Wow, this went well! We have now done our first sea trials of our prototype 6kW electric turbo Jet outboard and we were very happy with the performance.
We used a 4.3M Achilles inflatable with both one and two up and achieved a consistent 12 knots with one up.
This is very good as normally propeller guards reduce performance considerably and our aim is to maintain performance,
In fact, we did better consistent speeds than in a straight 6kW electric propeller outboard in the same boat.
We aim to now prototype the 10kW and 18kW versions. And before you say, 'Where do I get it!' we still have a bit of production work to go before we can give you a price and product - but should not be long!
In the meantime, check out the video on our YouTube Chanel - @electric-outboards
Or if you are interested in being on the waitlist for this product contact us to talk further.
And you are a bit handy OR want to retrofit electric outboards for your customers
We've been working on this one for a while as we needed to get to a point where the DIY was simple to install
We have now packaged up the pre- programmed powerhead, connecting plates and all the battery connections, plus either a pre- programmed twist throttle or a forward control set - and a new cowling to upcycle your existing leg!
You'll love the price savings on a new electric outboard. An inventive Australian Made electric outboard solution
The only skills you'll need are:
Remove the old powerhead and clean
Bolt the new powerhead unit in with four secure points,
Attach the new controls (either new provided twist throttle or forward controls),
and plug it into a suitable battery - and you will be away!!
We now offer repower kits for the following
Other brands and configurations by application.
| We love to see all the awesome new purpose-built electric boats coming onto the market. So, we at Eclass Outboards, Australian-Made Electric Outboards, look forward to the Gussies. Excellence in Electric Boat Design. The awards are named after Gustave Trouvé, the French inventor who devised a detachable electric motor propelling his prototype boat ‘Le Téléphone‘ along the Seine in 1874. It was the birth of the outboard motor. Although ICE outboards took over electric after 1910. Electric outboards are back! More than 100 boats from 21 countries and every continent except Antarctica entered ‘The Gussies’ this year. The awards are grouped by size of boat, in production or concept, DIY retrofitted, workboats, and electric sailing, and some of the winners included: Production Boat under 8m Faro 5 Faroboats | eBlue Boat • Portugal A full electric luxury boat from Faroboats and designed by Tomás Costa Lima, The Faro5 can be combined with its solar-powered docking station, turning it into a fully self-sustainable solution Concept Boat under 8m Aurora Sport Engenharia Lamarca • Brazil Will be made with recyclable materials and propelled with a 15kW permanent magnet electric motor and battery system Production Boats over 8m Candela 8 Candela • Sweden Designed to be the most efficient boat ever built. At 20 knots, the energy usage per nautical mile is just 0.8 kWh – the energy content of just 0.1 liter of gasoline. Electric Sailboats Sunreef 80 Eco Sunreef Yachts • Poland An eco-responsible luxury craft combining electric propulsion, superyacht living spaces, reliable sailing performance and the latest green technologies Electric Workboats SRAVNavalt Solar & Electric Boats • India The new SRAV solar-electric catamaran is empirically designed to revolutionize commercial fishing by minimising operational expenditure and increasing fishing profit margins substantially. Source including picture: PlugBoats (thanks for keeping us updated, PlugBoats!) |
| We can power your dream electric boat. Because we custom build from 4kW to 30kW plus, inboards, and outboards, we can build to your specifications. If you have a workboat, a racing boat, a new boat design, or just want to make the switch to electric on your existing boat- we are up for the challenge. Also, we can retrofit suitable outboard casings at a competitive price. Contact us to discuss your requirements. Or check out our electric outboard range |
With petrol and diesel prices continuing to rise, many boat owners are considering the switch to electric boating.
Most boat owners are not aware of how much they are really spending on fuel and maintenance - after all, you just fill up at the service station as you go or pay for a mechanical service or parts and don't realize how these costs add up.
What you may not have considered is that every hour of running in an ICE (internal combustion engine) outboard motor costs the same. Yes, every hour on the water at WOT (wide open throttle) costs the same or even more over time in petrol/oil spend. So you can see how over 10 years, the sums add up.
That's not the case in electric outboard motors.
Although there is an initial investment in batteries, Lithium batteries are expected to last up to 10 years.
An electric outboard motor or electric inboard motor battery only needs to be recharged.
An electric outboard motor's additional running costs will only be the price of electricity for recharging the batteries. If your mains or generator power comes from solar, that cost is pretty much zero. There is a lot to be said for solar boating!
Electric outboard motors also have very little maintenance - only the regular care you would take with your current outboard leg and casing. The powerhead is brushless (no touching parts) and the whole outboard only has a few moving parts. Unlike 2-stroke and more particularly 4-stroke outboards - which have very complex mechanics and electronics.
