New electric drives at MetsTrade 2024

Overwhelming - by now, the 3 days are no longer enough to meet all acquaintances and partners at MetsTrade and to see everything.

In this blog, you will read about the new features for 2024. Unfortunately, we also won't be able to address each company individually this year, so we will try to focus on the most important aspects.

If you have questions about individual companies or exhibitors, feel free to give us a call!

Currently, electric motors are most popular in the range of 1 kW for inflatable boats and small rowboats. Motors with 10 kW are almost never seen on the water. Until now, 10 kW motors have been expensive, heavy, or unwieldy and not designed for planing at all.

There is a lot happening in the market! Starting with the new motor from Zparq from Sweden, a new provider will enter the market in 2025. The 10 kW motor weighs only 17 kg and can be mounted extremely easily on the boat. The bracket is mounted separately, and the motor is simply hung on the boat.

Together with the 2x 20 kg batteries, the total system weight is under 60 kg. Previously, most 10 kW motors only accounted for the weight of the motor without batteries!

In the future, a higher power output and installation as a Z-drive or pod motor are also conceivable. The slim motor design at least looks promising!

We stay at 10 kW and maximum power for small boats. Up to 30 km/h at the top, the Momentum 10 kW outboard delivers. A new manufacturer from Singapore is coming to Europe and will directly bring a high number of outboards and battery systems to the market in 2025.

Momentum really delivers a well-thought-out system and an attractive offer. Prices and availability currently on request. Please send us a short message or call!

Notable are the 72V voltage. The plug & play complete system is supposed to be able to be connected without the help of an installation company - almost like a small electric scooter or the battery in an e-bike!

A powerful 18 kW output with a weight of only 38 kg - this is a top value in the league for drives that bring inflatable and motor boats to planing speed. The engine is comparable to a 25 HP outboard.

According to ZeroJet, speeds of up to 37 km/h are possible. The drive is perfect for fun boats and quick deployments. The suitable batteries each have 5 kWh and are also relatively handy.

More information will hopefully be available soon on the website.

My personal highlight at MetsTrade is the 130 kW outboard motor from EPTechnologies. In the short term, a peak power of up to 230 kW is possible! The Danish company is known for powerful drives between 40 and 400 kW as well as for Z-drives, hybrid motors, and sail drives in the commercial sector.

Particularly impressive was the rotation mechanism of the pod by 360 degrees, which allows for optimal maneuverability and easier parking. Since not the entire outboard motor rotates, the boat remains very stable while driving.

Last year, EPTechnologies also introduced its own solid-state batteries, which offer more discharge cycles but do not have the durability of lithium iron phosphate batteries, making them particularly interesting for commercial projects.

YANMAR is now launching a new range of electric saildrives with 7, 10, and 15 kW power and 48V, featuring integrated cooling systems for high continuous loads. These maintenance-free motors are suitable for boats up to 40 feet and can be easily installed on existing saildrive foundations, simplifying the installation process.

Additionally, they allow for the integration of third-party batteries, while the controls and display leave a positive impression. Although the price is not yet known, interested parties can contact us directly for more information.

For the first time, we were able to see the pods and outboard motors from our partner Hy.Generation at the METS. The craftsmanship and carbon design are quite impressive. Particularly striking is the lightweight of the engines.

You are certainly familiar with RimDrive in its special design; the motors are well-suited as thrust motors.

The motor is available in 11 and 15 kW for different boat sizes. The special feature of RimDrive is now one of the most advanced control systems on the market.

The motors can be rotated up to 320°, can be controlled optionally with a joystick, and you can park sideways, turn on the spot, or use a special course-holding function.

New and fresh from development comes the little brother of the 50 kW inboard motor with now 25 kW of power. In particular, smaller sports boats do not have enough space for the large batteries, and the budget for a smaller battery is also lower.

Even more interesting from my perspective is that recently, batteries from Victron Energy can also be integrated into the special communication system. This significantly reduces the price for customers, and in my view, this is exactly the right step - this makes retrofitting much more economical.