There seems little doubt that electric powered boats will grow as the fast-improving technology trickles down from the automotive industry, which is driving battery technology, to the marine engine industry.
Today the electric boat has become a $4.5 billion global marine industry segment, and a report by IDTechEx shows that the market for hybrid and pure electric boats will rise significantly to over $20 billion worldwide by 2027.
Brushless permanent magnet electric motors and advances in lithium ion battery technology have allowed leaps to be made in the rush to marine electric. Lithium-ion batteries are half as heavy as lead-acid batteries and last three times as long, and advances in their effectiveness and stability have been significant.
The arguments for electric powered boats include:
- No discharge of engine exhaust into the water,
- No spilling of fuel when refueling,
- No oil leakage,
- Quieter than comparable gas/diesel powered engines,
- Lithium-based batteries,
- No winterization and little to no maintenance,
- No emissions.
Hybrid and pure electric drive systems have grown within the automotive industry, but hybrid or electric boats are just beginning. The marine world is a relatively small niche market that tends to follow the automotive industry in terms of innovation. Currently, less than 2% of boats today are integrating electric or hybrid propulsion. Boats have a different frequency and variety of uses than cars, making it difficult to build one electric battery solution to fit all applications.
Storage technology continues to be the largest limiting factor in more widespread acceptance of electric powered boats along with costs and life of the battery. Most electric boats have been slow and small and had restricted range. There’s also the problem of infrastructure–where do they recharge?
As hybrid cars such as Tesla have grown in popularity and become driving options, boat manufacturers have begun to realize the potential of battery powered boats. Boaters tend to have an appreciation for the aquatic eco-system around them. New technologically advanced boat models are now making hybrid gas/electric propulsion not only feasible but enjoyable.
Konrad Bergstrom, the millionaire behind X Shore, says that he was inspired by Tesla to create its lineup of electric boats. He followed a few principals that served Tesla well:
- Create an electric boat that is better than fossil fuel-powered boats focusing on long-range and high-performance
- Starting low volume and high-end before making your way down market with higher volume
However, X Shore found that electric boats have a more difficult energy problem than electric cars due to the density of water versus density of air.
Bergstrom told Motorboat magazine: “Water is 784 times denser than air and takes a lot more energy than rolling a car along a flat road. “It’s like a car driving up a 45-degree hill all the time.” They had to develop a more efficient hull, drivetrain, and then pack enough batteries to make sure it would have a decent range.
Electric drives are increasingly playing a role for vessels of limited size and for limited distances—on lakes and rivers, and near the coast,” said Peter Mueller-Baum, a managing director at Germany’s VDMA machinery association. “This could become an important segment, because it theoretically encompasses a large number of vessels.”
So, when will electric boats become serious contenders on the water? “In terms of a full-on battery powered boat, we aren’t there yet,” said Lee Gordon, Brunswick’s Director for Marine Public Relations & Communications. Boats face significant hurdles in that process. The average car will run on 100-300 horsepower. That’d be plenty to push a lightweight fishing boat, but larger pleasure boats need 10 times that much.
The technology may be complicated, and the adoption rate may still be around 2%, but change is happening at an accelerating pace as breakthroughs in battery expertise, motor design, more dealers, repair facilities, battery recycling options and complementary infrastructure such as charging stations and lightweight hull-building materials are introduced. Fast, clean, quiet and price-effective electric, hybrid and solar boats will soon be within reach of boaters everywhere.
New Boat Sales Continue To Climb
New data from the NMMA shows June was another strong month for new power boat retail sales, up 6% on a seasonally-adjusted basis compared to the previous record month in May. Compared to the same time period last year, new powerboat retail sales were up 5% through June.
“115,000 new power boats were sold in May and June alone–a 30% increase over the same time period last year–with personal watercraft, saltwater fishing boats and jet boats driving growth. These segments have recovered from pandemic-related losses and year to date, sales are up from where they were a year ago,” said Vicky Yu, NMMA director of business intelligence. “We expect sales to be strong through the remainder of the summer.”
The latest data show 2020 cumulative sales of personal watercraft up 10%; saltwater fishing boat sales up 5%; and jet boats up 9% compared to a year ago. PSR
Michael Aistrup is Senior Analyst at Power Systems Research
