It had to happen eventually. With all the electric cars hitting the market, somebody with dollar signs in their eyes would stick the same batteries into a boat, and sell it to the aquatically inclined. The electric motors for boats you are undoubtedly already familiar with are just piddly little trolling motors, I'm talking full blown high speed motor boat propulsion instead.
If you're looking to convert your existing boat, Torqueedo has you covered. Offering motors anywhere from 1 to 80 horsepower, they can electrify watercraft from your fishing dinghy all the way up to a small yacht.
They also have loads of surface area to slap solar panels onto, allowing them to "refuel" constantly while away from the dock. Gas boats can't do that. And with enough panels, you can power the motor directly from sunlight, not using any of your battery capacity at all until the sun goes down.
On the high end of the market, we have Edison Electric Boats. All polished wood body, twin 70kw motors, a top speed of 40mph and a range of between 30-40 miles depending how it's driven. This is the Tesla of electric boats. You can increase the range by buying a larger battery pack, but the stock configuration is already $120,000.
Heartbreaking isn't it? But marine applications are very demanding, it takes more energy to push a boat through the water than to propel a car of comparable weight across land. The limit is also economic, not technological.
Due to the high buoyancy of air, boats can carry extremely heavy loads. You could pack way more batteries into this thing than it comes with, it would just cost an arm and a leg (which it already does). The price will come down though, thanks in large part to the growing market for electric cars.
"I don't want to hear it" you say. "That's too rich for my blood". Fair enough, I said from the start that it's at the high end of the market. If what you're after is an affordable electric runabout just for traveling between your cabin and a buddy's, or going to the marina to buy groceries, consider one of Go Float's offerings.
They may look like toys, but the nicest one will do 25mph. That's nothing to sneeze at, you can pull a water skiier at that speed. In terms of speed, the nicer models at least are real boats. You can go usefully fast and far in one of these, but it'll only fit one or two passengers depending on the model.
The cheapest one, still a few thousand bucks, will do around 4mph, with a range of 6 miles. Optionally you can add a second battery to double the range, and the batteries are hot-swappable. This means you can remove the depleted one, put it on the charger, and put the freshly charged battery into the boat so you can continue your fun without having to wait.
The biggest advantage is the relative lack of maintenance compared to gas powered boats. Brushless electric motors are maintenance free. There's no fouled plugs, no timing issues, just charge it up and go. If you leave it sitting outdoors you may have problems with the battery, as freezing temperatures will damage it, but that's about the only consideration.
At the lowest end, it's feasible today to build your own solar electric boat. It won't be pretty or move terribly fast, but trolling motors consume sufficiently little energy that it's quite easy to power them purely off solar. You should still carry a battery with you in case the weather turns bad, but so long as the sun is shining you have effectively infinite range. You can get anywhere you please, just not in a hurry.
Jamie Mantzel, mad genius, role model and my favorite Youtuber currently lives in the Carribbean where he gets around using a solar powered boat of his own design. While the sun's out, the motor is powered only by solar. The batteries are only necessary to draw on as the sun goes down. The video above documents a thirty mile journey made using only the power of the sun.
If you have a boat and some cash to spare, or are just an eccentric hobbyist looking for a project, electric boats should be on your radar. Even totally ignoring the environmental benefits, some lakes don't allow motorized watercraft if they are gas powered, and such regulations are likely to become more widespread and stringent in the future.
This is super cool and I simply can't wait to go walk by the pier where there aren't going to be any oil spills! the shots are also inspiring me to buy one of the mini super solar powered boat! Joy... Namaste :)
what about electric jet pumps my friend just blew up his 240 hp 2stroke v6 merc river boat this would be a great time to convert !
How long it work on this accumulators?
I have been watching several cruiser sailing channels on youtube and a number of them are converting their diesel engines to electric. There are expensive options out there for turn-key systems but several of them were able to use forklift motors successfully for much cheaper.
The decision was made because of the amount of maintenance that diesel engines needs, especially when dealing with sub-optimal fuel from random locations, as well as the cost of replacement when parts break.
This is a really good article on doing a conversion.
You know....
My dad just bought a sailboat with a 40" or 50" or some ridiculous number gargantuan sail. Since these sails are typically so gargantuan, I bet they'd make kick-ass solar collectors. "Solar Sailing"
Has a nice ring to it.
The problem is adding weight that high up would unbalance the boat and put too much stress on the rigging. Also being vertical the amount of power generated would be poor for the cost of the flexible solar panels.
All of the boats I see have several panels on the roof with a wind turbine or two on the transom as they can generate quite a bit of power for their cost.
Electricity in water. What could possibly go wrong?
'Lightning in a copper conductor? I thought you lived in a school' - Magneto
And then on the other side of the shit storm, imagine they begin using lithium-ion batteries in a boat. Lithium+water=boom, fucking boom.
To be fair, an awful lot can go wrong with an engine powered by explosions.
And a quite burn-y fuel that floats on water, where you want to be, because the air is there.
Yeah thats pretty badass I want one!
Followed you as well :D
Yes it was bound to happen. Novel idea and of course tech will only get better. Any idea what the hazards are in case of an accident or sunk boat?
I can't imagine a leaking battery sinking to the bottom of a waterway is a good thing. Probably some kind of chemical hazard.
The battery compartment is typically waterproofed, and freshwater is considerably less conductive than saltwater. You might feel a tingle but it wouldn't kill you unless a really severe collision split the battery case open, in which case the collision probably already did you in.
Good answer, you know the subject well, wish I had stronger voting power for ya. Someday soon I will!
I am kind of surprised that this did not happen like 7 to 10 years sooner.
Battery cost. Really they should have waited for the Giga Factory to open, but w/e.
Very nice. I would like to get more info on what appears to be a flexible solar panel on top of that small inflatable. That would be perfect to put on top of a Duffy.
Awesome of you to mention Jamie, had to think of him as I saw the title!
I wonder if they are much quieter than gas powered boats as well. It's so nice when you are out on the water to enjoy the peace and quiet. Of course it's also nice to hear the roar of the engine when you're burning around, but Im curious what they sound like. Doesn't sound too irritating in the video.
There is still the sound of water being chopped up, which isn't quiet. But the roar of the combustion engine is mercifully absent.
Loved your article @alexbeyman
It inspired me to write a piece of my own about a company and technology I've been following for years. Let me know what you think!
Its about a new electric motor and some unquie applications of it (specifically targeting boats)