Over a ten-year period, you will save substantially. And if you use your boat more than once a week, then those savings are even greater. Great news for commercial boat owners or hire boat operators.
We have brochures with total lifecycle costs at 1-5 WOT trips per week for a wide range of outboard motors from 4kW (8hp) - to 30kW (60hp).
Contact us if you would like more information or a brochure.
Or check out our electric outboard range. All our electric outboards are made in Australia.
If you are curious about seeing an electric outboard come to the SHASA Electric Vehicle Expo next Saturday, 1st October Long Weekend.
We will be there with Australia's first electric speed boat, a selection of serious and powerful kW outboard motors, Lithium Ion batteries, and a solar charging station for solar boating.
We love talking about electric boats and retrofitting your existing outboard or inboard to electric motors. Or showing what's possible with a new electric outboard.
See the SHASA organisers website here
What would it mean to make the planet the largest shareholder in a for-profit business like our electric outboard business?
What would we do differently and what would we continue?
Eclass Outboards already have put a lot of thought into how we can contribute to the circular economy.
If you can think of something else we can do to make the planet our largest shareholder, drop us a line!
One of the biggest barriers to electric marine uptake is batteries.
Most people worry first about the range. The famous "range anxiety" is seen in EV's and now marine electric boats.
Well, the outboard range is only limited by the kWh of Lithium batteries in the boat with you.
Planning your electric boating trip is no different from having a petrol tank and gauge.
The second barrier is cost.
Electric boats usually need high discharge batteries, so basically Lithium or new generation solid-state like Graphene supercapacitors.
Unlike petrol engines, the battery investment is all upfront. Yes, it pays off over time compared to a petrol engine - big time! But you still have to invest upfront. It's like putting solar on your roof or a battery to power your house.
That's why we are so excited about our new association with an Australian battery manufacturer of 'second life' EV batteries. Extra excited, because we are Australia's only manufacturer of electric outboards and want to support Australian manufacturing.
These 'second life'' EV cells are tested and then custom built into new battery packs with new Battery Management Systems, monitoring systems and casings.
This has lots of advantages, but the main one is cost. These Australian made systems are very competitively priced. Especially for those of you who want to power that larger 20kW and 30kW plus outboards.
Suddenly a very realistic proposition. Especially if you want more batteries for a longer range and know how long your electric outboard will go.
You can see starting prices on some of our packaged deals such as the 20kW engine and 20kW battery and get in touch if you want to know more.
As two-stroke and four-stroke petrol outboards come to the end of their life. You don't have to throw them on the dump and contribute to the landfill, we can retrofit to convert it to an electric outboard, using a wide variety of castings up to 90hp.
That's the advantage of being manufacturers of electric outboards in Australia.
This has lots of advantages, including assisting those of you with hard-to-find extra long legs or other quirks. Or you just love your current outboard.
Some outboards we will only do retrofit - like our 12kW. Other kW models, you can choose to retrofit your own casing. The savings are considerable. Or you can buy a completely new outboard.
If your current outboard has forward control or electric (not hydraulic) tilt and trim, no problem, we can accommodate, as long as they are in good working order and you deliver it to us clean and without the powerhead.
Get in touch and we can give you a quote. Contact us on [email protected]
Or view our range here
We are proud to have been judged as finalists in two categories in these awards.
The 2022 Commercial Marine Project/Design or Manufacturer of the Year award identifies product manufacture, design, and shipbuilding within the Commercial Category in the Australian commercial marine sector.
The 2022 Marketing Strategy of the Year award acknowledges the success of an innovative and effective marketing strategy implemented between January 1 – and December 31, 2022
As Australia's only outboard manufacturer and only electric outboard manufacturer, we are working at the cutting edge of the marine industry in electric outboards, electric boats, and electric jet skis.
See the AIMEX Link to the Awards
One of the first questions people ask us is what horsepower does a kW engine equate to?
And often they have heard of the international hp to kW conversion formula. Which is 1kW = 1.34102209 hp
This is fine, in theory.
However, in practice, we find that calculation is not at all useful.
Why?
Because it doesn't take into account the instant torque. And the advantages of electric in the low to mid-range RPMs. The RPMs you actually need to get on the plane or get going - or dock for that matter.
So that's why we refer to propulsive power at the propeller as the important power equation. And why we comfortably say that whatever propellor the ëlectric outboard can drive, that's the hp equivalent.
So let us explain how this works.
In a combustion engine, the engine has to develop enough RPM (revs per minute) to reach idle speed. This usually occurs at around 1000 RPM, and you are in idle until that point.
Now you can get into gear and start to develop the advertised hp. But the fully advertised hp doesn't occur until the engine has reached around 5/6000 RPMs. So if you are at mid-range, you have not got all the hp of the engine available to you. An example would be a 40 hp outboard, which would only have around 25hp or less available at the low to mid-range of its RPMs.
