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Mercury is the first major manufacturer of marine internal-combustion engines to offer an electric outboard option. The Avator 7.5e delivers comparable performance metrics to Mercury’s time-tested 3.5 hp four-stroke gasoline engine, minus the locally emitted carbon dioxide. The Avator 7.5e is also the only outboard currently on the market with a transverse flux motor, a design that Andrew Przybyl, Mercury’s technical manager and engineer for the Avator line, says has high-torque-density characteristics. The Avator 7.5e comes with a 1 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery that nests inside the outboard’s flip-top cowl, and a color display with GPS that gives operators a wealth of real-time range information.

“One of the biggest challenges we had was setting up the overall architecture of the outboard,” Przybyl says. The solution involved auditioning different concepts and designs, and then choosing the right supporting technologies, including batteries, motor types and overall configurations. “In electrification, overall system efficiency is the name of the game,” he says. “The other aspect was sustainability. This outboard is highly recyclable.” Creating a recyclable design, Przybyl says, involved using componentry from nontraditional materials. “Sustainability is an important part of our culture,” Przybyl says.

While the Avator 7.5e is intended for use aboard smaller boats, Mercury plans to release the bigger Avator 20e and 35e outboards later this year. All three of these electric motors will employ similar architecture, displays and companion apps.

Charge and Go

The Mercury Marine Avator 7.5e can run for 60 minutes at full throttle off a charged-up 1 kilowatt-hour battery, or for as long as 2.8 hours at 75  percent throttle (or 6.2 hours at 50 percent throttle, or 19.4 hours at 25 percent throttle). Users can also change out batteries in seconds.

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Sunreef Yachts says its research-and-development department is working on a Zero Cat: a sustainable sailing yacht that can convert methanol to hydrogen, combining with electric propulsion to create zero emissions and what the builder promises will be “unlimited autonomy.”

The Zero Cat will “measure above 90 feet,” according to Sunreef. It will also have a solar-power system with solar cells built into the body of the yacht.

Sunreef says the fuel-cell and solar-cell systems will provide energy for propulsion as well as hotel loads.

“Our goal is to revolutionize the industry by offering discerning customers an exceptional zero-emission sailing experience,” Nicolas Lapp, chief technology officer and co-founder of Sunreef, stated in a press release. “This project represents a milestone in our ongoing commitment to protecting our oceans and preserving the natural beauty of the sea.”

What else is new at Sunreef? In the past year, the builder also unveiled the Ultima, a range of hybrid power catamarans. The first models are the 45 Ultima and 55 Ultima.

Where to learn more: visit sunreef-yachts.com

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The Capoforte SQ240i is a silent, electrically powered dayboat that provides a lot of lounging space and a sizable swim platform. The boat’s plumb bow flares widely as it rises to meet the deck, and these lines carry aft to create additional beam. The center-console’s open layout includes a V-shaped settee that converts to a dining area once the table is slipped into place. There’s walk-around space from the console to the stern, and the boat can accommodate up to 10 people.

Whom It’s For: Boaters who want a silent, DC-powered dayboat that doubles as a swimming, lounging and socializing platform.

Picture This: It’s a perfect day in Miami. You load up your Capoforte SQ240i, silently spin your family over to Nixon Sandbar, and throw the hook for an afternoon of swimming, reading, picnicking and unapologetic sun-worshiping.  

Take the next step: capoforteboats.com

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Silent-Yachts, which is based in Mallorca, Spain, started building its fleet of solar-powered electric catamarans in 2016. The Silent Tender 400 is the company’s first tender, and another, larger version is already on the drawing board. The DNA is obvious: The ST400 employs lightweight carbon fiber and an efficient hull shape to deliver a sporty-looking ride. 

The tender can be ordered with an owner’s choice of an electric outboard or an electric jet drive; customers can also choose a 16-kilowatt-hour lithium battery or upgrade to a 20 kWh battery for longer reach. The boat purportedly allows for two hours of run time at 10 knots, and it can be fast-charged in two and a half hours. 

The 13-foot ST400 accommodates up to six passengers but weighs only 198 pounds, excluding propulsion. The boat is a center-console that borrows aesthetic choices from the company’s 60- and 80-foot catamarans, including angular lines, a distinctive black-and-white finish and stem-to-stern chines. The ST400 also carries a practical yet stylish rubber stripe that helps protect its carbon-fiber topsides from docks, davits and poor docking decisions.

Whom It’s For: Boaters who want a high-tech, lightweight and performance-minded tender that can do 20-plus knots sans a traditional internal-combustion engine.

Picture This: You and your family are cruising Cape Cod, Massachusetts, aboard the solar-powered Silent 60 catamaran. You tuck into Provincetown for the evening. The mooring lines are secured, and you and the troops cruise over to Long Point Light Station in your ST400 before making a harbor tour and then heading to the Lobster Pot for dinner and drinks.  

Take the next step: silent-yachts.com

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Swedish boatbuilder Candela announced in January that it had achieved an expected 65-mile range with its C-8, a nearly 28-foot-long carbon-fiber foiling powerboat that runs on electric power.

