Marine electric propulsion maker ePropulsion has introduced the X40 electric motor, which is equivalent to a 60-horsepower gas outboard engine.
The X40 offers 40 kilowatts of continuous power and in testing gave a range of 19.4 nautical miles at 1500 rpm. At 20 kW the X40 hit 8.3 knots with two hours of runtime, and at 40 kW reached 19 knots with an hour runtime. The outboard uses a 96-volt battery that has a service life of 5,000 hours. Without controls, the X40 weighs in at 218 pounds.
The builder says that thanks to vibration dampening technology the X40 operates on a seriously quiet level. The motor makes less than 73dBA of sound, which is about as loud as an office environment.
The engine uses integrated electric steering and power trim and tilt, which eliminates the need for hydraulic components, minimizes complex wiring and streamlines installation. The motor currently offers three driving assistance features, Position Hold, Heading Hold, and 360 Motions. More features are planned for the future.
The manufacturer also offers ePropulsion Link, a connectivity service that provides real-time stats and allows for updates of the engine’s battery.
According to ePropulsion, the X40 is estimated to save 5 gallons of gas and reduce CO2 emissions by 97.5 pounds per hour compared to a traditional 60-hp internal combustion engine.
