ePropulsion celebrates 10th anniversary with new HQ and production complex
Electric boat motor manufacturer ePropulsion is celebrating 10 years of growth and preparing to meet demand for the next 10 years with the opening of a new 10,000 square meter (107,000 sq ft) headquarters and production complex.
ePropulsion was started in 2012 by CEO Danny Tao when he was a graduate student at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). By 2013 his new venture was well up and running and its first motor, the Spirit 1.0 outboard, was introduced at the 2015 METSTRADE marine industry show in Amsterdam. ePropulsion now has nearly one hundred patents and is currently applying for another two hundred.
As the company grew and innovated it added more electric boat motors to its lineup, with the Vaquita Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) motor, the Navy 3.0 and Navy 6.0 outboards, and matching power sizes (1 kW, 3kW, 6kW) in pod drive motors.
In 2021 the company consolidated the battery systems used in each of the motors and developed a standardized 48 volt architecture so the new E-Series batteries could be used on any of the models. They also introduced hydrogeneration across the full model range – the ability for the motors to recharge the battery when a sailboat boat is under wind power.
ePropulsion adds hydrogeneration, 48V batteries to all models
New ePropulsion electric inboards
This past November they expanded even further, introducing their first line of electric inboard boat motors, the I-Series. METSTRADE was again the choice of events for the unveiling. The inboards are designed for small to medium leisure or commercial boats, are up to 65% lighter than comparable fossil fuel motors and feature the cloud-based ePropulsion Connectivity Service.
They also introduced the H-100, a 100 kW electric inboard engineered for larger sailing boats and vessels between 60 and 100’ (18-30m) with a full displacement up to 200 tons.
“When we launched ePropulsion we had a clear mission to become the global leader in marine electric propulsion systems and services,” said Tao, “and to be at the very forefront of the marine industry across the world. It is a real honour to celebrate a decade of excellence and expansion.”
In addition to the expansion of its product lines, ePropulsion has also been busy building its global distribution and sales network. In November of 2021 they received a significant investment of 10 million yuan (≈ $15M) while also announcing that their North American distributor, Mack Boring & Parts, would be adding all of Central and South America to their portfolio.
In June of this year the parent company purchased its UK distributor, and appointed Steve Bruce, Managing Director of ePropulsion UK since 2016, as the Global OEM Sales Director. The European network was expanded in October of this year with the appointment of KGK Motor as ePropulsion distributor in Sweden.
ePropulsion wins Green Innovator Awards
In December, Jasper Cheng was appointed Overseas Sales Manager for ePropulsion corporate. Cheng graduated with his degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering from Huazhong University of Science and Technology and joins the company with a decade of experience in exploring and operating in international markets.
The company has also taken the opportunity of its anniversary to renew its commitment to sustainability initiatives, such as its partnership with SailGP, an adrenaline-fueled, global sailing competition with the goal of accelerating the transition to clean energy.
Multiple Innovation and Design awards
ePropulsion worked in partnership with SailGP to provide 11 electric outboard motors for the league’s event support tenders in Season 2 and Season 3. The continuous partnership helped SailGP reduce its support boat fleet emissions by an average of 10% per event.
ePropulsion UK was named the first MDL Green Innovator Award at the UK’s second annual Green Tech Boat Show and was also awarded the Environmental Pioneer Annual Awards at the 2022 Asian Marine & Boating Awards event.
Awards for product innovation include the German IF Design Award in 2015, the Deloitte-Hong Kong Technology Fast Company in 2019, Best Technology Innovation Award from the Shanghai International Boat Show in 2021, the Equipment Innovation of the Year category winner at the 2021 British Yachting Awards and the 2021 Innovation Award at the China Yacht Awards.
Speaking at the opening of the new facility, Tao said “I want to take this opportunity to thank our team and worldwide partners in helping to achieve this momentous occasion as we continue to take great leaps with our boating technology and continue to be pioneers in the industry, known for exceptional innovation and product quality and performance.”
