Electric Outboard Motor | ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo. FULL TEST
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 19 июн 2024
- Being full time live aboard cruisers spending most of our time at anchor we rely on our outboard engine completely.
Our petrol engine was not only unreliable, it was noisy, heavy and meant we had to store petrol on board which I don't like doing.
So the search was on for the best electric engine money could buy and extensive research pointed to ePropulsion.
They've had very good reviews and now have a new version of their Spirit range, the 1.0 Evo which is a 3bhp equivalent engine that can be charged by mains, 12v and solar and also can generate it's own power to charge the battery when towed.
With no fuel costs and virtually no maintenance, it's direct drive brushless motors promise a eco friendly and whisper quiet ride, for an affordable price.
Too good to be true? We find out...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you're interested in looking at ePropulsion engines here's a link to their website:
www.epropulsion.com/?...
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PATREON:
There is a way to see the current videos with no adds at all before they get released to the public by becoming an honorary member of crew and joining our Patreon group. You will have four or five days to see the latest video before anyone else. There are also lots of extra videos available on Patreon. Continuing to produce these videos depends on our Patrons and we are very grateful for the support:
/ sailingfairisle
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please do make sure you subscribe it costs you nothing but helps us get seen by RUclips.
And if you ring the little bell you will get a notification of our next video:)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FACEBOOK:
You can also follow along on facebook where we constantly update what's happening:
svfairisle/?....
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WEBSITE:
Lots more info on the website; www.sailingfairisle.com
Did you do (or will you do) a similar electric outboard options video as you did for choosing anchors? I don’t know what’s coming over me but first I chose a TrueKit after watching your review and now I’m considering an electric o/b - but not sure where to start and you seem to be becoming an authority of the best gear. You might have to rebadge yourselves as the thinking-person’s influencers not just liveaboards!
Well if we ever get boat shows again maybe we’ll get the chance to check out a whole range of gear! Kind of hard to see everything at the moment.
The
Thanks for explaining the different charging options!
Excellent episode, again. Informative, educational with historic scenery. Love your work.
Thanks Malcolm.
Very good review! Im after an electric outboard as an alternative to our 6hp Mariner 4 stroke and this seems to tick all the boxes, many thanks!! :)
Looks like a great little motor, thanks for the review. Cameo of your wife relaxing topside, kept waiting for her to mix you both a G&T.
Good thorough review! Looking at one of these for a trailer sailer tri I'm building. Thanks.
That looks like a superb piece of kit.
Very informative review, thanks. I've a bit of a clapped out old Suzuki and was going to go with a 4 stroke replacement, but the electric motor is quite appealing.
Great review. I think the features you pointed out, like lightness, ease of use massively outweigh any range issues. We have found that the weight of our 4 stroke prohibits use unless it is an emergency. I think convenience is a key factor and will get people using their dinghy more - who knows maybe even anchoring more! Keep us informed as you use it more. 👏⛵️
Outstanding review!
A very informative video, I don't sail & am very unlikely to do so, however I like finding out about engineering advancement & this ticks that box. Fair winds (when you're allowed to sail again) ⛵️⛵️⛵️
Great video - thank you for sharing your experience!
That looks like our next electric outboard. We've never used a petrol one, and currently have a Watersnake - which is great up to a point, but it does have limitations. For example, the battery isn't integral and needs to be carried separately in a secure box in the dinghy (so the "kill cord" is just a line from the helmsperson to the cables between engine and battery), and the prop is metal. Definitely better than petrol, but it looks like ePropulsion is even better. Many thanks for the review.
One thing: a couple of the features you list are extras I believe: solar and 12v adaptors for instance. Great video and one of these will soon be hanging off the back of my boat.
Excellent review. Thank you.
Very good presentation. Definitely interested in this type of boat motor.
This thing is so supercool i almost got to have one !!! And imagine how much one will save on fuel in the long run with this one !!! Not to mention how good it also will be for the environment !!! Besides; what an awesome place !!!
First-class review as usual Steve. 👌👌👌
Thanks Lewis.
Nice review, thanks!
Great review! Congratulations...Epropulsion should pay you for this..jeje.. I have learned more from this video than from the Epripulsion original ones.. thanks a lot
I really want one and the boat! I have no use for them but they look great. A very informative video, thanks for taking the time.
Thank you 😊the future is looking good 👍
Best reviw so far. Thanks.
Very useful review. Thanks !
Looks like the rotating joint part was kept high thereby eliminating rotation seals below wl. Smart!
Great review!
The kill key chord around your neck! A very interesting individual, indeed. Great video. Many thanks.
There are several videos out that show a longer and thinner propeller that looks more like an airplane propeller than one for a boat but they seriously increase the thrust and decrease the amount of power used. Just thought you may want to look into that. Thanks so much for making these videos, very much enjoyed!
