Vision Marine scales up for mass production of E-Motion electric outboard
To meet growing demand for the high power E-Motion electric outboard, Vision Marine Technologies has partnered with the McLaren Engineering division of Linamar Corporation, an automotive parts manufacturer and supplier with 60 plants operating around the world.
The flagship 180E, with its power rating of 180 HP / 135 kW, has been making news since its first sea trial this past May, shown in the video below.
Vision Marine first announced it was developing its proprietary power train in November of 2020 when it launched an initial public offering of shares (IPO) on the NASDAQ Market. The company sees a major opportunity in offering the outboard system – which includes the battery pack and inverter – not only to the public, but also to boat manufacturers.
Earlier this year they signed an agreement to supply Limestone Boats with the motors, starting working with Hellkats Powerboats to rig one of their Super-Sport Widebody Catamarans with twin E-Motions for challenging the world electric boat speed record, and did break the race record for electric boats at the famous Lake of The Ozarks Shootout in August.
With the reopening of in-person boat shows this fall, Vision Marine has been able to showcase the system for the public and boat manufacturers. The IBEX show is North America’s largest trade event for recreational marine products. Vision Marine took the opportunity to mount the E-Motion 180E on a Starcraft EX 22 pontoon boat and demonstrate that the quiet of high power electric propulsion is not just for speedboats.
The agreement with Linamar is a huge step in preparing for mass production of the outboards. The company started with a single lathe in founder Frank Hasenfratz’s basement 55 years ago and now has 26,000 employees worldwide.
Linamar has major manufacturing and design capabilities focusing on products for general industry and agriculture, and another division focusing on Mobility – which encompasses everything from transmissions and auto parts to a new eLin electrification group.
E-Motion electric outboard to be mass-produced at Linamar facility
Under that, the McLaren Engineering subsidiary provides design, development, and testing services within the Mobility segment and the manufacturing side does light metal casting, forging, machining and assembly. Linamar will manufacture and assemble the E-Motion technology through testing, parts, tooling development, and designing the union assembly for mass production at Linamar’s facility in Canada.
“This agreement with Linamar via our affiliation with McLaren Engineering, is a seminal event for fully scaled commercialization of our E-Motion powertrain,” said Alexandre Mongeon, Vision Marine CEO and co-founder. “We have proven the diverse capabilities of and demand for our game changing technology and our partnership positions us to scale production for growing demand from major boating OEMs.”
CTO Mark Stoddart, CTO of Linamar, said “This is a unique opportunity for McLaren Engineering to lend its honed expertise in Vision Marine’s proprietary maritime electric powertrain system for OEMs.” Linamar CEO Linda Hasenfratz underlined how excited the company is to develop the precise manufacturing capability and protocols for the E-Motion electric outboards and help “transition boating propulsion to a safe and clean EV industry.”
The E-Motion 180E system includes the 180 HP (135 kW) motor, 60 kWh battery pack and BMS (battery mangement system), charger, monitor, throttle controls and all other necessary components. Estimated range is 70 miles at a cruising speed of 20 mph or 3.5 hours, depending on the of boat, weather conditions, load and propeller. The complete package goes for about $79,000, including $27,000 for the motor.
For more information and pre-ordering, you can download a brochure from the Vision Marin Technology website.
