What a curious state of affairs it is. At one end of the spectrum the trend continues for ever more powerful outboard motors. Within a year we may be seeing 400 horsepower four-strokes. At the other end of the spectrum there’s a futuristic, low horsepower electric outboard motor. Torqeedo, a German company, is the first to use an electronically commutated, permanent magnet excited eternal rotor motor in an outboard.  Torqeedo Travel 801 generates the equivalent horsepower of a 2-horse gas outboard motor. In other words, what we have here is a state of the art electric outboard.

A real eyebrow raiser, propeller pitch and camber are variable, an innovative use of  technology that squeezes every last drop of thrust out of an amp’s worth of electricity. Torqeedo’s outboard  is a veritable ultra light, tipping the scales at 25 pounds. It also folds, making it truly portable. The  Lithium Manganese battery (LIMA cell) is also lightweight, weighing just six pounds, light enough so it can easily be removed for overnight charging. Torqeedo’s environmentally-friendly Travel 801 offers tantalizing possibilities for tenders and other small boats. By now you've already guessed the name Torqeedo is a play on words, juxtaposing torque and torpedo .© Copyright 2007  by Tim Banse

- To See More Marine Engine Stores -