Thanks, I’m going to the boat show next week I’ll ask at the stand
@@svfairisle Remember they are paid to sell you THEIR products, not necessarily the best ones :)
Very very useful review.....thank you.
Just got a Spirit 1.0 Plus….enjoying it ….we’re gonna be in Italy in Sept 6 for a Trafalgar Tour …maybe spot you in Venice
Love all your videos. Really enjoy watching them.
Can’t wait to watch when you finally get to move on.
How do you guys not have more subscribers?!?! I've been watching you guys for years! Great content!
Ha! we're thinking of changing our name to La Vaga Delos, see how that works!
@@svfairisle It helps to have a sexy twenty something on board.
@@kscipkkkk I'll run that idea past Judy, see what she says!!!
@@svfairisle Let me know how that works out for you!
@@svfairisle Judy does a good job for those of us who are closer to her age than a simple 20.
I hope to run one of these motors in the future. They're quite nice!
We love our ePropulsion, last time we did more than 25 Km! We also have the extension cord which allows you to keep the battery off the drive while running and somewhere inside the dinghy.
may I ask how it is regarding the top speed? They are a bit slower then a 8hp diesel outborder, no? Is it fast enough?
I've put two of them on the stern of my 53ft , 20tonne barge .... works a treat !! There amazing
Wow! that's not a place I would expect to see them!
Another great video! I find myself wondering what it would be like with 2 or 3 on the back. More speeeeeed!!! 🤣
Their Navy range are more powerful, might be cheaper that 2or 3 of these!!!
Nice review. I have a first generation e-Propulsion and use it to get put to my mooring and back which is about a mile each way on a tidal estuary. Your battery is far more efficient than mine is but perhaps that is because it is getting old now. If I keep the power down to 1/3 I can get to the mooring and back on about half the battery. If I go full power it really eats the power. I am propelling a 12’ wooden tender mind you so that will make a difference. I love the engine and the ease of use and no more petrol or breakdowns. I would advise washing in fresh water after use as mine has corrosion on the clamping bracket and the powder coating is bubbling. Other than that it is great and I might upgrade to a newer model once mine is past its best. Cheers. Andy UK
Yes they advise a fresh water wash, I think they've improved the corrosion resistance though, they seem to have a good grasp on development, every weak point that people have come up with in previous models seems to have been addressed in newer engines.
A truly great review of the E-Propulsion Spirit 1.0 !!! Great to watch and very practical. I wanted to purchase this motor for my Pelican Catch 100 but it was just a to big. I ended up going with a motor that I thought was a bit to small but still works well. The Bixpy Jet Drive. I know one thing for sure, if I ever get a larger boat than my Catch pwr 100, I will most definitely be getting the E-Propulsion system !!!
Great review! I will have to review our two 130 lbs thrust trolling motors setup. Much much cheaper and very powerful. Pushes our 36 ft sailboat 4-5 knots. It does help to have a smaller dinghy such as yours to have less torque needed which means less amperage and also much longer battery life. Our dinghy is a bit large and we can get 10 miles on a charge with a 3 knot average
Yes, would love to see your setup, I've been thinking of something similar for the catamaran dinghy I'm building
@@sailingoctopus1 they are great but they do Max out at 5 mph because they have set 1100 rpms and the propeller’s pitch isn’t much. Two of mine 130 lbs each pushes my 36 foot cruising trimaran at Max speed. 5 tons of weight
Great vid as usual. We have had a Torqeedo for two years and love it. Same attributes as the epropulsion. Range about 12 miles. Very Quiet - you can have a normal conversation while underway. The battery is so light we always charge when not in use. Range anxiety does go away with experience (just like in our car).
Re challenging conditions: it is about equivalent to a 3hp and is no different than a 3hp propane or gas motor.
I'm interested is your Torqeedo direct drive? I've heard they are moving / have moved away from gearboxes? There are lots of electric engines here in Venice as you can use them in places you can't go with a gas engine but you can hear the non direct drive engines almost as far away as a petrol engine by the high pitched whine!
@@svfairisle I believe it is direct drive. I have heard that noise can be an issue in older models but we have the same level as shown in your vid. Lovely being able to talk as you motor.
What a wonderful way to experience Venice! Thank you for sharing.
I know it's kind of a hike but you and Judy are officially invited to sail on the Penobscott in Maine!
@@FreedomSalon1 thanks, we will get there, will be a couple of years though.
SUP with the folding panels on top, tow it, and charge a second battery for those really nice long expeditions away? (Maybe later after lockdown.)
Another brilliant, informative video guys. Great channel. Looking to purchase an epropulsion outboard. Did you order the small shaft or large shaft? I know the Evo doesn’t do XS. Thanks.
