Big power in small packages EVOA and ARUSK pancake motors
Among the hundreds of displays in the dozens of stands of electric boat exhibitors, there were two that struck me because they were so small and seemingly insignificant, but both vividly showed the incredible opportunity and potential for electric propulsion.
One was in the stand of EVOA, the US motor company that is providing high power electric propulsion for iconic brands like ChrisCraft, Mastercraft and Williams Jet Tenders. The other was from a Slovenian company, ASRUK. I spotted it sitting on a table in a shared stand dominated by the other exhibitor, a company that distributes marine gearboxes and engine mounts.
The EVOA display was the interior of the motor, the ASRUK was a complete motor, that generates 170kW from a unit 270 mm in diameter and 73 mm wide (10″ x 3″). They are both
‘pancake’ motors (I think you can see why from the photograph) which is the user-friendly name for an axial flux motor.
Electric Outboards Seabird Technologies 400X
EPTechnologies FALCON Outboard
If I did have to choose the most overall impressive electric boats item at METS, I would have to go with the new ultra high power outboard from Seabird Technologies.
Seabird is the company that designed the Racebird for the E1 Series of international electric boat racing, and now they have taken what they learned and applied it to the Seabird 400X, with the 400 standing for 400 kilowatts of power – that’s 530 horsepower.
That’s the peak power, the continuous power is 300 kW / 400 hp. That is pretty remarkable in and of itself, but what’s even more impressive is that a 400 hp fossil fuel outboard weighs 315 kilograms / 695 lbs, while the 400X is less than 200 kg / 440 lbs.
The other striking thing about the 400X is how small it is, especially the visible section. Those 400 kiloWatts come from a pod motor under the water, so the section attached to the boat’s transom is a sleek, elegant brushed metal column only about .4 metres / 16 inches wide and maybe twice that deep.
Another high-power outboard introduced at METS was the FALCON, by EPTechnologies of Denmark. EPT is celebrating their 10th anniversary in business and has spent that time doing custom installations as well as offering a range of plug-and-play electric inboard options, including a drop-in Z/stern drive and drop-in jet drive. They were also one of the first marine companies to offer a solid-state battery.
The FALCON is the first outboard in their lineup, designed and built from the bottom up to maximize the advantages of electric motors and propulsion. The axial flux motor packs 130 kw of continuous power (175 hp) into a small space, and, as with the 400X, is about 100 kg (220 lb) lighter than similarly powered fossil fuel burning motors.
That small motor block is stationary, with steering accomplished by the ability of the lower leg/lower unit of the motor to revolve 180º. That not only provides outstanding handling in tight space, but also helps protect the motor components.
THE REPORT | MAR 2025 | ISSUE 111 | 85
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