The technological advancement in extending the boat’s range—a task that has long bedeviled makers of electric boats worldwide—was achieved in collaboration with the Swedish company Polestar, which is Volvo’s electric-vehicle subsidiary. Candela and Polestar first announced their collaboration this past August. According to Candela, the 65-mile range announced less than six months later makes the C-8 the world’s longest-range electric boat available today.

The Candela C-8 will use the same 69 kWh battery pack and DC charging technology as the Polestar 2, a vehicle that has a reported 300-mile range on the roadways. The boat’s 65-mile range will be achievable on a single charge at a cruising speed of 22 knots.

“This collaboration means that C-8 can travel to destinations previously only reachable by combustion-engine boats,”  Gustav Hasselskog, the CEO and founder of Candela, announced. “The Candela C-8 powered by Polestar marks a significant breakthrough for electrification at sea.”

The boatbuilder says the C-8’s hydrofoil technology is also a key element in the range extension. As shown in the photograph, the C-8 can “fly” above the waves on computer-guided underwater wings that reduce water friction. Candela says the C-8 uses 80 percent less energy than conventional boats at high speed. Its pod motor, the Candela C-POD, outputs 75 kW (the equivalent of 100 hp) for takeoff. Once foil-borne, the C-8 draws around 23 kW (about 30 hp) continuously from its Polestar battery pack. A similar-size conventional powerboat would use around 120 kW (160 hp), according to the Candela team.

Another thing that makes the boat notable, the company says, is the way the collaboration with Polestar enables DC charging on board. The installation of standardized charging stations for electric boats is a chicken-and-egg situation, with many marina owners holding off on adding higher-speed charging stations until more electric boats are on the waterways to use them. “With access to DC fast chargers, which are now starting to pop up in several places around the globe, you can cover totally new routes with Candela C-8,” Hasselskog says. “You can go from Sweden to Finland in one day, or along the entire French Riviera in a few hours.”

The C-8 is not the builder’s first model; the company, founded in 2014, previously launched the C-7 bowrider, without an enclosed cabin. That boat, which was announced in 2019, was suitable for six people. It’s now only available on the brokerage market.

All new-order Candela C-8s going forward will be equipped with the Polestar batteries, the company says. The boat can be ordered in three versions: day cruiser (with an open top), hardtop and T-top. The interior layout is designed for overnights with two adults and two children, with a marine head, dimmable lights and an optional premium sound system.

Deliveries on the boats are expected to take place starting in 2024. According to Candela, the company has already received more than 150 orders for the C-8.  

High Tech Meets Scandinavian Style

The Candela C-8 foiling electric powerboat comes from Sweden. Its interior styling is based on the basics, with a marine head and room for two adults and two children to sleep overnight. The sex appeal of this boat is in its technology, including the foils and the battery-powered propulsion. The foils can be fully retracted out of the water when the boat is at the dock, which should cut down on marine growth that could increase drag and reduce range. Using them is reportedly easy; some reporters with no boating experience say they can have the boat flying within about two minutes.

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New Jersey-based ePropulsion has launched several new E-Series lithium-iron-phosphate batteries.

The E60 and E163 will supplement the existing E80 and E175 batteries in the range, delivering up to 3,000 charging cycles for users.

These batteries, compared to lead-acid batteries, reportedly have three times as much energy density with 70 percent less weight. The company says they’re ideal for smaller boats with limited interior stowage.

“While capacity is an obvious focus of user-oriented innovation, making batteries easier to use is also vital to promoting adoption of electric propulsion,” Danny Tao, CEO of ePropulsion, stated in a press release. “ePropulsion electric outboard engines combined with the new batteries are the perfect solution for boaters looking to embrace quiet, clean and environmentally conscious propulsion.”

Do ePropulsion E-Series batteries work with ePropulsion electric motors? Yes. They’re designed to optimize those motors’ performance.

Take the next step: go to epropulsion.com

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Riva’s El-Iseo is based on the company’s Iseo runabout but with an all-electric drivetrain that reportedly allows up to 10 hours of quiet running time in economy mode. Notch things up a few clicks, and the El-Iseo’s Parker Hannifin-built GMV310 electric motor can generate 25-knot cruising speeds and 40-knot top speeds. Run time is provided by the boat’s lithium-ion battery banks, while onboard styling comes courtesy of Riva’s DNA.

Whom It’s For: Boaters who want to cruise stylishly at 25 knots and have the ability to tickle 40 knots without emitting carbon dioxide.

Picture This: It’s a nice spring evening in Annapolis, Maryland, so you and your first mate cruise guilt-free up the Severn River. From your El-Iseo, you take in the sprawling view of the U.S. Naval Academy before running over to Cantler’s Riverside Inn for dinner ashore.  

Take the next step: riva-yacht.com

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Imtra has launched a new generation of DC electric thrusters called eVision.

eVision is an evolution of the 2011 Sleipner Proportional DC Thrusters. The new product contains what is reportedly the first electric motor designed specifically for marine thrusters, with an industry-leading run time at 100 percent thrust, lighter weight and a smaller size than comparable thrusters.