Ours is the standard shaft which works well. With a small flat bottomed dinghy the an XS would probably measure up better, but rather a tiny bit more drag from a longer shaft than cavitation which is what really kills your drive.
just acquired same we have not used it yet, lock down in Australia, I was looking at the cigarette charger but Aud $145 same for the solar set up, I think we will just use the inverter, the advantage of weight saving was important but also no pull start as we are both nearly 70 we are not getting stronger also no need to freshwater flush after use, just wash down the exterior with fresh water and finally we use this to get to our boat on a swing mooring we need to transport the outboard in the vehicle laying down, petrol outboards problematical likewise storing same inside the boat, petrol fumes/spillage/fire/additional fuel just for the outboard. Sorry this is a bit long. cheers from Aus
Danke schön 👏🏻
tolles Video
sehr informativ
Grüße aus Berlin (D)
I’m an e-propulsion advocate and own a Minkota, and while I was impressed with the Torquedo, I was put off by the noise. Your new motor is a quiet , brushless, direct drive unit which appeals to sailors who covet quiet, reliability, light weight, and no fossil fuel ⛽️. Thanks for showcasing an excellent alternative. 👍😎
Great informative video, Steve. Thank you! Would you state that this set of propulsion is in particular suited for the cat-like True Kit Dinghy? What are your thoughts ...
Well at an equivalent rated power of 3hp it's good for smaller / lighter dinghys yes. In certainly works really well with the Truekit which I think is a really good dinghy. We should really have the extra short shaft version (we have the short) as the true kit is just under 30cm transom height, but we wanted the engine to be good for keeled dinghys too in case we ever get one. (still like the look of the OC dinghy for when we get to really remote places)
Thanks again for another excellent video Steve! I must admit I've always rolled my eyes about electric propulsion, but I think you convinced me to take another look. That said, when you started on about your X67 b part 2a section 1 charger, what Judy was doing on deck in the background became a lot more interesting....was she mixing you a milk and gin cocktail? :)
Ha! No I think she was sitting with her headphones on blocking out the techno babble as well!
there are a few sites that show how to build additional battery packs yourself - allot of scooter packs you could prob build one in a small tool box and use it with a plug in to extend your range possibly by 2 or 3x... i would like the extra gas can personally so I would carry that range extender "tool/tackle box". but it looks like a great little emotor !!!
Hey Steve, great video. Very thorough and informative. Quick question though, have you guys got a new dingy? I seem to remember you getting a new one from a mob in New Zealand, is that still the one you are cruising around with in this video?
Yes, it’s a Truekit dinghy, still holding up very well.
We have used one of these for about 5 seasons and it is great. However, in situations where your anchorage is a considerable distance from land locations, such as the Bahamas, a gas engine is essential.
Hello! Great video, thanks. One question. Does it have GPS to indicate speed/distance traveled?
No doesn’t do any of that. Doesn’t worry me to be honest, as the phone can do that. Some have a USB phone charger ( the ePropulsion doesn’t) I think that could be useful but again on an outboard it probably wouldn’t last long so probably a gimmick
Hello Steve, thanks for the video. I'm just wondering if its possible to use the solar panel from the Ecoflow and/or the ecoflow itself to charge the e-propulsion if necessary?
Yes I do both of those things. Mainly though I plug it into the 12v system on the boat any time we are motoring or the solar has already filled the house bank. It’s nice to use the charge that would otherwise have no where to go fill the eProp battery
Fascinated by your double sided PV panels. Have you tried covering the underside temporarily to see what percentage of the output is created by the underside?
They claim an extra 30%, but I will test it.
Very cool. Always wanted one, but was waiting for the new version. How does it do when charging via inverter on boat at 110V from flat to full?
What shaft length did you get? What is the best length for an average 9ft dinghy (RIB) when wanting to easily beach it?
We don't do that funny thinned down 110v stuff! It's all full fat 220v over here! But actually our ships inverter has died so I can't test it at the moment. We went for the short shaft, anything less than 30cm (just onder a foot, us older Brits can still handle imperial measurements!) transom to water should really be extra short, but I might want to use it on a bigger dinghy sometime and a tiny bit of extra drag is probably better than extra cavitation?
Measure the top of the transom to water line height and air on the longer side if your rib is deep, not flat bottomed. The anti grounding feature will help you beach.
Great review! The Epropulsion is on my list! Wondering if you are A) still happy with it and B) have found the hydrogeneration worth the price difference?
Yes the eProp is the best out there no doubt about that. If you’re using it as a tender like we are though there’s no real need for the regen. Easy to charge by mains or 12v (we use a couple of fold out solar panel quite often) for a trailer sailor though where you can have it on the transom and drop it down while you’re sailing to charge it would be fab.
Thorough review Steve and clearly many features copied from the Torqueedo. We bought the latest Torqueedo 1103 and absolutely love it and so far have never run out of power. That said i alway just put it directly into the charger when we’re not using the tender. A couple of thing I would highly recommend (if you’ve not already done so) is to buy a spare propeller or two as they will be difficult to source in more remote places. I know the auto feature (which we also have) is designed to protect the prop if it does hit something however, we hit a large rock in relatively deep water and broke a blade off of ours and although Torqueedo pulled out all the stops to ship two spares to us in Menorca we were without the motor for around 5 days. Additionally, buy a long chain and put it round the handle of the battery and lock it off when you leave it unattended. As more electric motors become popular so will the batteries and we know which part of the unit is the costliest to replace and the easiest to remove!
