Stream Propulsion adds two RIB packages to electric outboards line up

June 9, 2024 Jeff Butler 250 Views 0 Comments Stream

Swedish electric outboard manufacturer Stream Propulsion has now added two RIB boat packages – the Stream RIB 460 and Stream RIB 560 – that will join the company’s three electric outboards already in the company’s offerings.

Stream was founded by Tom Kühne and Benny Lindbrandt, who share a love of boats, a love of being on the water, and years of experience in the boating industry. Their goal with Stream is to bring the results of that professional and personal knowledge to provide more options for boating consumers who are looking to help preserve our environment.

Kühne was formerly CEO of Norwegian boatbuilder Ryds. Lindbrandt has been involved in boat racing and compressors for (fossil fuel) engines for many years. A few years ago Lindbrandt was interested in the possibilities of electric boating, and after purchasing an electric motor he contacted Kühne about a suitable boat to pair it with.

Stream Propulsion launched in 2020

Kühne was also interested in the opportunities in electric boats, so after he left Ryds in 2018 he reached out to Lindbrandt to talk about building an electric boat.

Throughout the course of things, they began to look at and test some of the other electric propulsion systems available. “We couldn’t find anything that really matched what we were looking for,” says Kühne, “so instead of making an electric boat we started to design and develop complete powertrains.”

One of Europe’s largest boat building conglomerates, Nimbus Group, took a part ownership in Stream to help achieve the corporations sustainability objectives. Stream then worked with suppliers like Parker and Tohatsu and in 2020 announced their line-up of three electric outboards: the Stream 15, Stream 30 and Stream 50.

The 15 has continuous and peak power of 13/16 kW, the 30 has 23/34 and the 50 has 38/45. In addition to being available for sale to consumers, Stream’s engines are part of the production of boats in Asia, Central Europe and the Nordic countries.

“We have always had a commitment to make leisure boating sustainable and affordable,” says Kühne, “and these RIBs are a natural progression in giving consumers the best choices for going electric.”

Many boaters already think RIBs are a great choice because of their stability, safety and durability. Another factor that lines up with electric propulsion is that their light weight and inflated collar enable the boat to get up on plane – and stay there – using less power than a similar hard hull boat.

RIBs very energy efficient

The RIBs can be purchased with any of Stream’s three electric outboards, but the recommended version uses the Stream 50. The lithium-ion battery has an energy capacity of 25.9 kiloWatt hours, uses a 96 Volt architecture, and weighs 160 kg (≈ 350 lbs).

Stream says the top speed (with the 50 on the RIB 460) is 26 knots (30 mph/48 khm) and at lower speeds the autonomy can be as long as 8 hours. Charging is done with ordinary 230-volt household electricity available in almost every marina and harbour, and the batteries can be charged up to 2,000 times.

“It’s funny,” says co-founder Kühne. “Benny and I started out to build a boat, then decided to build motors, and are now offering a boat and motor. If you want to make electric boating accessible, you have to follow what people want. Some prefer an electric motor to go on their existing boat, some prefer a whole new electric bat. It is great to now be able to offer both.”

Stream RIBS
	RIB 460	RIB 560
Length LOA	4.6 m / XX ft	5.66 m
Width	2.4 m / 40 ft	2.5 m
Seats	4	5
Hull/Deck/Console Material	Aluminum	Aluminum
Tubes	Hypalon	Hypalon
Power	11.5 m / 50 hp	50
Battery Capacity	25.9 kWh (96 V)	25.9 kWh (96 V)
Charging	230 V	230 V
Top Speed	26 kts/ XX ft	23
Price (Excluding VAT)	€34,900	€41,900