Chinese diesel outboard challenge

It provides a direct challenge to the Neander Shark 50 hp diesel outboard that has been developed in Germany but the Runsun is being offered at a competitive price of just under £10,000 ex VAT. The engine comes with CE certification and is also approved for use in most major regions of the world that have emission standards.

The Runsun outboard is part of a range of diesel outboards being offered by the company. These come in both air and water cooled versions with the further options of having the engines open or enclosed within a protective hood. The air-cooled versions range from 10 to 30 hp in both types whilst the more conventional water cooled engines range come is sizes of 35, 40 and 60 hp.

The flagship engine, the 60 hp is a vee twin engine of 1.1 litre displacement. This unit weighs in at 122 kg and operates at up to 5500 rpm and is fitted with a turbo-charger. Runsun claims that this engine has a low noise output and has a proven long life with a fuel consumption of just 3 litres per hour.

The starting is electric and the engine is available with tiller steering or remote wheel steering. Power trim is also available as is a full remote control system and portable fuel tanks. Long shaft versions are also available.

The Runsun engines are being marketed in the UK by a subsidiary company, Runsun Power UK Ltd. This UK company is also the distributor for Europe and for South Africa. This is Runsun’s first venture into Europe with sales mainly concentrated in SE Asia and the US at present. In addition to these diesel outboards, the company also offers a matching range of air and water cooled inboard diesel engines and the Runsun range also includes engines for construction, agriculture, pumps and generators.

The parent company Runsun Industry is a major industrial company in China located in the Nantong region.

By Dag Pike