Everyone is talking about e-mobility - it may still be a long way off for larger yachts, but electric propulsion has long been on the rise for dinghies. Until a few years ago, petrol outboards with 2 to 4 hp were the means of choice. But the little two-stroke stinkers no longer exist. And as more modern four-stroke engines, they have made considerable gains. Even the weakest versions, such as the Honda BF2.3, weigh a whopping 14 kilograms. Thanks to air cooling and a lawnmower-like running noise, it can literally be heard for miles.
More sophisticated models with water cooling quickly reach 20 kilos and more. This makes it difficult to transfer to the dinghy. In contrast, electric motors can fully utilise their advantages in the dinghy. They are light and quiet and move the dinghy without any odour, mess or grease.
Torqeedo launched the pioneer back in 2006
The Bavarian manufacturer Torqeedo has done pioneering work. Its Travel 800, launched in 2006, was the first to combine a brushless electric motor with an efficient propeller and a lithium-ion battery. This clearly set the Travel apart from fishing motors with lead-heavy car batteries.
There is now a whole range of modern electric outboards, see test in YACHT 19/2020. At that time, we analysed drives with an input power of 1,000 watts and more. These outboards are already oversized for dinghies. Even if the motors are powerful, they are not tuned for speed, but for thrust. Gliding as with a petrol engine is therefore not possible even with a large drive.
If the hull speed sets the limit, one engine is enough to accelerate the boat that far. On the 2.40 metre long dinghy, this is a modest 3.5 knots. This requires around 300 watts of effective drive power in smooth water. Depending on the efficiency, this corresponds to an input power of around 450 watts. There are currently two interesting new developments in this class: the Temo from France and the Kicker from Norwegian manufacturer Thrustme.
All three electric motors have strengths and weaknesses
Both engines are explicitly designed for small watercraft and claim to be particularly light and comfortable. In the test, they had to hold their own against the Travel 603. This is the latest generation of Torqeedo's entry-level model.
For a direct comparison, we mounted the drives on a 2.40 metre long inflatable boat from Seatec. We also tested the outboards for the Dinghy test and tested on various models. In order to obtain comparative values for rougher water, the Kicker also had to be used as a beach shuttle for a weekend, driving a dinghy with two adults and two children through the anchorage bay of Lyø in around 15 knots of wind.
Electric outboards: design is crucial
This much in advance: we had fun with all three e-drives, with each design showing strengths and weaknesses. The design has a major influence on handling. While Kicker and Travel are classic outboards for transom mounting, Temo takes a different approach. The long-shaft design is mounted with a rudder dowel fitting or simply held at an angle in the water. This allows the motor to be used on almost any vessel. The propeller only needs to be just under water. This means that the drive can be used in very shallow water and is ideal for making fast. If the bottom gets too close, a protective ring prevents worse and the motor simply swivels upwards.
As practical as the design is on the beach, manoeuvring with the drive protruding around 1.2 metres to the rear takes some getting used to. To manoeuvre in tight spaces, the Temo electric motor has to be swivelled under the hose. Here's a tip: don't pull the handle out completely, as this keeps the motor more stern-heavy, it dives better and the distances required for swivelling are smaller. Problems can arise with inflatable boats where the floor protrudes aft over the transom. This design provides additional buoyancy to carry heavy four-strokes, but prevents the Temo from being fully swivelled.
Temo 450: Sophisticated design with good workmanship
Reversing also takes some getting used to. The inclined propeller of the engine, which is reminiscent of an oversized blender, shovels a lot of water against the boat, which means that the thrust is significantly lower than when travelling forwards.
The French e-motor scores highly in terms of design and workmanship. Everything looks very well thought out. The only point of criticism is the throttle trigger. It can be operated with the index finger or thumb, but the stepless control is sensitive and must be held permanently. This means that on longer journeys you automatically pull the throttle all the way to the stop and ride at full throttle.
This in turn consumes an unnecessary amount of power and is at the expense of range. At full load, the integrated battery is empty after around 35 minutes, which corresponds to a range of around two nautical miles. With the simple step control of the kicker or the rotary throttle tiller from Torqeedo, it is much more relaxed to only call up the power required for cruising and save energy accordingly.
Both challengers to the market leader have problems with the capacity display
Saving energy is particularly important for the kicker. Its propeller measures just ten centimetres. It is equipped with a very powerful 1,000 watt motor to ensure that the small propeller generates sufficient thrust. At the same time, the battery capacity is the smallest in the test.
This has consequences: If you make do with half the power and cruise at 2.5 knots, you can easily cover three nautical miles. At a maximum speed of 3.1 knots, you will run out of juice after just 1.5 nautical miles.
The capacity indicator is only of limited help when estimating the remaining range. It analyses the battery voltage and reacts clearly to the load. If you drive the electric motor at full power, the remaining charge shrinks rapidly. After a short break, the display suddenly shows up to 20 per cent more capacity. A very similar behaviour was observed with the Temo, but the French point out that the display does not show the correct charge level when driving.
Torqueedo Travel 603: Unbeatable range thanks to electric motor?
In terms of range, the classic Travel 603 beats the other two candidates by miles. Thanks to the efficient propeller and the 500 watt-hour battery, the electric motor lasts 45 minutes even at full power and can travel almost three miles. If you halve the power, the inflatable still runs at three knots and the range increases to 4.5 nautical miles.
Thanks to the integrated GPS receiver, the outboard motor knows how fast it is travelling and uses the current power consumption to calculate the actual range. This is much more accurate than the load-dependent capacity displays from Temo and Kicker. It also makes it easy to find the best cruising speed.
If you want to go on very long tours, you can also switch to the Travel 1103 battery, which has 1.8 times the capacity. The disadvantages of the large energy storage unit are the additional costs of 950 euros and the fact that, unlike the small battery, it does not float.
The various battery and charging options for electric outboards
The endurance of the kicker can also be improved, the motor can also be supplied with external power via the charging socket, enabling operation on 12 or 24-volt batteries. Importer TFB offers a suitable energy storage unit in a waterproof box under the name Outdoorbox. With these additional 673 watt hours, the kicker should run around four times as long. Our test dinghy would therefore be able to travel a full twelve nautical miles. The combination of electric motor and battery weighs 9.5 kilos and is therefore still lighter than the Travel. The box and 230-volt charger cost an extra 988 euros.
Speaking of charging, the batteries of all three outboards can only be topped up at a 230-volt socket as standard. So if you want to charge from the on-board power supply, you need a small inverter or the appropriate 12-volt charger. This costs between 85 and 119 euros. The Travel takes a special approach. It can be charged either via a solar panel or with an adapter cable directly from nine to 50 volts DC.
The Temo and Kicker energy storage systems are fully charged after 3.5 and four hours respectively. Torqeedo charges with approximately the same power. However, the larger battery takes around 5.5 hours.
The 12-volt versions of the chargers are slightly weaker, so the Temo takes half an hour longer, while the Kicker takes two hours longer to fully charge the battery according to the manufacturer's specifications. Only the Torqeedo always charges at the same speed, regardless of the voltage source.
Outboard motor test: Which model is the winner?
So who is the test winner? Basically, what you want for your dinghy is a handy kicker with the capacity of the Travel and its range indicator, all in a Temo design. So which electric motor is the best depends on your personal requirements. The Temo is ideal for boats without a motorised transom and for use on the beach.
The Kicker impresses with its uncomplicated handling, but often needs a break at the charger. The Travel's performance, endurance and features are just right, but it is a little unwieldy compared to the others. Nevertheless, it offers the best overall package - and is therefore our test winner.
