Novelties of MetsTrade 2022

Aquamot has after several years of development and testing finally lithium batteries in the range. Along the way, there has been extensive testing and trial and error. The high demand for batteries and the difficult raw material situation has led to the fact that the development has taken a long time.

The time of waiting is over! Aquamot has promised and delivered rechargeable batteries. And what for which - extremely light and priced exceedingly attractive. These are 24 V batteries that can be used for the 48 V motors in addition to the 24 V motors. The battery is kept relatively simple: no Bluetooth BMS or display - but otherwise you would not be able to achieve such a good price. From our point of view, there are now hardly any reasons to rely on AGM batteries for the Aquamot motors.

The biggest announcement of the year: Inboards from ePropulsion in 10 kW, 20 kW and 40 kW sizes. Each on 96V and new communication base. So you need the new displays and throttles in addition to the new 96V batteries. 

The big advantage that ePropulsion offers is the much lower price in some cases. The good prices are not due to lack of quality, but are simply favored by manufacturing in China. Material and working time are much cheaper. Also technologically the products are on the highest level and the communication works very well.

The prices of the inboards have not yet been finally announced and also the delivery times are still in the stars. The current estimates show, however, that the prices can really be seen. The 10 kW inboard will be less exciting because of the big competition. For this, the built-in machines with 20 kW and 40 kW will be exceedingly exciting for larger boats and gliders.

The biggest disadvantage from our point of view: high voltage. High voltage is not yet a widespread topic in boating. There are few boat builders and electricians who have experience with high-voltage systems in boats. In comparison, every car runs on high voltage and for many workshops it is now normal to work with it. And we are not talking about 96V, but rather 400 - 800 V.

We first learned about Fin X at Mets Trade 2022. A motor technology without propeller - the propulsion is generated by a vibrating membrane. The advantage: there is no risk of injury to the propeller and also no risk of breakage. So you can use the motors on a dinghy in the presence of children without worrying. You can easily touch the membrane while driving.

The disadvantage of FinX motors: the vibration is somewhat louder than an electric outboard with comparable power. Also, the motor nacelle is significantly larger underwater than a comparable e-outboard. Water resistance and efficiency should be lower in purely physical terms. Exactly to the technology and the final sales price are not yet available to us - we are curious!

Rim Drive showed at the Mets a new, larger 15 kW outboard (48V). The design has been completely revised and looks very modern and brute. Especially noticeable is the green LED bar. Also technically really improved a lot, especially the bracket with the trim levels has been redone and now offers more functions. Also, the color of the anodized aluminum was darker and now fits better into the concept. 

WaterWorld introduced a new pod motor specifically for commercial marine applications. 3.5 kW power - very similar to ePropulsion's already popular 3 kW pod motor, but they say it has a much higher quality finish and is more powerful (especially for long distances). The pod integrates into WaterWorld's communication network and can be used with the same batteries and displays.

Speaking of display and communication, WaterWorld has been working on this for a long time and has now introduced its own map function. Also Apple iOS this can already be used on tablets, Android tablets should also get access in the future. In addition to the app, a module was also presented that integrates third-party batteries into WaterWorld's system and uses a shunt to determine the charge level. For those who do not want to rely on WaterWorld batteries or already have batteries, this is the perfect solution for a smooth integration. (By the way, the module can also be retrofitted!)

Fischer Panda is one of the best known brands for generators and drives in the yacht segment. Fischer Panda has presented to the boat a 5 kW inboard, which could be a real alternative for some boat owners. The built-in machine is air-cooled and runs normally on 48 V.

The special feature, from our point of view, is above all the narrow design. So the engine can be installed even with the limited space. Another advantage for the installation is the light weight. At only 22 kg, you can easily lift the motor into the boat and install it yourself. Comparable engines weigh partly more than 40 kg.

RAD Propulsion officially launched the 40 kW motor with an axial flux motor at the Mets Trade. The company from the UK specializes in electric motors for planing boats and RIBs. A top speed of 25 knots was measured with a RIB, average cruise more like 15 knots. That sounds promising, but it also comes at a price. So RAD Propulsion uses similar technology to Propel in the new 40 kW outboard. 

RAD Propulsion we first discovered at boot Düsseldorf in 2020. At that time, the engineering team had the idea to develop outboard rotors, similar to those from Rim Drive Technology. After much development, testing and market research, the team noticed a gap in the market for planing boats and lightweight ribs.