Yes very good point about security, very glad the eProp has the chunky handle to put lock it. We carry a thick plastic covered wire that's long enough to loop through something ashore if we can find it and we will be sure to loop it through the handle and the padlock locking the dinghy to the transom. Hopefully that'll do the trick but I do have a length of old anchor chain that i could bring out for the more risky spots!
P.S. thanks for the reminder, I will order some spares while were here, eProp have actually offered us a discount on a second battery so we're debating whether to do that, but some spare anodes and a prop are definitely in order. You were unlucky to break the whole blade off but you see so many of these nylon props with big chunks out of them & I think it's a real false economy to run something that out of balance as it'll just end up buggering your bearings & possibly the motor as well.
@@svfairisle for security we just put a strong, but not too heavy, stainless steel chain on the battery handle and lock it with the same padlock that locks the main part to the dinghy transom. It works great however, like the padlock you’re using, we decided we needed something stronger but was not easily broken with just a couple of spanners (Google ‘ how to break a padlock) and I was shocked how easy these brass ones can be broken. I’ve now bought a MasterLock version with the Hexagonal shaped hoop and it does look more robust and still fits in the small nylon screw handles. That said if anyone determined enough to steal your dinghy or motor they’ll find a way anyway.
With regards to a second battery I’d personally say save you money and spend a season with the single battery and see how you fair. We spend 4-5 months sailing in the summer and have never felt the need for a second battery, though to be honest we did consider a spare initially.
Also, the ePropulsions ability to hydro generate sounds interesting but I’m not sure I’d want to leave my motor whilst underway on longer passages. Very occasionally we will leave the main part attached but I always remove the battery and tiller which of course is where the weight is. Happy silent motoring!
@@gordonross4952 Yes we will certainly be wary of towing the dinghy especially after loosing one! But I am going to have a second dyneema safety line attached so maybe when just going from bay to bay, we will see. I have seen the 'how to break a padlock' video I agree it's scary so will think about a better solution.
Very useful video thanks Steve. We are hoping to get into electric propulsion for whatever dinghy we end up with. I was wondering if you have managed to thrash this unit to a standstill? It would be useful to know at what level it gives up and you have to resort to actual physical exertion. I looked into your dinghy when you posted the episode about it and seem to recall it was quite light compared to the usual inflatable fare. No doubt that also benefits the electric motor.
Not to steal Steve's thunder (really solid review here btw Steve!) but I've a Spirit plus which is the non-evo version. In practical terms the same. I have had the motor nearly nine months and have had the chance to work out when the oars might be needed. Importantly, I've never had to though as the motor will give you a beep at 50% capacity, again at 20% and a last audible warning when it's about to give up the ghost. Since it's a low speed high torque set up you can always just drop the revs a little to extend your run time. In any case the sweet spot for running is about 350 watts of the 1Kw available (the extra throttle does increase speed a bit but is disproportionately negative on overall run time, you get the Lions share of propulsion at 350W) My longest run was 17 miles on a charge and the battery dropped to about 2%, I think there'd be a fair bit left after that in truth and the inbuilt BMS (battery management system) will prevent any damage if you do flog it, it'll shut down before any damage can be done.
Thanks for this information. A good addendum to Steve’s video.
Now you need a sexy solar panel shade over the back of the dinghy to charge the battery while you are a shore.
Thank you for your review, is your inflatable a True Kit from New Zealand?
Yes it is, we've done a review of that as well, very good boat.
excellent review. led me to reconsider the ePropulsion unit as a possibility for us. Thank you for the lovely review. You guys do a great job. We both enjoy your work.
Hi Steve, thanks for the great review! We’re considering purchasing an E-propulsion motor for the new dinghy we’ll also be buying this spring. My question is regarding speed under way. At full throttle, how does the speed compare to a 4-stroke motor? Of course to conserve power and have the Evo battery last longer, you have to go on at lower speed. So do you think the speed aspect will be an issue for you? Thanks!
We were having a similar discussion elsewhere in the thread talking about thrust and power. From experience I think it's possible to get more speed out of a similarly powered petrol engine (certainly a 2 stroke) because it will over rev. My old 2-stroke for instance the was 3hp, same as the ePropulsion could, with a following wind, get me on the plane (if I was lying flat and steered with my feet!) The eprop hasn't got that turn of speed but probably has more actual pulling power i.e. it will battle the wind & waves a bit better. Look these engines arn't fast and sometimes it will piss you off you can't get somewhere quickly, but the advantages are many!
Me too Dom.
Great video
How can you swap the throttle so it goes forward in counter clockwise?
