Marine

Portable, blade-like electric outboard simplifies clean, quiet boating

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A compact, lightweight electric outboard designed for compact, lightweight boats
ePropulsion
Weighing under 15 lb, and designed with an integrated tiller/carry handle, the eLite is made for seamless portability
ePropulsion
The quick-connect bracket clamps to the boat, allowing the eLite drive to connect and disconnect with a single click
ePropulsion
The eLite adjusts to different angles as needed
ePropulsion
The eLite offers 500 watts of nominal power, with a quick-boost peak of 750 watts
ePropulsion
The eLite has a slim, lightweight design for convenient use
ePropulsion
EPropulsion debuted the new eLite at the 2024 Düsseldorf boat show that wrapped up over the weekend
ePropulsion
A compact, lightweight electric outboard designed for compact, lightweight boats
ePropulsion
When running at half power (250 watts), the eLite offers a max range of 5.6 miles (9 km)
ePropulsion
A simple, quiet motor option for small fishing dinghies
ePropulsion
The ePropulsion eLite is available for preorder at a price of $999
ePropulsion
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While other marine companies were using this year's Boat Dusseldorf show to electrify fast, furious water toys of every possible size, Chinese e-drive maker ePropulsion was presenting its smallest, most versatile electric outboard yet. The new eLite outboard weighs less than 15 lb (6.8 kg) and is designed to bring immediate torque and power to small boats and tenders. The plug-and-play drive carries easily to the water, attaches and detaches with a simple, one-click mounting system, and delivers up to an hour and a half of quiet, zero-emissions power.

The eLite debuts as ePropulsion's smallest, lightest outboard series. Unlike large, powerful electric outboards with separate battery packs, the eLite features an all-in-one design with a li-ion battery stack integrated directly in its slim body. It measures just under 3 feet (914 cm) long and weighs 14.7 lb (6.7 kg), making it easy to carry back and forth from the water. The tiller even folds up to work as a carry handle, and the drive attaches to and removes from the boat via a single-click clamp bracket.

The quick-connect bracket clamps to the boat, allowing the eLite drive to connect and disconnect with a single click
ePropulsion

The eLite is positioned as an alternative to small combustion outboards, designed to power the likes of rowboats, small inflatables and dinghies. It has a nominal power rating of 500 watts for speeds topping out around 4.7 mph (7.5 km/h). It can also dial up a sport boost to 750 W for up to a minute, pushing top speed just over 5 mph (8 km/h).

The 378-Wh lithium battery stacked inside the eLite's aluminum body offers an estimated runtime of 1.5 hours when cruising at 250 watts or half that when dialed up to full 500-W power. The eLite's smart battery management system optimizes power usage and regulates battery level, which can be viewed via the UI display built into the very top of the unit.

EPropulsion bases its speed and runtime estimates around a single person on an 8-foot (2.4-m) aluminum dinghy weighing a total of 258 lb (117 kg) and floating in calm water – boat design, size, total weight onboard, weather and other factors will affect actual speed and runtime.

When running at half power (250 watts), the eLite offers a max range of 5.6 miles (9 km)
ePropulsion

The eLite's ultra-portable design makes it easy to carry away from the boat for charging, and it comes equipped out of the box for AC hookup. With available accessories, the battery can also charge via a 12-V source like a car or with solar panels. A USB-C port is there to charge smartphones and other devices off the internal battery, which is particularly valuable if one finds themselves in an emergency with a dead phone.

The eLite is available for preorder through ePropulsion's dealer network for a price of US$999.

Source: ePropulsion

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6 comments
Aross
Very interesting. I am actually looking at one of their larger models for a pontoon boat.
veryken
Now, this is finally something that gets me interested in light boating! Just keep improving by making it more slender with longer run time (advancement in batteries and motor efficiency).
Expanded Viewpoint
When are people who gush all over E this and E that going to stop saying that they're "zero emission"?? There is no such thing!! We hear this all of the time for planes, trains and automobiles and not one of them is true! Name for me just one means of charging up any battery that isn't altering the environment in some way! If you want to say that the charging method is a low impact one, fine, that may be true, but nothing in the world exists yet that is truly zero emission. Any generator was created by man, it didn't grow on a tree or bush or vine, therefor it required an engine burning some kind of a fuel from start to finish.
Saying that something is zero emission, is just a ruse, or a means to virtue signal to the world that the charlatan is better than the ones who do not follow him or her like a religious fanatic.
John
Expanded Viewpoint
I was going to say the same thing but realized that you could actually us a solar charger to charge the device. Otherwise, it would definitely NOT be a zero emissions device.
martinwinlow
@Expanded Viewpoint: Sorry, but what on Earth are you wittering on about? 'Zero emission' does not have anything to do with how the device in question is made nor where it derives its energy - it simply means it emits no pollution *at the point of use*. Therefore, a vessel propelled by an outboard such as this one would be permitted (for example) to be used in areas where internal combustion engines are prohibited and EVs (real ones, mind - not fake hybrid 'EVs' - let alone 'self-charging' ones!) operating in and around densely populated areas do not contribute to the muck that everyone has to breath (brake dust and tyre wear residues aside).
martinwinlow
Thank you for writing about this interesting development - it looks like a very well-though out design. I would be interested to see a review of it sometime.
And thank you, also, for including the metric units.