I wish Tesla would announce an electric boat.
What's Up Outdoors - The future of outboards | Brainerd Dispatch
What's Up Outdoors - The future of outboards | Brainerd Dispatch
Electric boat
- Thread starter cybertrucker
- Start date
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Lots of people are now making electic boats. Also lots of large hybrid boats where ICE motors generate electricity to run electric pods/props.
Boat building is relatively low volume compared to autos. Builders tend to build very low volumes, but there are many boutique builders for different markets. Most all of these builders have their eye on electric drive for at least some of their boats.
Of course range is always going to be a concern, where ICE and EV will still duke it out.
Electric boats win on quiet, lower speeds, shorter ranges, no pollution and the hassles of refueling boats.
Ice wins on max power, long range, quicker refueling, lower initial costs, and the exciting sounds they make (Macho).
For EV boats to gain volume they will first learn to pick their battles.
Boat building is relatively low volume compared to autos. Builders tend to build very low volumes, but there are many boutique builders for different markets. Most all of these builders have their eye on electric drive for at least some of their boats.
Of course range is always going to be a concern, where ICE and EV will still duke it out.
Electric boats win on quiet, lower speeds, shorter ranges, no pollution and the hassles of refueling boats.
Ice wins on max power, long range, quicker refueling, lower initial costs, and the exciting sounds they make (Macho).
For EV boats to gain volume they will first learn to pick their battles.
Buckminster
Active Member
SalisburySam
Supporting Member
Interesting to note that the large cruise ships are diesel-electric, like locomotives. Big honking diesels to generate power for the ships electrical needs, including propulsion. Big honking rotating propeller pods underneath with big honking electric motors. Been this way for years now.
And I/O boats as well! I have a small ski boat and I would love to upgrade to an electric ski boat someday. However the only ones I’ve seen that are similar are $200,000 and up! It seems to me if someone could get the price point below say, $100,000, there would be great demand for it. My old ice boat is well taken care of and even so it still dings me for about $1000 in repairs every year. I’m tired of this nonsense but I want to be out on the water. I’m sure someone will solve this problem but for now it is just a dream apparently.
I always thought that a small pontoon boat with solar panels on top with a used Tesla automotive battery powering an electric motor would be a perfect craft for small lakes. As Dare said - someday...
The German company Torqueedo (among others) makes a wide range of electric marine propulsion units all the way from their small electric outboards for kayaks up to the "Deep Blue" and Pod drive systems that can take the place of large outboards or gas or diesel inboards. I have been using their Travel 1003c outboard on the RIB tender for my Meridian 459 power boat for over a year now and love it. No cans of gas to keep onboard, no smell, no pulling the starter cord until my arm falls off, and just a quiet whine when I'm out motoring in the harbor. I keep a second battery onboard the dinghy to alleviate "range anxiety" ... backed-up with a good pair of oars! If I had a spare $200k laying around I'd replace my twin inboard diesel engines with electric propulsion and a ton of Li-ion batteries ... a floating Tesla!
2020 VOLT 180 | WHITE & NAVY BLUE | Canadian Electric Boats
Here's a 10kwh boat for $46,683.86. I wonder if it is any good.
tcoombes
Supporting Member
I had an electric motor on a small pontoon boat I owned 20 years ago. Think of what’s possible with today’s tech!
Uncle Paul
Well-Known Member
Electra Craft makes a fine all electric boat with solar roof option. Fiberglass low speed cruisers for private inland lakes and ocean protected areas. They work out of Westlake Village CA. Been building Electric pleasure boats for over 30 years.
Duffy Electric boats from Newport Beach Ca also make classic electric harbor boats.
Cruise 5-7 knots.
Duffy Electric boats from Newport Beach Ca also make classic electric harbor boats.
Cruise 5-7 knots.
destructure00
Active Member
Just like it took Tesla to make EVs competitive, we need someone to make electric boats competitive. A tiny battery on a boat that goes <10 mph is a niche market. Start producing electric wake boats, bowriders, bass boats, center console fishing boats etc that perform as well (if not better than) the competition and now we're talking. I love my 3, trying to get rid of my wife's gas SUV for a Y, but there's nothing currently available or in the works to replace our 25' bowrider with a big block 502. I wish there was...
DMC-Orangeville
85D and John Deere 5100E
These folks presented to The Tesla Owners Club of Ontario a couple of years ago. He brought in a boat (inboard motor). It was gorgeous. They make cedar strip cruisers, too. A number of these cruisers are in Muskoka, a high end cottage area, 120 miles north of Toronto. They have been around for 8-10 years.
This was the boat he brought; The Bruce
I think these boats I linked "Electric Boat Co" fit the bill, though, not yet every category. Its hard to see how fast each model goes, but they have the 46 mph boat.
Seems also that they are overcharging per kWh, but who knows where they are getting their battery supplies from.
These folks presented to The Tesla Owners Club of Ontario a couple of years ago. He brought in a boat (inboard motor). It was gorgeous. They make cedar strip cruisers, too. A number of these cruisers are in Muskoka, a high end cottage area, 120 miles north of Toronto. They have been around for 8-10 years.
This was the boat he brought; The Bruce
Yeah, that's the one I found on Youtube. Didn't link it because I had a hard time telling how much they are selling it for. There is a 100 kwh model for 200 CAD, and a 4 kwh model for 70 CAD. So they are probably selling optional battery packs around $1,350 per kwh on top of the 70,000 CAD, but not clear from their site.
At 70-100k, it does resemble the Tesla Model S.
DMC-Orangeville
85D and John Deere 5100E
Sounds right. I believe he had a 20 kwh battery in the model, and claimed it was good for about 4-6 hours "cruising". He said it was $90-$100K CDN, and could scale up to 100 kwh
If Tesla can scale batteries and are no longer supply constrained and they start making a profit and can throw around some money to expand, I wonder if they will go into boating. If so they could do:
1. Luxuary boat, aka the roadster of boats
2. More affordable boat, aka Boat S
3. Budget boat, aka Boat 3
4. Transport boat
For 1 I wonder if they will buy a company like:
1. Luxuary boat, aka the roadster of boats
2. More affordable boat, aka Boat S
3. Budget boat, aka Boat 3
4. Transport boat
For 1 I wonder if they will buy a company like:
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Buckminster
Active Member
I asked someone who is commercial fisherman what he thought about satellite internet. He said that even if you aim it at the satelite (which would require multiple mount points on a sailboat), the roll of the boat in the waves would be sufficient to knock out service.
My understanding of starlink is that it is even more sensitive to proper aim.
Sure, it will work in calm water at a stead heading, but it doesn't sound like he thought this through.
