Small-Boat Tech Update 2023
From solar panels, to masthead floats to night vision cameras, here is the latest info on small-boat related technology.
Let’s begin with the industry leader Torqeedo, who announced a completely revamped lineup of their small outboards in mid-November. The Travel 603 and 1103C outboards are gone, replaced by the 1.1 kW “Travel S” and a higher-power “Travel XP” outboard with a 1.6 kW motor. The new outboards sport a redesigned, slimline 1.1 kW-hr battery—and an even bigger 1.4 kW-hr battery is available. Torqeedo also introduced the Travel 903S outboard, which still uses the previous-generation’s 915 W-hr battery. Along with the changes in design, nomenclature, and battery, Torqeedo’s warranty on Travel outboards purchased after April has increased from two to five years (although warranties for earlier Travel and for higher-power Cruise models apparently remain unchanged).
Torqeedo’s small Travel batteries, and their repurposed GM Bolt and BMW batteries for the higher power motors, all use nickel-metal-cobalt (NMC) cells, which have become a “hot topic” within the electric boat building community. And in 2023 Torqeedo introduced a very high-capacity (79.2 kW-hr) battery that uses lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cells. LFP batteries are heavier than NMC batteries but they are considered safer because they won’t burn. They also have longer useful lifetimes than NMC batteries—the Deep Blue 80 battery is spec’d for more than 4,000 charge-discharge cycles—or more than 10 years if used daily.
A couple of years ago ePropulsion increased the nominal voltage of their “Spirit” and higher-power “Navy” outboards—and their batteries—from 36 to 48 volts, which reduced heating losses and increased efficiency. And while ePropulsion’s small motor batteries still use lightweight Li-ion pouch cells, all of their higher-capacity, external E-Series Batteries are built using the safer LFP cells—and they are spec’d for at least 3,000 charge-discharge cycles. In 2023 ePropulsion introduced two new batteries (with 3.1 and 8.3 kW-hr of storage capacity) that can be more easily connected in parallel to produce high-capacity battery banks. The larger of these batteries lists for $4,700—or about $0.60 per watt-hour; and while that is more than a battery bank assembled from “drop-in” LFP batteries, all of the ePropulsion batteries have integrated CAN (controller area network) bus communications that make it easier to charge and operate the battery bank—and might be used to monitor the real-time condition of each battery on a multifunction display.
With supply chains working again, it was an excellent year for “drop-in” LFP batteries, which are a good match for powering a trolling motor or an electric outboard, and for replacing lead-acid house batteries (but not for “starting” applications). They have lots of advantages compared to flooded, and even AGM batteries—no maintenance; a built-in battery management system (with remote monitoring via Bluetooth for some); can be discharged more than 50% without damage; fast, efficient charging; and capable of up to 5,000 charge-discharge cycles. They are available as 12V, 24V, and even 48V LFP batteries, and they can be connected in parallel and series to build higher capacity banks. As LFP battery production volumes increase and competition heats up, their prices continue to drop. LiTime, one of the best-rated online sellers, is selling 100 A-hr Group 24 batteries for $270 (or about $0.21/W-hr) during their end-of-year holiday sales. For comparison, an 79 A-hr Group 24 “dual purpose” AGM lead-acid battery lists for $280.
Last year ePropulsion also introduced a slew of higher power, high-voltage (96V) integrated I-Series gearbox-motors for inboard applications and a 10 kW-hr battery to power them. Although these new gearbox-motors were originally targeted at European electric boat builders, they’ve now become available in the US – but you need to have them dealer-installed. And just in time for the year-end boat shows, ePropulsion announced their new X-Series of high-voltage outboards that are rated at 12, 20 and 40-kW – more powerful than Toqeedo’s biggest Cruise outboards. And during 2023 ePropulsion also increased the warranty on all “Spirit Plus” and “Evo” outboards to five years (contact your dealer for an extension).
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