Electric outboards get up on plane
The first units are packaged to look like a conventional outboard and indeed the bottom end of the unit comes from a petrol outboard.
Small electric outboards have been around for some time but now a French company is now offering versions that are powerful enough to get a RIB or small boat onto the plane.
EMotor’s current largest outboard will produce 30 hp and with the lithium ion battery pack that it offers, this power can be maintained for three hours. For larger boats that operate at displacement speeds, the company can offer a viable means of quiet propulsion.
This use of electric power offers possibilities for green operations when an outboard is used to power a yacht tender or an angling boat. The first units of these outboards are packaged to look like a conventional outboard and indeed the bottom end of the unit comes from a petrol outboard. However, the company is developing a range of outboards of unique design, with, naturally, a green finish. When this range is complete the highest power unit will have 50 hp.
These outboards are powered by a high efficiency DC electric motor developed in-house, for which the company is claiming an 88% efficiency. The operation of the outboard is simple, with the motor operating from zero rpm and with no neutral required. Reverse is a simple switch. Operation is almost completely quiet and, unlike some large electric motors, no cooling is required, which helps maintain the high efficiency.
EMotor, which has developed these units, is well established in the electric motor industry. In addition to these new electric outboards, the company offers a range of inboard electric motors for larger boats. EMotor has formed an alliance with a Chinese lithium ion battery maker so that it can supply the whole onboard installation, including the charging equipment, as a package. Solar charging units are also available, although normally the batteries would be charged from a marina or household socket.
These outboards come with electrical certification and a guarantee that lasts for 3,000 operating hours. One application currently being developed is for a fleet of electrically powered water taxis that can operate in ecologically sensitive areas. Further information is available at www.emotor.fr
By Dag Pike
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