Sadly you can't with this model, I was told you could but i tried it and it doesn't work.
Nice video thanks. What size shaft did you buy?
Standard, short would have been okay for the true kit too, but I thought I might want it on a deeper hard bottomed dinghy sometime
Looks like a brilliant idea. Did you ever test the regenerative changing feature? I think they only start charging around 4 knots so might not be very effective on a trailer sailer. Looks like you could turn the motor backwards when charging so that the prop has better efficiency. But then it would be charging in reverse lol. Might be a cool test for one of your videos. Great review anyways. Keep them coming ✌️⛵
Yes I showed it in one of the episodes. Towing even at low speeds put something in. We don’t usually tow the dinghy though, especially with the outboard on, so it’s not a function we use. It does work with the engine backwards.
I'm thinking about adding a more performant ePropulsion Navy 6.0 to a 30ft trimaran - not for the range but rather the 1kw regeneration! That could be a great recipe I imagine: plenty of range when there's no wind, start sailing at around 3kn wind due to the very light weight.
Absolutely! It’ll be a game changer for those sorts of boats. You could have amazing range to get out and sail, then charge the battery while your sailing and motor all the way back
Hi, nice review!
We have decided to go electric to on our dinghy. My question is, how do you secure that it will not be stolen when you leave it to go to the shop.
Anders
Frida af Wisby
Get a long steel plastic coated cable, you can buy them on Amazon. Find something to wrap it around and padlock it to the engine (which is locked to the dinghy) You can see me do it in the latest episode. You can also loop it through the handle in the battery if you’re worried about someone taking that. The engine also has the advantage of having a key (magnetic fob) which you obviously take with you
great video, do you know if it can be capsized and survive? asking for a friend....
YES IT CAN! … don’t ask!
Good range. Take the solar with you when you go to the beach and it would charge up? Oh, and have a USB socket for phones and cameras 😁 Sail Safe Guys, Ant, Cid & the pooch crew.
Yes it would have been handy when we were stuck in the Mar Menor on the first lockdown, we we're going to uninhabited islands for our walks so we could have set it up charging on the beach while we were walking.
Nice video Your too funny, Sorry to hear you are locked down again! Hope this electric motor works out better than your last one. I understand the importance of gin, my wine consumption has been way up from usual. You and Judy stay safe.
Good news is we are (hopefully) going to make a quick trip back to the UK in a week to have our Covid jabs, so that means I can pick up the fishing lures :)
@@svfairisle when you pick up the box don’t leave the file behind
Do you have any info on leaving schengen? We are in Italy in a camper but now due to extended lockdown we don't think we can leave till after the lockdown but that will take us over the 90 days. Guess it's easier for you to leave in a boat but wondered if you had any extra info?
Wish we did! If Croatia don't let us in when we need to leave in a couple of weeks then we will overrun too. Word is authorities will look kindly on overruns because of Covid, but you can't rely on it. We also have the option of not checking out of Italy I suppose, I don't think Croatia are going to bother too much when we check in there, but who knows?!
Thank you for your nice video. I am buying a good ePropulsion which can work well for a long time and comparing a few brands. Is your ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 still working well after one year?
It’s coming up for two years now. We have the Spirit 1.0 Evo, can’t recommend it enough, it’s excellent
@@svfairisle Thank you very much for this important information.
Worryingly buying almost everything you recommend…how are your thoughts on the Epropulsion this far down the road??
I’m hovering over the buy button as I type. 🤣
Love the channel. 👍
Yes hit that button! We did have an error code come up on the eProp last month but the dealer in Turkey dealt with it very well and very quickly. We did borrow a 10hp outboard while it was away & it only made us thankful we went electric. The weight of the petrol outboard made it a liability actually.
This looks like a good solution. My only concern is that it seems to made from quite a lot of plastic. This is great for keeping the weight down but plastic is susceptible to UV degradation and also impact and I would worry about how it will hold up to cruising wear and tear so I will keep watching with interest.
And aluminium corrodes. More to point, because this is so light you're not going to leave it on the back of your dinghy for long periods.
I'd be interested to know if the controller has program logic that enables it to instantly cut the power if it detects an increased load or reduced RPM. If so, it could reduce prop damage from a grounding or eliminate damage from a rope getting round the prop.
Yes it does. Actually we get it quite a lot going around the lagoon because in places you get blanket weed and as the prop hits it the power cuts then ramps back up.
Please test the generator towing function. Can it be used as a hydrogenerator to charge the 12V battery in the boat? Thru a MPPT solar charger maybe? If so I would absolutely buy one.
We will absolutely test the re-gen function as soon as we are out of lockdown in Italy and allowed to sail. Charging the boat batteries would be a real stretch I think though as even if you have an external eprop battery (which you can have along with the attached one if you like) the manual says the re-gen will only charge the attached battery, not the external one.
@@svfairisle Nestaway are claiming that it will be possible to charge the house battery from the EVO at some point in the future.
