Torqeedo Deep Blue twin electric outboard engines
The
Future is
Electric t’s hard to believe that more than a dozen years have passed since Tesla introduced its ground-breaking, all-electric Roadster way back in 2009. Although it wasn’t perfect — “Top Gear” television host Jeremy Clarkson gushed about the car being “biblically quick” only minutes before the production crew were shown pushing it off the test track after its batteries ran flat — Tesla’s first production electric car laid the foundation for what today is clearly the future of automobiles. And, it turns out, the future of boats, as well. While the first generation of electric boats were small shells focused on putting along at walking speed — reflecting the limitations of early motors and battery technology — that’s now beginning to change. Today, we’re seeing electric motors powering everything from watersports towboats to luxury yachts and high-performance personal watercraft (PWC). In Canada, Taiga Motors unveiled its first electric PWC in 2018, and the production version of that early prototype is now coming to market. The fully electric Taiga Orca is said to run for about two hours between charges, and can fully reload a depleted battery in three hours with its standard charger. Or if you’re in a hurry, it can use an optional DC quick-charger to bring the battery up to 80% in just 20 minutes. Three trim levels are offered, with retail prices starting at around $17,500. Not to be outdone, Sea-Doo announced its intention to go all-electric last March. The world’s largest PWC builder plans to have its first fully electric Sea-Doo on the market as part of its 2023 model year lineup, and to be fully electric by 2026. But the instantaneous torque of an electric motor hasn’t just caught the attention of the PWC community. Manufacturers of watersports towboats also see enormous potential in Ingenity E23 electric power, and have been quietly
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Vision Marine’s E-Motion 180E electric outboard
A L L P H O T OS C O U R T E SY O F M A N U FAC T U R E R
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