ePropulsion adds hydrogeneration, 48V batteries to all models
Electric outboard manufacturer ePropulsion announced its new model year 2021 product line-up today and the big news is that all models of electric outboard and pods have hydrogeneration and run off a standardized 48V architecture.
Hydrogeneration enables the electric motor on a sailboat to charge its own battery when the boat is under wind power: when the electric motor is being used to propel the boat, the battery sends electricity to the motor, which spins the the propeller…but when the wind is being used to propel the boat, the water spins the the propeller, which spins the motor and puts electricity back into the battery.
The full product line has hydrogeneration (sometimes called regeneration) capabilities and a 48-volt architecture across every motor. The 48V battery and system was first introduced in July of 2020 with the the Spirit 1.0 Plus, an evolution of the original Spirit 1.0.
Other features acorss the model line include safety wristbands, a new ergonomic tiller and direct-drive brushless motors for better performance and greater noise reduction.
Electric outboard hydrogeneration key feature
On the hydro/regeneration front, the company said in its announcement of the new line: “An industry-first for electric outboards, and a major addition to the product line, is hydrogeneration capabilities. Whether an auxiliary motor for daysailers or an outboard for tenders, this powerful functionality allows the motor battery to be charged while sailing or towing at speeds between 4- and 10-knots.”
The Plugboats Guides to Electric Inboards and Saildrive and Pod motors shows a number of companies that provide hydrogeneration, but ePropulsion is the first to have it available across the full line of outboards. This is a good response to a question Plugboats gets all the time from readers – ‘is there an electric outboard that can also provide hydrogeneration’
With all of the ePropulsion product line now on a 48-volt architecture, it means the ePropulsion E-Series batteries can easily be matched up with any of the motors in the Evo Series range, which goes from 1 kw to 6 kw (3HP – 9H). The Spirit battery is the first floating battery on the market. The E-Series comes in three sizes with capacity of approximately 2, 4 and 9kWh (kiloWatthours).
The new safety wristband is a more convenient and easier to wear advance on the traditional kill-switch lanyard that shuts down the motor in emergency situations like a man overboard..
New safety wristband, backlit tiller display, folding prop option
The new Evo Tiller is compatible with most ePropulsion outboard motors. It is more has improved ergonomics and response and an integrated display with information about power, voltage, remaining runtime and battery level. It is backlit for better visibility at night.
The other notable innovation is that the new Pod Drive 6.0 Evo, with power rating of 6kW / 9 HP is available with a folding propeller.
“We have updated the entire ePropulsion line for model year 2021 by offering new features and capabilities across the board and even introduced a new model,” said Danny Tao, CEO, ePropulsion. “We have over five years of experience selling the Spirit 1.0, Navy 3.0, and Navy 6.0. We’ve collected plenty of feedback and we know what features our customers and dealers look for in their products. Our 2021 line-up includes the most powerful, versatile and advanced electric motors on the market, and we are confident customers and owners will be pleased.”
Get full information and details on the ePropulsion website
Product models for 2021 include:
- 3 HP Spirit 1.0 Plus
- 3 HP Spirit 1.0 Evo (tiller version)
- 3 HP Spirit 1.0 Evo Remote (remote control version)
- 6 HP Navy 3.0 Evo
- 9.9 HP Navy 6.0 Evo
- 3 HP Pod Drive 1.0 Evo
- 6 HP Pod Drive 3.0 Evo
