Once electric motors for boats have been discovered and there was clearly a demand for them, then it would have been impossible not to see improvements being added. One of them is the 30 hp version of the Aquawatt electric motor produced by the Australian electric outboard motor specialist All4Solar.
For now, the improvement is that it is 3 times more powerful than other electric outboards, setting a maximum speed of 50 km/h (31 mph) for a 4 meters boat. Its 30 horsepower (22 kW), 80V LiFePO4 battery and the fact that i’s driven by an AC motor show a potential to be #1 in the electric outboard motors‘ field.
The really neat thing about it is that the battery can be charged by photovoltaic solar panels, with the help of a grid charger or a generator. This is an alternative worth taking into account, given the fact that they are cheaper than petrol engines, less noisy, you don’t have to raise a finger to keep it in shape and, most importantly, do not release harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
In May, the Sanctuary Boat Show on Australia’s Gold Coast expects the unveiling of both this model and a 20 hp (13 kW) version of it, which runs on a 48 V battery.
[via Gizmag]