My thoughts are that the regen will charge the 48V and a DC to DC converter/charger like a Victron Orion can charge the 12V house battery.
Any thoughts on this?
@@stuart7060 At the moment ePrupulsion state that the regen is for the attached battery only. It won't even charge a secondary 48v external eProp battery in the tender if you have one. They are really looking at innovative ways of using the power though so I think at some stage they will come up with a system that can do everything.
Nice review. What size is your dinghy? Trying to do a comparison to see if it would work for me.
2.5meters
@@svfairisle Thanks we got a 3.1m so going to check out their larger motors but I liked everything I saw about it especially the instant start and nearly no noise.
Informative video in a nice location. We also have the ePropulsion 1.0, but an older version.
So far for us it has been a good experience, at least for the most part. I am convinced that electric is the way to go unless you cruise in very remote locations.
But, there may be a problem coming our way with these electric motors. We had a crack in the black part of the battery housing, so that the battery was not water-tight anymore. It did not take a lot of force to cause that. The black plastic is very brittle, cheaply made. Very unfortunate the company did not offer this part as a spare part. They told us to buy a new battery (> 800$) or, better, a completely new motor since there is now a newer version. Here is the problem I see. Even though more expensive like their gasoline counterparts, electric motors may become the same as an iPhone or other electronic devices. Sorry, no real repair, just replacement.
This time we were lucky and able to get a used housing from a broken battery. It was for a fraction of the cost of a new battery and took only an hour to be installed.
Moral, look after your battery, don't drop it on the dock, even a couple of cm on a wooden dock could be to much.
My local Eprop dealer is recommending the Short Shaft instead of Extra Short Shaft. They mentioned the additional length would be helpful in choppy water conditions there would be more chance of the prop coming further out of the water and then unit will begin to lose performance since one blade is no longer catching all of the water it needs to in order to move the boat forward --especially when encountering waves from other boats or wind blown chop. Did you have this experience with Extra Short Shaft unit?
I don’t have extra short, just short although our dinghy would take the extra short. I’d rather have a bit more drag than occasional cavitation as you say
Great video! Do you know if it is possible to fix the throttle? I'm thinking about buying a ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus for my small open sailboat and when you have a ruder I don't want to hold the throttle on the engine.
The throttle isn't sprung loaded to the middle there is just a detent to show you where neutral is, so yes you can set the throttle and let go and still keep the speed
@@svfairisle Nice! Thank you for your reply 👍
That thing seems awesome. I suppose if it's locked, and you have the kill key with you, and if you also take the battery with you, it's reasonably secure.
Yes & crucially the battery had a built in handle so you can thread the cable/chain we use to lock it through that as well. As these things become more common I can see the batteries being targeted.
@@svfairisle And I guess if you go ashore to eat out, you could carry battery with you and charge up in the restaurant while eating. At least you can then charge up a little while there is no solar available during the evening.
What type of battery is that?
Some alternative power systems have a dump load for when the batteries are full. That voltage arrangement looks like a reasonable version. When I was operating two-way radios from my car, I used a battery charged through a current limiter to keep the draw from the lighter outlet under the spec. I also had a pair of portable solar panels similar to yours, just smaller. For higher power, I use Anderson PowerPoles for the connection as they do not get nearly as hot.
Maybe a detailed look at the connector you are using if you do an update.
Yes if you have lots of solar a dump system to heat water might be a good idea, doesn't help with the long motor days though as thats heating the water already on most boats. I thought about the Anderson connectors, not sure they do a mountable socket though, arn't they all for flying leads? I'd rather mount it on a bulkhead & I've already got a load of XT60's from my drone building days.
@@svfairisle Existing kit that fits the purpose beats something better you have to buy. The key requirements are current capacity and cycle durability. I have not used XT60s, so I cannot comment from personal experience. However, I doubt the PowerPoles are significantly different in either of those specs. (And even if they were better, I'm sure they are not enough better to replace existing, functional, hardware.
I have the equivalent of a power strip using PowerPoles with individual fusing. One of these is mounted to the side of a battery box that can hold about an 80 Ah 12 VDC marine battery. I have seen devices with them installed as part of the panel of connectors, so I know it can be done.
Hi Guys, love the review. We’re going to invest. But could you tell me if yours was the short shaft? Suitable for an 2.8m Avon rib?
Yes it's the short shaft. Being a small flat bottomed dinghy, our Truekit would be slightly better with an extra short, but we may want to use it elsewhere. They say if the top of transom to waterline is less the 30cm you need an extra short, but I would take account of whether you have a keel or flat bottom as well.
@@svfairisle Do you envisage the regen being useful? For a yacht tender I’d be uncomfortable towing it and thus getting use of the regen. So maybe the model (Pro) without the regen would be a better (cheaper by €300) option. On first look the difference between the Evo and Pro is just this regen ability, would you agree with that Steve?
