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Outboards – petrol or electric?

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Outboards – petrol or electric?

For small craft like inflatable tenders, F-RIBs and days boats the choice of outboard has never been better. Back in the day it was oars or a trusty Seagull, but now boat owners can select from any number of small petrol or electric outboard motors.

Many boat owners are rightly concerned about climate change and reducing their impact on the environment. Electric outboard promise silence and no emissions, but how do they compare to equivalent petrol engines?

What to look for in an outboard motor

  • The key questions you should consider when considering an outboard are:
  • How will you use the outboard? Will it be used every day to power you a mile out to your mooring and back, or for occasional jaunts ashore on a summer cruise?
  • What boat will it be used on – for example, a lightweight inflatable tender or a 2-ton day sailor? Do you want to use the engine on more than one boat?
  • What space do you have to store the engine and fuel both onboard and at home?
  • How important is weight – will you be lifting or carrying the engine any distance?
  • Maintenance is also a consideration. Petrol outboards need servicing, whether DIY or by an engineer, whereas electric motors are almost maintenance free.
  • Once you have decided how you’ll use the boat and what is important to you, it’s time to think about fuel. Petrol or electric?
  • So how to choose between petrol and electric?

There are lots of good reasons to consider an electric outboard, and for many boat owners they are the ideal choice to power a tender for trips ashore or out to the moorings. No emissions and almost silent operation are impressive, and electric will certainly be the future. However, petrol still has an important role for small outboards, not least for cost, power and range anxiety.

Petrol Outboards

Modern four-stroke petrol outboards are miles more efficient and cleaner than the old two-stroke engines. They’re also significantly cheaper than electric outboards, and with regular maintenance will last many years.

Pro's

  • Petrol outboards are typically cheaper that electric equivalents 
  • Range – no waiting around for batteries to recharge. 
  • Maintenance - Work on your own engine
  • High speed performance

Con's

  • Noise and emissions
  • Regular servicing required
  • Petrol needs careful storage
  • Manual start

 Electric Outboards

Electric outboards have improved dramatically in recent years, with a wide range of designs plus improvements in performance, range and reliability. Developments in larger inboard and outboard electric motors have also filtered down to the small boat market.

Alongside the silent operation and lack of emissions, a big plus is the portability of electric outboards. The Temo 450 weighs in at only 5kg, and the heftier Torqeedo models break down into separate parts for ease of transport. Try doing that with a petrol outboard!

While range anxiety is something to consider, if you’re using the motor for a short trip ashore or up the river, then battery life isn’t really an issue. Batteries can be recharged at home or onboard, and if an overnight charge is too much, the a spare battery is always an option.

Pro's

  • Silent (or almost) operation
  • No emissions
  • Disassemble for transport and storage
  • Low speed control
  • Push button start

Con's

  • More expensive to purchase
  • Battery recharge time
  • Lithium battery

 Trolling Motors

A trolling motor like the Minn Kota is a small electric motor, often used by anglers to manoeuvre quietly without disturbing the fish.

Trolling motors are a secondary engine rather than a primary propulsion source. They have lower power output and smaller range than petrol or electric outboards.

Conclusions – Electric or Petrol?

Tests conducted by respected boating magazines like Motor Boat & Yachting (link) found that a dinghy with two aboard achieves almost the same speed under electric outboard as petrol. At low speeds the electric motors are easier to maneuver, making arriving alongside less stressful.

The choice largely comes down to budget – if you have the readies, then an electric outboard will deliver the performance that most boaters need for a tender or inflatable dinghy. For short trips ashore, then the innovative Temo 450 wins on weight (less than 5kg) and portability, and will deliver 80 minutes of drive time.