Trends in Electric Outboards

Relentless developments in the area of battery technology continue to support slow but consistent growth in the adoption of electric outboards as primary power sources, and particularly in the small to mid-range power categories. Driven by factors such as growing restrictions on the use of internal combustion engines on environmentally sensitive waterways and a wider interest in green technology overall, electric motors have gained increased acceptance. Helping to propel this change are technological advancements that provide electric motors with competitive advantages that go beyond a reduced carbon footprint.

Electric engines still represent a small proportion of the total outboard market – somewhere around 1.3% according to Torqeedo CEO and founder, Dr Christoph Ballin. That figure is comparable to the automotive industry, where electric cars now represent close to 2.0% of global auto sales. “The majority of that share is represented by outboard motors, as opposed to inboard systems,” says Ballin. “In boating there are numerous niches and the reality is that at least right now, electric mobility is simply not suitable for every segment. While you will find powerful boats with electric inboards of up to a hundred kilowatts with which you can waterski, the majority of the market today is represented by small horsepower outboards purchased through aftermarket retail channels to replace small gasoline outboards.”

Electric’s market share is expected to grow in the coming years as further technological developments enhance performance and consumer tastes continue to favour products with lower greenhouse gas emissions and lower overall ecological impact.

Practical considerations are also beginning to weigh into sales, says Ballin, with today’s buyers just as likely to be swayed toward purchasing an electric outboard as a result of factors like lighter weight and the convenience of not having to repeatedly buy fuel and carry it to the boat. “The ease of handling and reduced maintenance requirement are important drivers,” says Ballin. “If you want to equip a racing sailboat with the lightest option possible, for example, that will be an electric. And then in the large sailing yacht segment, it is to the point that you don’t need your generator because you can harvest lots of energy from hydro generation turning your prop while you’re sailing. And so, you have less vibration, less noise, less fumes, lighter weight and far greater convenience. There are a variety of motivations for consumers to go electric beyond the original environmental considerations.”

For Changzhou, China-based Golden Motor Technology, the adoption of new technologies represents a key pillar in the company’s marketing strategy. Its Sport and Leisure series of electric outboard motors include a range of innovative features which have nothing to do with the traditional eco-related sales points. These include innovations such as connectivity to a companion smartphone app to display operational data, along with a user-adjustable variable shaft length that can be lengthened or shortened as required – eliminating the need to manufacture and warehouse motors of different shaft lengths.

Founded in 2006, the company currently boasts a dealer network spanning 60 countries. Mercy Meng, who oversees trade sales for Golden Motor, says the company’s OEM business is growing. “We offer open support for any 48-volt DC battery system,” she says. “This allows customers to choose local battery suppliers.”

The comparatively maintenance-free attributes of electric power have also proven an effective competitive advantage for Moosburg, Austria-based AquaWatt Green Marine Technologies, which manufactures a range of electric outboards from 4kW to 50kW. The company, located on the Wörthersee, has been building electric motors since 1990 and today enjoys global distribution, with customers in Germany, Norway, Sweden, Greece, India, Mauritius, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.

”There are [many] motivations for consumers to go electric beyond the original environmental considerations.”

Dr. Christoph Ballin

Founder and owner Dieter Seebacher says the perception that electric motors are only for lightweight, slow-moving boats is a myth. “Lakes and rivers in Austria are our drinking water, so the use of fuel boats has been prohibited for 50 years,” says Seebacher. “In the past electric boats had less power, and were very slow, but, today it is very different. Now we can go water skiing or wakeboarding. We have one commercial customer located on a lake in Austria, 2,000 metres high in the mountains, using one of our motors to power a 50-tonne raft with a restaurant on it. He moves it around the lake with just the one motor, way up in the middle of the Alps.”

AquaWatt sells four lines of electric outboard, with the cowling, mid-section and lower unit of each intentionally styled to look like a comparable gasoline outboard – including a polished stainless steel propeller. “It looks like a boat motor, not like a toy,” says Seebacher. “The customer looks at this and it is familiar, the appearance is more what they are used to seeing so they have more confidence to power larger boats, or use it in saltwater. Then they learn there is no gasoline, there is no need to handle smelly fuel or to worry about polluting the water. The customer has the same capabilities they do with a fuel motor but less fuss and problems, so it is an enticing proposition.”

While developments in motors have generated consumer interest in electric outboards, the other key factor supporting the segment is significant developments in battery technology that greatly improve practicality – along with greater awareness of these developments, thanks to extensive media coverage of parallel innovations in electric automobiles.

The challenge for motor manufacturers, according to e-Propulsion marketing manager Chandler Xu, lies in educating consumers about the differences between new lithium-ion batteries and the older lead acid cells they’re familiar with. Many prospective customers initially base published data on battery performance on parameters associated with the older technology, he says. “There are major changes in the batteries starting with the fact that the lithium ion batteries are 48 volts,” he says. “Old lead acid batteries are normally 12 volts, so the customer thinks they need four batteries in serial. They don’t understand that’s not what they need.” (continues below)

Xu notes that once initial misgivings about battery capacity are overcome, the choice to purchase an electric outboard becomes easy. “Nobody wants to deal with fuel, nobody wants to get the smell on their hands or on their clothes or in their car trunk,” he says. “You don’t have that with an electric motor and consumers like that. It is also much lighter weight, so it is easier for older people or smaller people to handle.”

Practical considerations shape not only today’s buyers of electric motors, but the future path for product development and market growth. For Torqeedo’s Dr Christoph Ballin, market focus is clearly linked to the capabilities of the current technology, yet with an eye to long-term evolution. “If someone were to come to us and say electric propulsion is a great idea, let’s put it on a freshwater bass boat or a saltwater fishing boat I would have to be honest and say I don’t think it’s going to happen right now because the technology is not yet there,” says Ballin.

“On the other hand if we look at sailboats, I think we can say with absolute certainty that today, electric propulsion is the superior alternative. It is the same for tenders, where electric presents so many advantages. So we focus on those market segments. But technology is evolving rapidly and if we want to be ready to compete in other markets, we have to start taking some baby steps now or we won’t be able to catch up. We are committed to leading the market, not following it.”