@@Jurathepuppy I'm going to hold judgement on that until we get a chance to try it. I agree it's really for the trailer sailer guys where the re-gen function is going to be key. Having lost a dinghy before on the rare occasion we did tow (happily we did take the outboard off!) we are very weary, but I will at least try towing just for short coastal stuff (we now use two seperate lines!) so we will see, if it gives good charge amounts and the dinghy behaves well when towing it could be really useful. As soon as lockdown ends here in Italy and we can try it we will.
Hey guys, absolutely compelling. You ordered it directly from the epropulsion website?
Yes directly from ePropulsion, they actually sent it direct from China.
Great review but you need to see how long it takes to get fully charged,i fly a self launching eletric glider and find the time to charge the last 20 per cent takes forever.
I'll add some stats to the description when I've done more tests. It took 15 hours to charge to full on the 12v last night,but that wasnt from quite empty.
Makes so much sense for a small dinghy. They've really married the technology with the use-case. Brilliant.
I see they throttled instant torque. Heheh. Is there a tuning or management function for the motor and battery?
Yes there's a menu where you can de-rate the power to save consumption / make it safer for kids etc.
The little shadows on those panels will mess up their potential of course - but it's real world - thanks.
I am curious which shaft length you have to pair up with your True Kit dinghy? Thanks and sail on!
Edit: I just read in one of the other comments below that you have the short shaft. We currently have a Fatty Knees rigid dinghy with Torqeedo long shaft. We plan to add a True Kit 3.0 to our fleet. The long shaft just seems too deep for shallow water cruising or when approaching a beach in the True Kit. As a result, we are considering selling the Torqeedo and getting an Eprop short.
Thanks again for a great review.
Yes the spec says that the extra short would be okay for the true kit. We went for the short just because we might want to use it on a different dinghy
Ive just bought one with the short shaft for my 240cm dinghy, because they told me the Evo has no extra short shaft option like spirit plus has.
I'd like to get one of these for my boat (18' Catalina), but I'm concerned that the tiller might not fit between the motor mount and the transom. Does the tiller tilt upward, and if it does, can the motor still operate with the tiller in an "up" position?
Yes it tilts upwards to about 45degrees without resistance and then another 10-15 degrees against the spring
This is a great review thanks but I am interested in security. If I take my tender over to the marina for a pint how can I lock this all to the tender. Other than the battery handle I'm not seeing any obvious loops on the motor for a chain.
There’s a metal bar between the two clamps that screw it to the transom, it’s meant for you to padlock the handle to the bar so you cannot unscrew the motor from the boat, but I find that a bit fiddly and the handles are plastic. So I use one of those long plastic covered bike lock wires to loop through the battery handle and then padlock to the metal bar, that way the battery can’t be removed either which as these things become more common I can see being an issue
Thanks for the quick response. I'm sold on this motor and that sounds like an excellent solution.
great review, btw whats the cost per metre for the venice marina?
Best thing is to give them a call +39 041 5208588
I'm not sure they've pinned down a standard price yet! call them you might get a deal.
I would love to see someone rig up a solar canopy and run the outboard without using any battery power - something I believe it is capable of - ie charging whilst running. You should also be able to use a cheap lead acid battery as a backup charging option for long journeys - or your solar battery pack
Yes it can charge while running I'm told.
I have an old Honda 2hp 4 stroke but it is kept stored In a locker for 11 months of the year and when I need it it is a bugger to start the first time. So am looking very green eyed at your Evo.... Of which there looks to be none available in the UK...
I think they will be coming soon, we ordered ours before Xmas, could have had the standard Spirit version but decided to wait for the Evo, so they sent ours as soon as they started coming off the production line.
Great! What happens when the propeller catches a floating plastic bag? Is there some sort of safety preventing the engine from burning or the prop from breaking? There are a lot of plastic bags in the Amsterdam canals regretfully...
Yes it disengages straight away if something fouls the prop. We have it in some places with weed, the engine just stutters as you go through usually
@@svfairisle Thanks, that's perfect! If only the price of the thing was a little bit lower...
Steve great review, thanks..... I think you should add a segment showing just how easy and light it truly is by bringing it on and off the back of Fair Isle..... I think it's just not the performance we are intrigued about but the easy and stowage ability of it..... With this kind of setup I think one could even stow it in the lazarette (without the fear petrol leaking everywhere)!!
All the best Richard
That was the plan, to do the whole thing out at anchor, but we are in lockdown here in Italy since the weekend so we're tied to the dock. And yes it's a very good point that with no leakage (and it does come with a bag which they are sending me as it wasn't ready) you could even just lay it on a spare bunk.
I don't know if your still monitoring this but I'm considering this motor for my inflatable dinghy and it has a 42cm transom. Should I choose the XS at 52.5 or the s at 62.5 as I believe, but am not sure, that the electric OB manufacturers measure to the centre line of the prop shaft not where the cavitation plate would be on a conventional OB. Thanks, Chris - on the opposite side of the Adriatic.
