ACEL electric outboards adds high power IE150, IE 250
There is a new member of the high power electric outboard club with the introduction by ACEL Power of their IE150 and IE250 models. Along with the existing IE50 and IR75, that expands the ACEL line up to 4 models. The model numbers refer to horsepower, in kiloWatts the corresponding ratings are approximately 37, 55, 110 and 185.
All of the models are totally integrated with proprietary ACEL battery packs and BMS (Battery Management System), digital throttle, a smart charger, smart key and centralized computer with touch screen.
Electrification and digitalization
Anthony Liu, CEO and co-Founder of ACEL, says the company’s goal is not just bringing electric power to the boating world, but also the digitalization that comes along with it, explaining that “the IE 150 and IE 250 come standard with our ultrafast vehicle grade CPU and GPU.”
The CPU is the computer’s Central Processing Unit while the GPU is the Graphics Processing Unit. The name is a bit of a misnomer because while it does run the graphics for the monitor screens, the GPU’s more important role is being the ‘brains’ behind the system’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) Accelerator. That ability to gather and analyze data in milliseconds provides the foundation for the software upgrades that will be carried out remotely – Over The Air (OTA).
First ACEL electric outboards delivered in 2023
Liu has a family history of developing leading edge technology. In the early 1990s, his father, Michael Liu, designed and manufactured inverters that enable 12V car batteries to run household appliances, TVs and computers.
He also founded a lithium battery manufacturing facility in his native Taiwan, developed CPUs for laptop computers and started 8 other electronics-based companies.
In 2002 the family moved to Vancouver, Canada, where Anthony developed a passion for boating as well as engineering. During COVID he was leafing through some of his father’s papers and discovered plans for EV motors going back to 1998.
Armed with his experience building an e-commerce platform in 2008 whose users were among the first to be invited to join Amazon’s fulfillment program, the younger Liu did some market research and decided that the time to get into the EV business had passed, but boating was overdue for the advantages electrification could bring.
In 2021 he started ACEL Power and had the first prototype electric outboard ready in three months, with another iteration three months later. By August of 2023 a factory was set up to build and assemble all of the components and the first 55kW / IE75 units were shipped to Island Lake Marina in Fort Collins, Colorado, to be paired with Godfrey Pontoons.
Modular battery system
One of the features of the ACEL electric outboards is the modular battery system. The ACEL system allows the modules to be placed in different locations around the boat to optimize balance, weighting and the efficiency of the hull. To be clear, it is not a feature unique to ACEL, but it is valuable for boat manufacturers, system installers. – and their customers.
The IE50 has two modules for a total of 32 kiloWatt hours of energy storage and the IE75 has three packs for a total of 40 kWh. The IE150 and IE250 use 40 kWh modules that are connected to provide 800 Volts.
For charging, the ACEL electric outboards have a standard 120V 15A unit that can be plugged into any marina outlet. There are also 240V options and a high speed DC charger available.
The computer system and monitor screen provide the boat owner with all the essential information like battery charge levels, available range, RPMs and also enables features like profile settings for different drivers.
The look of the outboards immediately identifies them as something different from conventional ICE motors. The cowlings have a sleek minimalist profile while incorporating some cool innovations like customizable LED light strips and a built-in rear-view camera with both daylight and night vision capabilities.
