POD DRIVE
Space saving, efficient inboard electric engines for sailboats & motorboats
ePropulsion POD Drives - electric inboard motors
The ePropulsion POD drives are pushing electric inboard motors to new levels for boating. These lightweight, maintenance free electric motors are incredibly versatile and ideal for sailing yachts, motor and powerboats. They are super quiet, with no thumping vibrations, save considerable space in your cabin and highly reliable.
Requiring no fuel tank, exhaust or cooling system, the batteries are considerably smaller than a standard diesel engine. And you’ll find you can remove your internal 12 volt batteries too as the POD Drive can power your domestic power too.
- Space saving
- Quiet – no vibration
- Hydrogeneration – recharge whilst you sail
- Maintenance free – no servicing required
- Environmentally friendly – no fuel on board
ePropulsion POD Drive 1.0 Evo
1kw – 3HP equivalent
For yachts and motor boats up to 1 ton
ePropulsion POD Drive 3.0 Evo
3kw – 6HP equivalent
For yachts and motor boats up to 3 tonnes
ePropulsion POD Drive 6.0 Evo
6kw – 9.9HP equivalent
For yachts and motorboats up to 6 tonnes
Why choose ePropulsion POD Drives for your electric inboard motor?
Clean & quiet
Emissions free and virtually silent – you’ll barely be aware when the engine is running, and there’s no vibration.
Simple installation
Installing the POD Drive Evo motors is simple, quick and requires minimal labour. That is because there’s no open loop water cooling system or exhaust system, or exact alignment of inboard drive shafts.
Reliable & maintenance free
At the core of the ePropulsion engine is our advanced brushless direct drive technology. And it’s proven to be highly reliable as the engine does not require a gear box to achieve the necessary torque.
So this means there’s fewer moving parts and a simple mechanical structure. As a result this is how we make them reliable and maintenance free.
Low weight
It’s easy to position the motor and batteries on board because they are lighter weight than a diesel engine.
Compact size & space saving
Switching to a POD drives and eSeries means a much smaller overall drive unit than a traditional engine. This helps to :
- save weight & reduce the amount of power needed
- releases considerable space for stowage & onboard living
Retro fit to your boat
POD Drives are being retro fitted by owners into traditional sailing yachts, such as the Sadler 29 and Super Seal.
As well as clean energy, these boats can remove their fuel tank, engine, exhaust system and 12 volt batteries, freeing up considerable space. And it means there’s no fuel smells or spills.
Emergency magnetic kill switch
Clip the lanyard to your wrist or life vest, so as to stop the motor instantly if it’s removed.
Battery power
The primary battery choice is the ePropulsion 48v- e series lithium batteries, available in 3 different sizes. Importantly, these batteries communicates directly with the POD drive to precisely sync operation status precisely and provide best operation strategy. However, a 3rd party battery cannot do this.
Battery Runtime
2 kw / E40 2 hours full throttle / 8 hrs half speed
4 kw / E80 1 hrs 20 mins – full throttle, 5 hrs 20 mins half speed
9 kw / E175 1.5 hrs full throttle / 6 hrs half speed
Battery recharging options
On board – solar panels, wind generators and hydrogenation. Additional batteries can be installed for longer range boating.
Hydro-regeneration – sailing boats
You can generate electricity whilst sailing to recharge the battery which will further extend the range. In effect, this makes your sailing even more sustainable.
Hydrogeneration is activated and managed automatically according to the sailing speed and state of charge. When your sailing speed is over 10 knots the battery will enter it’s protection mode, so that the the recharging power remains stable and at a safe level for the batteries.
Battery Life
E series batteries have incredible battery life of up to 3000 cycles at 80% depth of discharge (DoD).
Battery recycling
All ePropulsion batteries are recyclable.
All ePropulsion electric POD Drives have:
- Direct Drive
- Electric starter
- Water cooling
- Hydro Generation recharging
- Field oriented control
Safety features:
- Kill stop switch
- Safety wrist band
- IP67 Waterproof rating
- Propeller collision emergency stop
- Over temperature protection
Thinking of converting your yacht to electric?
See the case studies
Switching to an electric Pod Drive
Read the Yachting Monthly review
POD Drive technical specs
| POD Drive 1.0 Evo | POD Drive 3.0 Evo | POD Drive 7.0 Evo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Electric POD Drive motor | ||
| Input power | 1 kWh | 3 kWh | 6 kWh |
| Equivalent power | 3 hp | 6 hp | 9.9 hp |
| Rated voltage | 48 V | ||
| Input voltage range | 39 V - 60 V | ||
| Weight - driver unit included | 6.2 kg | 15.3 kg | 31 kg |
| Control System | Evo Remote Control Evo Side Mount Control Evo Dual Remote Control |
||
| Display backlight | Yes | ||
| Warranty | 2 Years | ||
| DRIVE | |||
| Input voltage | 39V - 60 V | ||
| Rated RPM | 1200 rpm | 2300 rpm | 15 rpm |
| Static thrust | 316 N / 71 lbs | 590 N / 132.6 lbs | 1000N / 224.8 lbs |
| Max overall efficiency | 55% | 51% | 57% |
| Cooling system | Water cooling | ||
| Direct drive | Yes | ||
| Hydro Generation | Yes | ||
| Motor control | Field oriented | ||
| Propeller | SPIRIT 1.0 Propeller (Standard): 11″ × 5.8″ 2-blade composite propeller | NAVY 3.0 Propeller (Standard): 10.2″ × 6.7″ 2-blade composite propeller | Pod 6.0 Evo Propeller (Standard): 12.6″ × 8.7″ 3-blade aluminum propeller Pod 6.0 Evo Folding Propeller (Optional): 12″ × 21.3″ 2-blade NAB folding propeller |
| SAFETY | |||
| Safety wristband | Yes | ||
| IP Rating | IP67 Underwater part IP68 |
||
| Propeller collision emergency stop | Yes | ||
| Over temperature protection | Yes | ||
POD Drive controls
There are three ePropulsion POD drive control systems with wireless or wired remote options with integrated GPS to let you know your speed. A real time digital display provides remaining battery capacity, real time speed, input power and range.
The side mount control is ideal for sailing sports boats and motor boats seeking a sleek, low profile control system. It’s 3.2″ display can be easily mounted in any cockpit.
Top Mount control
Side Mount control
Dual Mount Control
E Series batteries
Comparison of electric POD drive to traditional inboard engine
In comparison, the graph shows the output torque of the ePropulsion POD 3.0 compared to a popular 10hp diesel inboard.
The results show similar levels of torque and range performance.
Another key bonus of the electric motor compared to the diesel is that you have all of torque at 0 rpm and low speeds. This makes it very easy to control the boat in close quarter movements.
Real world testing
Testing was done in a 26ft Yacht with a displacement of approximately 2 tons.
Set up with an epropulsion 3kW motor and one E-175 series battery with a capacity of 9kWh.
Incredibly versatile
The impressive performance of the POD Drive Evo motors makes them incredibly versatile.
