Electric outboard questions, answered straight

An electric powerhead instead of a petrol or diesel combustion engine — a brushless DC motor with no touching parts to wear out, controlled by an onboard computer. There’s no exhaust and no air intake needed, and full propulsive power is available from the first turn, since electric motors don’t need to build revs to reach their usable range the way a combustion engine does.

Push-button start with no pull cords, choke settings or temperamental carburettors. Very low noise, no petrol smell or exhaust fumes, and full torque from the first turn of the throttle. Fewer moving parts means less to service and less to go wrong — and no fuel purchases to budget for.

It depends on your hull, its weight and how you use it. As a starting guide: tenders and small tinnies under 12 feet suit the 8HP or 15HP equivalent, mid-size runabouts 12 to 14 feet suit the 20HP or 30HP equivalent, and larger runabouts or displacement craft suit the 40HP or 60HP equivalent — houseboats and other heavy displacement hulls usually the 40HP, planing runabouts the 60HP. See the quick picker above, or check your boat’s compliance plate for the maximum kW or HP it’s rated for.

Yes on thrust — each EClass model is programmed to deliver the thrust of its petrol HP equivalent, and because electric motors produce maximum torque from zero RPM, acceleration and low-speed control are often better than the petrol outboard it replaces. Standard models do give up a little top-end speed, since we keep the motor in the same RPM range as the petrol outboard it replaces rather than spinning it harder — see the range and speed question below for the custom race-spec option. Total range depends on the battery fitted.

Anywhere you’d use a conventional outboard — fresh and saltwater alike. Our portable range particularly suits smaller craft and yacht auxiliary use. Electric is especially well suited to freshwater lakes, dams and rivers, since there are no emissions, and some registration-restricted waterways permit only electric motors. Check your local rules.

There’s a good range of small trolling electric motors available, and a growing number of imported electric outboards at higher power. What sets EClass apart is that it’s Australia’s only commercial manufacturer, with outboards from 5kW (8HP equivalent) through to 20kW (60HP equivalent), plus custom electric inboards and RePower Kits that most importers don’t offer at all.

Yes. We can tune for speed or range within the parameters of the motor and casing, and for larger or purpose-built vessels we build custom electric inboard conversions from 3kW up to 20kW — 60HP equivalent. Tell us the vessel and how it’s used and we’ll confirm the right configuration.

Most models are available in 48V or 96V DC depending on the configuration — 96V is the more common flagship spec. Separately, our smallest model also comes in a lower-power 3kW variant (the 3T8B) for waterways with a registration threshold. 96V DC is considered extra-low voltage in Australia, and it’s the balance we’ve found works best for performance and safety in a marine environment.

It depends on the battery and charger fitted. We normally run our NMC packs from 100% down to about 40%, keeping the last 40% in reserve so full power stays available, so a typical recharge puts back around 60%. On the 8HP to 30HP models, the standard IP65 1.2kW charger does that for the 5.8 kWh pack in about 3¼ hours, and the 60HP’s 28.86 kWh pack takes around 6½ hours on its 3kW charger. The 40HP’s houseboat pack is 30.72 kWh LiFePO4, which is rated to cycle down to 20%: a two-hour cruise goes back in about 7 hours on the 1.2kW charger, and a full 100%-to-20% cycle takes about 23 hours — which is why houseboat owners pair it with solar, or fit a higher-output charger if their berth has a 15A or 20A supply. The 1.2kW charger runs from any standard 10A household outlet; the 3kW charger needs a 20A supply, so check your shed or berth before you order. Both work with a compatible solar setup.

Our marine battery cells carry a 10-year expectancy. At end of life, cells are chosen with a recovery path rather than landfill — reducing waste is part of why we build RePower Kits around reusable casings in the first place.

Yes, provided you’ve got enough roof panel area and a properly sized inverter for the charger fitted. It’s especially effective on larger battery packs or vessels that spend a lot of time moored — houseboat-tier setups in particular are usually paired with solar rather than relying on shore power alone.

Our outboards are programmed and tested against a specific high-discharge Lithium-Ion battery specification to deliver the power and range we advertise, so we only sell an outboard with our battery or one we’ve approved. Cases are purpose-built for marine use, with rounded edges, carry handles and an LCD display for trip planning.

A new outboard is a complete unit built from the ground up. A RePower Kit converts the petrol outboard you already own to electric, reusing your existing casing, leg and mount — same battery, same charger, same performance, typically around 33% cheaper than a full new unit and up to 39% on some models. See the RePower Kit page for full pricing and how it works.

Yes — the EClass Turbo Jet Drive is built for inshore, rescue, dive and club use where a propeller guard would normally cost you performance. Electric suits a jet pump particularly well: instant torque and precise impeller control make it quicker and more responsive than an equivalent petrol jet drive, though a jet unit is always somewhat less efficient than a bare prop.

Yes — we build bespoke electric inboard conversions from 3kW up to 20kW, the same 60HP-equivalent top end as our largest outboard, for displacement hulls, cruise boats and purpose-built craft. Each system is scoped to your hull and duty cycle rather than sold off a shelf.

Contact us and we’ll set you up as an Authorised RePower Kit Fitter — no franchise fee and no upfront stock purchase required. From there you can add outboard sales and inboard referrals, and because EClass uses commonly available casings and accessories, you stay the service point for what you sell. See the Distributors & Marine Technicians page for the full program.