Now electric outboards behave very differently. They have full power (instant torque) available from the first turn of the propeller. And a flat torque curve.
This power is important in planing boats, as you want to efficiently get out of the displacement hole and on the plane. Then you can reduce power (and amp draw).
In displacement boats, this instant torque gives you high torque at the low range RPMs - perfect for creating that momentum you need to get the boat traveling. The ideal for displacement boat efficiency is to use the biggest propeller you can, turning at the slowest rate.
So back to propulsive power.
When you are looking at electric outboards, we will ask you what propeller your current outboard turns (pitch and diameter). From there we can work out which is the right kW outboard for your boat. By the way all our outboards are made in Australia.
That's the prediction of a report from IDTechEx estimates that “the market for hybrid and pure electric boats and ships will rise rapidly to over $20 billion worldwide in 2027“.
While EClass Marine has been one of the first manufacturers, and still the only electric outboard manufacturer in Australia, the report says there are now more than 100 marine electric manufacturers worldwide.
These companies are working on everything from electric ferries and new hybrid container ships, to the small kW trolling motors now loved by fisherfolk.
The first electric ferry in the Southern Hemisphere (NZ) had its maiden voyage just last week.
And Outboard giants Mercury and Yamaha have unveiled their first fully electric concepts. Although these seem to be lower kW offerings and not available to the market as yet, it is a sign of the industry direction.
At EClass Marine we think that once the marketing might of the large manufacturers gets behind electric boats, a lot of the skepticism will wash away.
Having said that, there is a lot of work to do for the mainstream adoption of electric outboard motors. Buyers have battery range anxiety (interesting as it is no different from having a fuel gauge and planning your trip), are not used to paying upfront for batteries.
Also, not many manufacturers are producing the 20kW (40hp) and higher electric outboards so common on many craft. EClass has put a lot of work into this segment with our 20kW Ultra electric outboard engine
The report also indicated that access to parts may be a barrier to electric outboard motor adoption. That's why at EClass we are using tried and proven 2 stroke outboard casings. Any corresponding Yamaha part and accessory will fit. No waiting for a proprietary part to be shipped, and a competent marine technician should be able to install it. We have a 3-year warranty on our electric outboard engines for private use.
EClass Outboards are starting to get heaps of inquiries about retrofitting houseboats with electric outboards. It makes sense. Houseboats and pontoon boats are displacement boats - so they have less amp draw- as they are not trying to get the boat out of the displacement hole and once moving can use their own momentum. Having said that they do require a fair amount of propulsive power (torque) as they need to create that momentum. EClass Outboards can not only provide that propulsive power you need - from our 4kW HD electric outboard, equivalent to an 8hp outboard engine for smaller houseboats and pontoon boats) to our 30kW electric outboard, which will match or better a 40hp petrol outboard. E Class Outboards also have a range of propellers we can fit to our engines - to get that power vs amp draw exactly right for your boat.
Houseboats and Pontoon boats also have heaps of room onboard for Lithium-Ion batteries, and usually have a fair bit of roof real estate for solar. This is an area where petrol outboards cannot follow electric outboard motors. Solar charging of our Lithium-Ion batteries is possible with the right solar setup.
Imagine coming aboard for a weekend on your houseboat and the batteries are charged and ready to go!
As Australia's only manufacturer of electric outboard motors, we have the expertise to turn your houseboat into an electric boat. And you will reap the rewards of a quiet, low-maintenance system that does not pollute the waterways you love to be on.
See our electric outboard range
Contact us to discuss electrifying your houseboat or pontoon boat
For all of you who mock electric boats and say how do you charge out at the reef!
Maersk Shipping has partnered with the world leader in offshore wind generation on a buoy system that will charge the electric outboard batteries and hybrid vessels using electricity from the wind turbines. The first use will be for wind farm service vessels but the long term goal is to use them for boats and ships of all sizes and have a significant impact on the use of diesel fuel.
Eclass Outboards have long believed that solar charging will set electric outboard motors and electric boats apart. We have a portable solar power station Ecoflow DELTA Max that does this job and can be kept on board.
Credit to plugboats
Friday December 10, 2021. 3pm to 6pm
See EClass Outboards range of powerful electric
outboards 4kW to 30+kW (8hp to 40hp)
All our electric outboard motors are developed and made in Kiama, Australia. We've taken 10 years to design electric outboards for Australian conditions and make affordable electric boats possible
Also the revolutionary EcoFlow DELTA Max portable power
stations and solar for off-grid boating, camping, and
bushfire/emergency preparedness.
Light refreshments, just drop in.
Call Lynelle 0408 360 084
For more information about our products CLICK HERE