The Actual EV Impact - Are Performance EV Outboards Coming?

[OverEasy]

Hi All

Came across this interesting fact based (vs hyperbole (aka: making sh@t up)) article from Motor Trend regarding the actual environmental cost of automotive EVs.

https://www.motortrend.com/features/tru ... g-lied-to/

It shows that the EVs can and are making a serious difference in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Man made climate change is an unfortunate reality that we are all facing.

There are a couple of YouTubers with bigger cruising sailboats having electric drive systems but these are not outboard type applications…

While there have been significant progress made in the past several years with small electric outboards and trolling motors and batteries there seems to be a gap in the 40-to-60(+) HP class that I’m currently aware of that would be applicable to our Mac26X and M type boats…

I’m wondering if some of our forum might be able to expand on this further.

There is also the aspect of hybrid systems where electrical shore power could be combined with solar and auxiliary generators… It’s not to be perfect but better (there’s nothing perfect … except for Cherry Garcia Ice Cream).

Best Regards
Over Easy

[Ixneigh]

Unfortunately I think we have a long way to go before power/weight/range will allow an outboard that can power our types of boats. Of course electric boats are over a hundred years old, but those were very heavy, deep, narrow hulls. They used the heavy batteries as ballast. I think hydrogen has possibilities, or some other chemical reaction that does not produce co2. I’m
Surprised no one has thought of something like that.

Re fusion, well sure, but it will be a while before we have outboard motor sized reactors.

Ix

[OverEasy]

Flux Capacitors?
Or are those just for time travel…

You do bring up a good point on electric boats being around for a while though and the weight CG location for stability.

Wonder what the steady state cruise at hull speed requires and what kind of range 200 lbs of Li batteries would give… 300 lbs? …400 lbs?

[Duquette5]

The European market has several different EV powered vessels on the market. Both saildrive and powerboat. Most of them are using the battery packs from the BMW i3 instead of the LG style or Tesla/Panasonic style. Weight still remains the issue, with a single battery pack weighing in at close to 1000lbs. I own and drive a BMW i3 and if it ever gets totaled I'll be eyeballing that battery pack to repurpose it... Most likely to swap into my Sprinter for off grid power.

[Ixneigh]

Ok so carbon itself isn’t bad. It’s fossil carbon. I rowed 3.5 miles yesterday and no one was worried about my carbon emissions, everyone said oh great, Ix is getting some exercise. My huffing body was fueled by carbon in the air, not the ground, through plants and meat. So, why not focus on air carbon to fuel reclamation? It’s a net wash when burned if the refinery power comes from solar. At that point it’s literally bottling sunshine. Guilt free guzzling! Gas up your truck and thumb your nose at the Prius drivers since now your tow vehicle plus the outboard motor would be just as green. Of course in the near term that fuel would big be competitive with fossil fuels, but only until the system got ramped up.

Ix

[OverEasy]

A solar powered fossil fuel refinery….and the fossil fuel was originally some ancient critter algae plant stuff so ….. it’s all good?!?

Back in the day I was really interested in “alternative energy network viability…(that was waayyybbbbaaaaaccccccckkkkkkkk )
Even back in those dark ages solar electric generation was viable…it was just getting its feet when ‘Uncle Ronnie’ and friends pulled the rug out from under it all in favor of ‘drill baby drill’ big corporate interests….so much for the ‘trickledown’ aspect…unless you count the yellow liquid stuff the ‘friends’ are still trying to peddle….

I wonder though about the electric outboard aspect…strong enough to get a MacX or MacM moved at hull speed ….and maybe faster for an hour or three without weighing hundreds of pounds and costing thousands

[Jimmyt]

Let's confine this topic to boating and boat-relevant discussion. Propulsion, batteries, and solar, as they relate to boating, are fine.

General economic viability of solar vs other, including the politicians and policies related to solar, or greenhouse gases associated with various technologies, are not something that we need to get into here. Some of us may have spent a large portion of their career studying the economics of solar power, and/or production of greenhouse gases associated with various energy production technologies in numerous applications; and may have very strong, fact-based, opinions on these matters... And, as interesting and entertaining as the subject may be, this is not the place to discuss it.

Thanks.

Check this link for a 50hp electric outboard... including a lot of option pricing for all of the stuff you'll need to go with it. The batteries are not priced, so you'll have to figure that one out for yourself.
https://www.elcomotoryachts.com/product ... -outboard/

[OverEasy]

Check this link for a 50hp electric outboard... including a lot of option pricing for all of the stuff you'll need to go with it. The batteries are not priced, so you'll have to figure that one out for yourself.
https://www.elcomotoryachts.com/product ... -outboard/

Nice link!

So it looks like engine and 8 Li battery packs weighs in at about 790 lbs which isn’t all that bad!
A new Suzuki 60 hp outboard weighs about 260 lbs and 12 gallons of fuel is about 100 lbs including tank/filter/lines for an all up of about 360 lbs. Without more specific info and the assumption that the 8 Li battery packs equals 12 gallon of fuel ( a really long shot at best ) the electric outboard isn’t a bad choice given that one could foreseeably not need to ever buy gas again.

The cost of the electric setup is a bit of a financial challenge though… around north of $16-20k….
But that’s better than it was even two years ago when this wasn’t even available.
Hopefully with battery costs coming down with a greater user base the cost should also decline in the coming years.
It seems that there are now on market several gas to EV automotive conversions kits and shop that are making electric motors more available.
If the motor and battery cost could be reduced to about $8k this would basically match a new 50-60 hp gas engine

I’d think that making a conversion for an outboard from gas to electric would be within the wheelhouse of a lot of individuals.
Removal of the power head , making an adapter mount plate/coupler, bolting the electric motor in place…. an throttle control system could be adapted as well (There are already several being marketed).

The batteries, if properly located, could possibly offset some portion of the water ballast.
Hmmmm

Best Regards
Over Easy

[Jimmyt]

The batteries, if properly located, could possibly offset some portion of the water ballast.
Hmmmm

Best Regards
Over Easy

My thoughts exactly. There are about 1400 lbs of capacity available low in the hull for replacement by batteries. Unfortunately, it would mean upgrading most of our trailers. Some of the folks with new, aftermarket double axle, trailers might be able to carry another 1400 lbs, but I wouldn't try it with my stock M trailer.

So, one more cost associated with the upgrade...

Having said that, I could get away with a LOT less battery for 99% of my boating. I usually run the motor just long enough to get out to where I can safely raise the sails. Then, do the reverse at days end.

I might be tempted by an auxiliary electric inboard drive; while keeping the long range, high speed capability of my low hour, fairly late model, gas outboard. Otherwise, the economic impact of the swap is just too high. Right now, you don't have the EASY long range capability that gas provides.

As you say, the technology is constantly improving. It may not be too long before the manufacturers and infrastructure make your dream an economically feasible reality.