Honda Showcases Electric Outboard Motor for Boats Powered by Motorbike Batteries

Honda may be gradually shifting to sustainable options for its popular outboard motor used in boats. The company has highlighted this shift with the showcase of an electric outboard motor using electric bike batteries. The new Honda electric outboard motor was showcased during the Dusseldorf Motor Show.

The prototype shown in the motor show is a remarkable leap for Honda. The company has straddled the combustible outboard industry with an array of powerful outboard engines. The prototype is a transom-mount electric outboard but the key specs were omitted. The size of the outboard motor indicates that it is meant for small and lightweight electric boats. It is speculated that the electric outboard motor may not exceed 1.5 horsepower. However, the compactness of the Honda prototype may belie its power. These electric motors provide equivalent performance to their combustion counterparts with up to twice the power rating.

The new Honda prototype electric outboard motor was designed to work with Honda’s Mobile Power Pack e batteries. The portable battery pack is being tinkered into a fully swappable system. Gogoro is the leading company in swappable battery technology. The Mobile Power Pack e technology is already being seen in Honda’s electric scooters. There are also a few Honda concept offerings like micro-EVs that feature the Power Pack e battery technology.

The electric boar market is undergoing a quiet revolution with several brands entering the market. The most recent entrant is the Avator 7.5e which is the forerunner of more powerful models to come from Avator. There are no indications yet when the new Honda electric outboard motor will go into production.

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