Electric Outboard Motors vs Traditional Inboard and Outboard Motors

When people hear about electric motors, they immediately think of cars. However, there are other vehicles that face technical innovations, and boats are among them.

Traditionally, boats came with either inboard or outboard motors. Now, electric parts have been gaining increasing popularity — in fact, the market for them is predicted to rise to over $20 billion worldwide by 2027 for non-military boats and ships. Why is that, and are these new advanced models really better than the ones tested by time itself?

Let’s discover the answer together.

Overview of Electric and Inboard & Outboard Motors

Each type of boat motors comes with its own peculiarities. To compare them properly, it’s important to understand what each of them is about.

Outboard Motors

Traditional outboard motors are external combustion engines that require gasoline or diesel to function. They are reliable and powerful, and most importantly, they can be transformed and redesigned with relative ease. People who want to extend the parts of a boat can get customized kits with Bay MFG outboard motors and even paint them in any color. However, such boats and motors are not the most ecological solution. Also, the noise they make can be distracting, which is why plenty of boaters prefer inboard models.

Here are the key pros and cons of having outboard motor parts.

Pros

• Extended traveling range. The best outboard motor can allow you to travel far without having to worry about constant refueling.
• Solid reliability. Such boats have shown excellent results throughout the decades of journeys in diverse marine environments.
• Easy to adjust. Since the motor is external, it’s easy to repair, extend, or customize it.
• Significant power output. You can carry a lot of heavy loads on boat with an outboard motor.

Cons

• Serious negative environmental impact. Constant emissions make such boats harmful to the environment.
• High maintenance costs. Outboard motors can be damaged more easily, so they require more frequent maintenance, which triggers higher costs.
• Loud noises. Outboard parts produce more noise than people are normally comfortable with.

As you see, the pros are significant, but the cons are also substantial. While many boat lovers and businesses choose such boats because of their practical value, the long-term costs might exceed the benefits. The more distance the boats with outboard motors cross and the heavier loads they carry, the more complex maintenance they might require.

Inboard Motors

The inboard motor is hidden inside the hull of a boat, hence the name. Such models also require diesel or gasoline to run smoothly, but due to their inboard parts, they offer better weight distribution.

These boats’ center of gravity is low, making the journey on them more stable. The owners of larger boats who travel across bigger distances tend to prefer inboard motors for this reason.

Time to see their pros and cons.

Pros

• Optimal weight distribution. The smart positioning of all parts makes such boats more stable, which is especially crucial for larger models.
• Better safety. With the propellers being hidden inside, the risks of damage or accidents drop significantly.
• Significant extent of power. Traditional inboard motors offer great endurance, so you can travel across considerable distances safely.

Cons

• Too many emissions. All traditional motors that operate on fuel give off dangerous emissions, harming the environment.
• Lesser agility. Such boats don’t have impressive agility, so it can be challenging to maneuver them.
• Complex and costly maintenance. It’s more difficult to access inboard motors, which makes their maintenance a serious issue.

As you’ve probably noticed, inboard motors share plenty of characteristics with traditional outboard parts. They are powerful and durable, but they require more complex maintenance and are harmful to our environment. Also, both produce distinctive noises that can get old very quickly.

Electric Motors

As you might have already understood from the name, the electric engine for boat relies on the use of electric power. Since there is no need for traditional fuel, such boats are considered more eco-friendly, which is one of their biggest draws.

As research demonstrates, people who choose boats with electric motors do it because of their low noise level and reduced environmental imprint. These days, many businesses set up cafes, hotels, and restaurants near the water, so to make certain the tourists face no unpleasant distractions, some ports admit only boats with electric motors.

Because of this, the popularity of such models will only keep growing in the future. A Swedish manufacturer has already allocated $20 million to bring electric boats to mass production and achieve an environmentally-friendly model of commuting. That’s just one example — people all over the world are considering the transition because they’re drawn to the electric boats’ quietness and eco-friendliness.

Here are the features that characterize electric motors.

Pros

• Eco-friendly models. Electric motor boats give off no emissions, which makes them environmentally friendly.
• Simple maintenance. Due to its unique structure with no moving motors, it’s easy to take care of a typical electric motorboat.
• Low operating costs. Buying fuel is more expensive than paying for electricity, so it’s cheaper to maintain electric outboard boat motors.
• Immediate power supply. It takes less than a second to get the electric motorboat going.

Cons

• High initial price. Buying electric boats and motors is no cheap feat, and while their cost will pay off in the future, not everyone will be able to afford them right away.
• Problems with charging. Since electric models are a novelty in many remote areas, you might struggle with finding a port with the charging equipment.
• Limited traveling possibility. These boats depend on batteries, so you can’t travel all that far with their help.

Electric motorboats are more expensive than traditional outboard & inboard options, but with time, their value pays off.

Comparing Electric vs Outboard Motor vs Inboard Motor

Traditional inboard vs outboard motors: how do you differentiate between them? It’s enough to take a look at both. The motor is installed internally in inboard models and externally in outboard ones. Due to this fact, it’s easier to take care of the latter — you won’t face any access issues.

At the same time, when the motor sticks out, the risk of accidents shoots up. Also, traditional inboard motors are not as agile as outboard motors, but they offer greater stability, which makes them ideal for larger boats.

Now, how does the best electric outboard motor compare to the tried and tested traditional outboard model? Without a doubt, the former is more ecologically friendly. Such models are quiet and require minimal maintenance, but they can’t conquer significant distances. Traditional outboard motors, on the other hand, have a longer range, even though they are noisy and require constant care.

The same can be said when comparing electric and traditional inboard motors. The former make no frustrating noises and leave no dangerous emissions, while the latter offer a bigger capacity for travel.

Which Boat Motor to Choose?

When choosing your motor, you need to consider your needs carefully. What size is your boat? How often do you use it and where do you go? What are your budget constraints?

The inboard vs outboard models differ due to their motor location, agility, and stability. Other than this, both are noisy, have costly maintenance, and leave a negative environmental imprint. Electric motors, in turn, guarantee a quiet, eco-friendly journey across the seas, albeit at smaller distances than many people would prefer.

In the future, we can expect more advancements in the electric motors. They will keep evolving, becoming more durable, traveling across greater distances, and with more ports being ready to serve them. Take this into account when making your choice.