Want to add powered propulsion to your small boat or inflatable raft? Just throw in an outboard motor and get around without breaking a sweat. Of course, running on a gas-powered engine means producing a heck of a lot noise that can ruin the calm and serene mood of your boating adventures. If you want to keep the peaceful vibe while getting around the water, you might want to ditch the traditional outboard motor and opt for the ePropulsion eLite instead.
Billed as “the most compact and lightweight electric outboard motor in its class,” the device offers a viable alternative for tenders, rowboats, and dinghies, allowing them to enjoy a relaxed cruise on the water in cleaner, quieter, and eco-friendlier way. It’s plug-and-play, too, allowing you to quickly attach it to a boat and get running immediately.
The ePropulsion eLite is the smallest and lightest device in the outfit’s series of electric outboards, coming in at just three feet long and weighing just 14.7 pounds. That makes it small enough to carry in hand, allowing you to easily move it from the car to the boat and back, complete with a tiller that folds and serves as its carry handle during transport. Both the motor and the battery pack are housed inside the relatively slim enclosure, too, so you’ve got everything you need to power a small boat inside a single device. It installs in a very simple way, too, requiring you to simply tighten a single clamp bracket to secure it in place, while a one-click quick release lets you take it off even quicker.
Inside, it houses a 500W direct-drive motor that’s hooked up to a 378Wh battery module. According to the outfit, that combo is enough to power small watercrafts at speeds of up to 4.7 mph, with a sport boost option that allows you to crank it up to 750W for up to a minute that pushes the speeds to 5.0 mph. When cruising at half max power (250W), the battery can keep it running for up to an hour and a half, although that goes down to 45 minutes if you decide to push it to the full 500W. According to the outfit, these numbers are measured with the motor attached to an 8-foot aluminum dinghy with a single passenger in calm waters, so it’s pretty decent mileage.
The ePropulsion eLite offers a variety of customizations, with optons for changing the trim angle, tilt angle, steering resistance, and shaft length, so you can get one that’s tailored to your exact needs. It can even be customized for shallow water, although there aren’t much details on what changes will be made for that configuration. Other details include a battery monitoring system so you don’t find yourself stuck with no power in the middle of the water, an IP67 waterproof rating, an anti-ground auto kick-up feature to prevent accidental damage, and an aviation-grade aluminum build for lightweight durability.
Want one? The ePropulsion eLite is available for preorder through the outfit’s dealer network. Price is $999.