“Sleipner eVision is the result of years of dedicated development and hard work,” Steve Howd, aftermarket product manager of DC thrusters, Imtra, stated in a press release. “With its extreme efficiency and low amp draw, eVision is the ideal thruster solution for DC environments and a perfect fit for the growing interest in boat electrification.”

eVision is intended for boats 40 to 100 feet length overall. Imtra says this model has 30 percent less amperage draw than previous models, is quieter, is as much as 50 percent lighter than comparable models, and takes up 40 percent less space.

The new thrusters are compatible with Sleipner’s S-Link Control system and can be integrated for joystick control.

When will Sleipner eVision be available? It’s already available for new-boat production, and should become available this month for aftermarket refits.

Take the next step: go to imtra.com

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Standing at the helm of Dasher, the first Hinckley Yachts Picnic Boat ever built, I got to experience the past at the same time that I was meeting, and driving, the boatbuilder’s future offerings.

You see, the 36-foot, 28-year-old Dasher is the testing platform for Hinckley’s new SilentJet technology, which was developed in partnership with Twin Disc. It’s a diesel-electric-hybrid system that is currently available on the Hinckley Picnic Boat 40 S, and it follows on the heels of the company’s first all-electric 29-footer, also known as Dasher, which launched in 2017. The lessons learned building the all-electric boat led to SilentJet for the larger vessels.

There are several key elements of SilentJet that make it an intriguing proposition: Working in concert with water jets and the Hinckley JetStick, the boat operates in some serious quietude around the dock, in the harbor and underway at speeds up to about 7 knots. The only sounds are water bubbling out of the jets and running under the hull. Additionally, an owner has speed when desired.

The helmsman simply engages the throttles, and the intuitive system realizes more speed is required, transitioning the boat from the electric motors to the diesels. In the case of the 40 S, traditional power will be twin 550 hp Cummins diesels, while the electric motors will be twin 90 kW setups, with an 80 kWh battery. (The 40 S should cruise about 35 knots on the diesels.) Bring the throttles back, and slow down to below 7 knots, and the 40 S switches back to electric. And when the boat is running on its diesels, the batteries are recharging. Total recharge time: 30 to 45 minutes underway and about 8 to 10 hours on shore power.

SilentJet also lets owners run all onboard systems off battery without the need for a generator. And during my day on board Dasher, we tested the theory.

I eased the boat out of the harbor in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and aimed toward a mooring field that Scott Bryant, Hinckley’s vice president of sales and marketing, had chosen for our systems check. Once clear of the no-wake zone, I brought up the throttle, and the single 570 hp FPT diesel spooled up and shot Dasher across the bay in no time. As I approached the mooring field, I brought the throttle down, and the system seamlessly reverted Dasher back to all-electric operation.

Once we picked up the mooring ball, Bryant had a chef show us how efficient the all-battery setup works. After turning on all the galley appliances as well as an all-electric grill in the cockpit, the chef prepared a steak-and-lobster-roll lunch with all electric-hungry systems engaged. After sitting on the hook for a couple of hours, the battery capacity had barely budged. Loss was nominal. So, for typical dayboating, the SilentJet system looks like a win.

All too soon, I was easing Dasher out of the mooring field to do some more running and experiencing of the system in action. It was green across the board, and everything about SilentJet worked as advertised.

The first Hinckley Picnic Boat 40 S with SilentJet should launch in 2024, which may seem like a distant future. But it’s closer than you think, and you won’t even hear it coming.

Commonsense Solutions

“We know our clients want what’s next, and they also want commonsense solutions,” says Geoff Berger, Hinckley’s CEO. “With SilentJet, you can travel farther with the hybrid-diesel system than with Dasher’s electric platform. Furthermore, we learned that electric-powered water jets are much quieter and produce less vibration than traditional propellers.”

Formidable Power

While the Hinckley Picnic Boat 40 S with SilentJet will have twin 550 hp Cummins diesels, the prototype 36-foot Dasher we got aboard was outfitted with a single 570 hp FPT diesel. The formidable motor was matched with Twin Disc’s electric motor and transmission, which then were paired with a Hamilton water jet.

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French-based builder Fountaine Pajot has teamed up with the charter firm Dream Yacht Worldwide to launch the Aura 51 Smart Electric as the first model in a collection of electric-powered catamarans.

The Aura 51 Smart Electric is a zero-emissions design that stores energy in two lithium battery banks. It will become available for charter in Italy starting in April, with about two dozen electric yachts expected to join the Dream fleet by spring 2024. Ten of them will be sailing catamarans, and a dozen will be monohull sailing yachts from Dufour, which is part of the Fountaine Pajot Group.

“By partnering and supporting the research and development of electric yachts, we can continue to make sailing accessible to people around the world but with a lower impact on our seas and environment,” Loïc Bonnet, CEO and founder of Dream Yacht Group, stated in a press release. “Being environmentally conscious is central to our mission to protect our planet and oceans, and we are confident that our charter clients will support this endeavor.”

How big of an eco-difference can these types of boats make? Fountaine Pajot says only 20 percent of the carbon footprint comes from producing the boats. Some 80 percent comes from the use of the boats.

Where to learn more: go to fountaine-pajot.com or dreamyachtcharter.com

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