#ELECTRIC INBOARD BOAT MOTOR CONVERSION HOW TO#
#ELECTRIC INBOARD BOAT MOTOR CONVERSION MOVIE#

Since the invention of the marinised engine, there has never been the capacity to store enough fuel to cover significant distances in boats that are smaller than a tanker, with fuel capacity always being the limiting factor. Increasingly yachts are going electric too as electric engines become increasingly capable of propelling boats weighing several tonnes, and with the rigging for sails, at a reasonable speed for an acceptable length of time. Read about the history of Elco boats and the Chicago World’s Fairįleming was instrumental in reviving the Elco brand in the late 1980s when he saw that there was interest in the classic electric launches the company had built during the first part of the 20th century.A modern electric yacht can come in all shapes and sizes, from the latest high-tech speed boats with recently developed high-performance electric engines, to a traditional tender with an electric outboard on the back. It has continued to innovate, and in 2014 was nominated for 3 awards at the Electric Hybrid and Marine show for its EP-100 motor, a Saildrive Coupling that matches up with Yanmar lower units, and a Chief Engineer of the Year nod for Chief Technical Officer Joe Fleming. Kennedy’s exploits on one of the boats, the Elco script logo can clearly be seen in a few scenes.

#ELECTRIC INBOARD BOAT MOTOR CONVERSION MOVIE#

In the movie PT-109 about future President John F. navies and throughout WWII built more of the 80 foot PT (patrol torpedo) boats than any other manufacturer. Known formally as the ‘World’s Columbian Exposition, the Fair was one of the great landmarks in electricity itself when President Grover Cleveland opened it by pushing a button to light 250,000 electric bulbs.ĭuring the first World War it built boats for both the British and U.S. History of Elco electric inboardsĮlco was founded months before the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair as the Electric Launch & Navigation Company when it won the contract to carry visitors around the fairground lagoons.

In one of our past Plugboats articles we gave a brief overview of the history of Elco, which was the first builder of production electric boats.

#ELECTRIC INBOARD BOAT MOTOR CONVERSION HOW TO#

(If you’re new to electric boats and are wondering how to decipher this, may we suggest The Plugboats Primer e-book – everything you need to know about the basics of electric boats. The continuous output kW ratings of the motor are: EP-6: 3kW, EP-12: 6kW and EP-20: 10kW. Many of those engines are ready (or beyond ready!) for replacement, and the Elcos are a good electric option.Įlco motors are manufactured in the United States, and like some other US manufacturers, it rates its electric motors in horsepower rather than kiloWatts. One of the units Elco mentions specifically is the Universal Atomic, which was extremely popular, especially in North American sailboats, from the 1950s to 1980s. The electric inboard motors are designed for both new installations and refits, and the dimensions are compatible with the footprints of many diesel and gas motors used in sailboats. The new models weigh in at 68 lbs / 30.8 kg for the EP-6, 70 lbs / 31.8 kg for the EP-12 and 72 lbs / 32.7 kg for the EP-20. The improvements come from the company’s patented ‘airflow’ design that lets the inboards run cooler while also reducing the copper windings, which in turn leads to smaller and lighter containing units. Elco has new versions of its EP-6, EP-12 and EP-20 electric inboard motors that are half the weight and one-third smaller in length and height than previous models.

Electric inboard boat motor conversion