Electricity and water mix about as well as Capulets and Montagues.
And yet, a Seattle-based aquatic engineering firm is working to bring Tesla-style electric motors to the sterns of the two million outboard-equipped boats registered in the U.S.
Designed to be silent, require no fluids and stay maintenance-free for 10 years, Pure Watercraft’s eco-friendly Pure Outboard motor runs on 350 Volts and can propel a lightweight, 27-foot boat nearly 21 MPH. Available in 9.9 HP, 15 HP, 20 HP and 25 HP versions, the 80-pound motor peaks at 1,500 RPM when it’s operating at full bore.
Pure Watercraft founder Andy Rebele says the motor’s battery pack can be underwater for about a half hour without any issues. The rowing teams at Harvard and Stanford have already signed up to buy the engines for their launch boats.
Pure Outboard 1:05
“Even if there are not that many people out on boats, they have an aggregate impact on the air and our water that’s far disproportionate to their numbers,” Rebele says. “Making a high-performance electric vehicle that works on the water is hard, but that’s why it’s worth doing.”
When the tech hits the market, a Pure Outboard system — including a motor, battery pack and charging station — will retail for about $12k.
Interested, captain? Preorders are now being accepted.
Screengrabs via Pure Watercraft
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