The electric outboard motor E-Motion 180 by Vision Marine Technologies, Inc. is zooming
The E-Motion 180 by Vision Marine is making waves in the boating industry. This electric outboard motor is the first electric boat engine to use lithium batteries. In comparison to the auto industry, the boating industry has been lagging a bit behind due to low-horsepower engines and large batteries that can fill up half the size of a boat. Things are changing as the improvement of technology in electric motors is making a big impact on electric boats.
“Electric boats used to be good for just cruising around,” said CEO of Montreal-based Vision Marine Technologies, Alex Mongeon. “Now they have more power and last longer.”
Vision Marine has been a pioneer in the development of more powerful electric boats. X Shore, a Swedish luxury boat builder, and Arc, founded by former SpaceX employees, are two more companies riding the electric motor wave. In 2015, Alex Mongeon, an electrician turned boat racer, and Vision Marine began working on an electric outboard motor that was more efficient and more powerful than its predecessors. Thus, together they developed the E-Motion 180, the world’s first lithium-ion battery-powered electric boat engine.
The E-Motion 180, which costs around $5,000 more than a regular internal combustion engine, may be utilized on any boat with a 180 horsepower outboard gas engine, which is usually between 18 and 26 feet long. The 180-horsepower electric outboard has a top speed of 60 mph, which is a first in the electric boating sector.
Some key features of Vision Marine’s proprietary E-Motion technology include a high increase in efficiency, torque, and power, as well as optimal fast changing capabilities, allowing the user to fully charge the battery overnight. Due to its high torque to horsepower ratio and 90 percent lower fuel and maintenance costs than classic ICE powered boats, E-Motion provides a thrilling experience.
There is minimal noise and vibration being outputted by the engine, as well as zero emissions. On the Vision Marine website, they have stated the 180E model will give an unsurpassed boating experience that is noiseless, odorless, and smokeless. The electric outboard provides a level of responsiveness not available in traditional gas outboards. Electricity is already more widely available on the water than fuel, and this trend is expected to increase in the coming years.
Recently Vision Marine announced that their Bruce22 electric boat powered by the E-Motion 180 electric outboard motor set a speed record at the 33rd Lake of the Ozarks Shootout boat race, the largest unsanctioned boat race in the United States. According to Powerboat Magazine, the event is named as one of the nation’s eight must-see boating events.
“We are absolutely thrilled with the performance of our Bruce 22 powered by our E-Motion™ electric powertrain at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout,” said Mongeon. “One of the largest boating events in the nation, the Shootout provided a tremendous platform to showcase our electric technology to the boating community.”