Everything electric boats and boating
The METSTRADE marine trade show is on in Amsterdam today through Thursday and as interest in electric propulsion keeps growing and growing so does the number of exhibitors from the electric boat world.
This year we count 17 exhibitors focused on electric (and some hybrid) propulsion.
The exciting aspect for the future of electric boats is that this is a combination of
Another sign of where things are heading was the keynote address at the show’s prestigious DAME Awards from Henk De Vries, director of one of the world’s largest big yacht companies, Feadship. He said that the company has embarked on a plan to cut emissions from its vessels by 50 percent by 2025.
” I don’t want to start a big project in 2020 and deliver it in 2025, and have people ask why we delivered a big smelly monster. I think the business should be totally clean. As an industry, we have no choice but to be one of the world’s most sustainable.”
Here’s a quick guide to who is at METSTRADE 2019 from the electric boat world and helping lead the charge:
WEBSITE • METSTRADE LINK We wrote about AQAForce a couple of weeks ago. They offer a lightweight 120kW (180peak) electric drive train for boats with a modular battery system and easy connection to a Mercruiser stern drive.
Aquamot is one of the most respected names in electric motors and are listed in our Guides to outboards under 5kW, outboards over 5kW and pods. They also make electric inboards (we are working on that guide!) At METSTRADE they are exhibiting their motors, chargers and their Aquamot Longlife Silicon AGM Deep-Cycle battery, a VRLA battery (Valve Regulated Lead Acid).
WEBSITE • METSTRADE LINK Aquawatt is a new exhibitor, but has been around for many a year developing a well deserved reputation for motors boats and accessories. Also listed in our outboards over 5kW guide. They will be showing off their Green Power and Green Flash outboard lines.
Auxilia is an Italian company that introduced electric hybrid systems in 2008. At METSTRADE they are introducing a brand new Auxilia Marine Hybrid Kit, designed to be easily and quickly installed in combination with any diesel engine from 500kW to 2000 kW. The ‘plug & play’ turn-key solution can be connected to the standard electric grid.
Caroute makes highly regarded electric outboards that were originally designed for the trolling motor market but are used extensively as outboards for sailboats. They do not have a page on the METSTRADE website, but can be found in the Chinese Pavilion, Hall 5, booth 05.544
Combi’s history goes back to 1979 and their line includes outboards less than 5kW, with the same motor being used in their pod drives. At METSTRADE they will have their outboards, pods and inboards on display. The inboards range in power from 5kW to 50kW.
Although Elco is literally one of the first electric boat companies in the world (as we wrote about in one of our Throwback Thursdays), this is the first time the US company has exhibited at METSTRADE. This is Europe’s first look at their full line of electric outboards and inboards
Electric Fuel makes batteries for a wide variety of industrial and medical applications and in the marine world are probably best know for their lights for lifejackets. They will also be demonstrating their 12V lithium iron phosphate (LiFePo) and 24V lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries designed for electric boat propulsion and yacht backup power.
epropulsion is another well known electric boat motor company – from China – that is exhibiting for the first time at METSTRADE. Their Spirit 1.0 and Navy 3.0 motors are available as integrated battery outboards, the Spirit under 5kW and the Navy over 5kW, and also as pod drives.
E-Tech is a Polish motor company, a division of Starboats, that is becoming increasingly well known, having introduced some new international dealers in the past year. Their water cooled Brushless permanent magnet motors (BLDC) come in a range of inboards, outboards, fixed and steerable pods from 2.2kW to 30kW
Fischer Panda is one of the world’s best known generator manufacturers and also provide electric and hybrid drives and pods under the Whisperprop name. They will be promoting their Easy Box system which coordinates and connects all of the elements of an electric drive with plug and screw connections. It can be used in a battery-only system or in a parallel hybrid system.
LGM stands for Leo Greentier Marine, a division of Leo Motors, a Korean company responsible for that country’s first high-speed electric vehicle. Their electric outboards range from 6kW to 133 kW, inboards from 23kW to 236 kW and they will also be exhibiting their 6 and 11 kW saildrives.
Oceanvolt is one of the pioneers of electric marine propulsion and focuses 100% on electric for boats ranging from monohulls and catamarans to non-planing motorboats and commercial ferries. It was at METSTRADE 2017 where they first displayed their patented ServoProp propulsion/regeneration system. They will have their SailDrives and AXC shaft drive systems at METSTRADE this year.
Parsun is a Chinese company founded in 2001 . Their main business is manufacturing gasoline/petrol outboards, both 2 stroke and 4 stroke, but they also have electric outboards under 5kW and 2 models over 5kW at 5.15 and 7.3kW.
We wrote about SeaDrive a couple of weeks ago and their ingenious modular system that allows the motors to be configured in a variety of ways. Their system was up for one of METSTRADE’S DAME Awards (it didn’t win) and this is their debut with the mass European trade.
A hugely respected marine solar panel company (they put the solar panels on the Energy Observer zero emission hydrogen ship and the Malizia II that took Greta Thunberg from Europe to North America), at METSTRADE Solbian will be announcing two new products: their new SXX Series of heterojunction solar cells (HJT) that allow light to enter from both sides and a new Solar Charge Controller that “can raise the voltage even of just one module, to the levels required for electric propulsion, i.e. at nominal voltages ranging from 96V to 144V”
Fittingly, the world’s leading manufacturer of electric motors will have their full product line on display at METSTRADE: outboards from .915kW to 66kW, Deep Blue inboards from 25kW to 100kW, pods and saildrives from 2 kW to 40kW and BMWi batteries and charging equipment and other Torqeedo accessories.
Bellmarine (merged with Transfluid in July, 2018) is the largest manufacturer of electric boat motors in the Netherlands and well known throughout Europe. The company has electric solutions for almost any size of boat , but at METSTRADE will be focusing on its DriveMaster inboard/shaftdrives, SailMaster saildrives (coupled with Yanmar mechanisms) and TorqueMaster systems with 15kW to 30kW motors matched to reduction gearing with ratios from 1.59 to 5.01
WaterWorld is a Netherlands-based company that offers a series of inboard engines with a capacity of 2.5 to 10 kW, (all 48V) suitable for motor and sailing boats up to 10m. The range will be extended with a 15-20 kW version in 2020.
Ingenity Electric, which currently builds two electric boats under the umbrella of parent company Correct Craft, has signed a multi-year
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