the only way to get there.

ELECTRIC PROPULSION MAKES BETTER SAILORS

Electric propulsion forces us to keep sailing even when the boat speed goes below 3 knots. These limits had forced me to work on having a better sailboat. Because of limited power we keep our bottom as clean as possible (I often dive myself or hire a professional). Because of our limited power, we purchased bigger nylon sails for light air and installed a retractable bowsprit to increase our sail area.

We spend more time studying landings on the charts, including alternative points of refuge in our planning and always trying to match the tide and the current. Paying closer attention to weather is another consequence of dealing with a limited range. Even if it would not be our first choice sometimes we have to leave at night or arrive with the dark. In other words, our sailing skill and navigation competence have improved thanks to electric propulsion.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

What I am doing today is a sort of a beta test, the science fair version of astrophysics. Considering our limited budget and resources, the results are encouraging and what is really exciting is that there are optimistic signs that this technology will be more viable for future use and diffusion in the marine industry.

Even if we are being thrifty, we are aware how our battery bank have a relatively short lifespan. Well cared lead-acid batteries can last 7-10 years but the test of electrical propulsion is a harsh one, that’s why we are extremely careful on how we treat our power storage.

With this in mind, I look forward to what may be available in 2020 in terms of batteries cost for a sailboat with electric motor. The electric car industry, Tesla in primis, has shown the world that the technology is already here and that only scale production and policy are the limits to a wider diffusion. The marine industry is opening up to LiFePo4 technology for power storage, and even if today is still very expensive, there is no need for technological breakthroughs, just a more mature industry and a wider market.

I would use Lifepo4 batteries today if I could afford them. This way I would extend my motoring range by 40% at 50% the weight of my actual setupand I would be less concerned to push down harder on the throttle if I feel like, or worry about the time between full recharges, as lead plate sulfation would not be an issue.

With Lifepo4 batteries I would feel more confident and leave behind our gasoline generator. The much decreased weight would give me better sailing and motoring performance in return. In other words, power will still be “scarce” but less so.

A SMALL MINORITY

We rarely encounter another sailboat with electric motor (but thanks to the internet we met a guru and now we know some others ) and we feel like an anomaly, especially when it’s a calm day and other vessels motor at full steam, while we bob around with full sails trying to catch any breeze and spending very long time to cover few miles.

Sometimes it’s not fun, and we wished we had a diesel engine. We are also lucky that our sailing doesn’t have to follow a particularly strict schedule, so it’s not dramatic either.

When we purchased our boat the type of auxiliary propulsion was not among the most important criteria in our selection. We were pleased by her sound hull and the solid rig, we loved the interior and other features. The fact that Tranquility came with electric propulsion was somehow a coincidence. We thought that we could switch to a different system if we wanted to, and after trying it we got intrigued and realized that even with its limitations electric propulsion works for us.

Today electric propulsion would be my first choice for a sailboat up to 35ft. Its minimum maintenance, the fact that is quiet, reliable and simple and has no fumes from fuel and oil are the perks that balance the labor that takes to sail more, which coincidently is why we are on the water in the first place.

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Mathematical model of operating characteristics of asynchronous motors with frequency control

Published: 03 May 2011
Volume 82 , pages 83–88, ( 2011 )

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A. V. Shestakov

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A method for calcualting the operating characteristics of operated asynchronous motors fed with pulse voltage is presented in the article. Based on this method, a G-shaped equivalent circuit is displayed for each harmonic in which the pressure curve corresponds to the phase of the current. The suggested model takes into consideration the influence of replacing a current on the active resistance of a rotor at higher harmonics, as well as the increase in magnetic losses due to hysteresis and vortical currents.

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Shestakov, A.V. Mathematical model of operating characteristics of asynchronous motors with frequency control. Russ. Electr. Engin. 82 , 83–88 (2011). https://doi.org/10.3103/S106837121102012X

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