Extra short is for less than 40cm transom height so go for the short. Mine was less than that but I still went for short rather than XS so I have the ability to use it on a bigger dinghy if I need to. It's always better to be long than short as the extra drag is not as bad as extra cavitation
@@svfairisle And there's no cavitation plate so it makes sense,, thanks, happy sailing.
Hey I’ve just watched this again as I’m now ready to buy… but can’t decide between Spirit Plus vs Evo (which you obviously have). I think one of the key extras of Evo is hydro-charging but I can’t find the episode when you tested this whilst towing your dinghy. Please can remind me where I can find that and/or remind me what charging performance you saw from towing? Thanks!
I think you’ll find that in Ep42. There’s a bit in the middle and at the end. You do get useful charging but to be honest we haven’t felt the need to charge that way since testing it. Maybe that’s because we can always easily charge it from solar, but towing the dinghy with the engine down is an extra risk, more drag ( we did loose a dinghy with a broken rope once) We do actually tow the dinghy more than we used to with the engine on though, that’s because with the battery removed it’s so light & the dinghy toes really well. Also there’s obviously wear on the motor charging the mechanical way, really I think the regen is excellent for a trailer sailor with the motor on the transom, but for a tender? If I were you I would save some money and get the Spirit.
@@svfairisle OK great thanks for the swift reply. Now you point out the damage and wear risks that makes sense. Do you know is there any other functionality the Evo has that the Spirit doesn’t? Reason for asking is that we’re currently (back) in tight lockdown here in NZ and no dealers are responding to these Qs!
@@NZL50505 As far as I’m aware it’s just the regen that the difference, makes it slightly heavier, but still very light. They priced it when it came out that the Evo was the same price as the new Torqeedo and the Spirt was £50 cheaper. They didn’t really need to do that as it’s a much better outboard so not sure if the pricing is still that low. I did hear from one of our viewers that had a very early Spirit that is now 3 years old and getting corrosion on with some paint coming off the aluminium foot. It looks like their unit doesn’t have as many anodes as mine though (4) not sure if that’s an Evo difference or if they just developed the whole line ( mine has zero corrosion) eProp go seem to be very good at getting feed back and quickly designing out any issues.
@@svfairisle Many thanks, Steve, you’ve sold me!
Just to close this out, I’ve now ordered the Spirit Plus (not Evo). My dealer agreed with your sentiment about limited use and not worth the extra cost. Also a package of other ‘goodies’ inc bags, solar panel, chargers etc. Looking forward to it arriving in time for NZ spring!
Also, I’ve ordered a TrueKit Navigator (but I need the 3m rather than your 2.5m).
Don’t worry I’m not going to change my boat name too… 😊
I hope yours works better than mine. Less than two years in and it does work at all. Can’t get any real help from the company either.
Sorry to hear it, let me know how it goes, would be interested to see how that turns out.
Having sold my previous tender and Torqeedo with the mothership, I have been shopping for a new tender and electric engine. Due to weight concerns, I narrowed it down to Takacat, True Kit, and OC Tender. As I live in the US, the only tender I could demo was the Takacat, and the Miami dealer is also an Epropulsion dealer. As far as the boat is concerned, I bought the Takacat because it was the only one of the 3 I could demo, and it stores in multiple bags, which makes it marginally easier to store when I remove the davits. Like you, I might eventually upgrade to an OC, but it would have to live on the davit. As far as the engine is concerned, I went back to Torqeedo because of the length of time Torqeedo has been around. Having read the Panbo reviews, I think they both have their pluses and minuses but Torqeedo has been in business for a long time. Having said that, I think my next one could easily be an Epropulsion, and I look forward to hearing your longer term review.
Best,
Maldwin
Yes it's all about how they perform long term. Torqeedo have been around a long time, but they were behind on the tech, only just going onto direct drive brushless motors like the ePropulsion. I guess if they have lots of dealers and spares available thats important, but I checked and in Europe at least there's a really strong dealer network for ePropulsion, not sure what it's like in the States. I'm still waiting to see an OC tender in real life, they do look cool on paper.
I am guessing you have had this a year now. How is the regenerative charging? Have you dragged the boat or sailed with it to see how the regenerative charging works? Peace, Mo
Yes we did show it in one of the episodes, it charges well. However having lost a dinghy before while towing we tend not to tow very often and when we do we take the engine off. We find it easy best to charge via 12v from the boat. I have a system set up with a voltage sensitive relay, I show it in the episode that will be going out this week actually.
Please can you tell us more about your ‘sexy’ bifacial solar panels, they look really interesting.
I will as soon as I've got it connected and have had a chance to see how it performs.
@@svfairisle what make did you go for? We are looking at them at the moment.
@@sailingdragonfly756 It an LG which have a good reputation (Pannello Solar LG405W Bifacial N2T-J5 72)