Vetus launches E-Line and E-Pod for electric boats
The Dutch engine and equipment manufacturer Vetus has announced the launch of 2 new ranges of electric motors, with shaft line on subbase under nozzle.
The Vetus E-Line inboard motors are installed on the shaft line. Available in powers from 5kW to 10kW, they operate at a voltage of 48V. A water-cooled inverter-controller, specially developed by Vetus for pleasure boating, allows the electrical management of the boat, feeding the 48V park from its conventional 24V battery park. The electric motors are of European manufacture indicates Vetus.
The E-Pod range currently has only one model, with a power of 7.5kW. This complete pod system, including engine, propeller and nozzle, is designed for boats up to 25 feet. "We started from the base of the RIM Drive bow thruster. These are applications that we had already been asked for. One of the applications we responded to was twin-engine propulsion for a dive boat in the Port-Cros reserve. This allows silent and safe navigation for divers with a protected propeller. These projects have brought the idea to maturity and we have developed the propeller and what goes around it to serve as the main engine, with adapted controls in particular," explains Alain Caillet, director of Vetus France.
Re-engineering boats from diesel to electric
Vetus is no stranger to powering ships with electric motors. This new range is intended to accompany a trend in the Netherlands that the equipment manufacturer hopes will develop more widely. "Vetus is the leader in marine diesel engines in the Netherlands. There is a pressing demand for electric motors for Dutch canals and protected waters. We pioneered the electric with the EP2200 inline hybrid solution 20 years ago. We responded to market pressure," says Alain Caillet. While he believes it will take longer in France for manufacturers to become interested in OEM solutions, he sees opportunities in reengineering. "There are rental boats on closed water bodies. Also small sailing boats up to 7/8 meters when passing over a lithium battery park. In France, as long as the regulations are not stricter, people will remain conservative and the bulk of the market will be remotorization" concludes the director of Vetus France.
