question re:power for inflatable

[outdoorspapa]

I bought an 11' Zodiac for fishing small lakes and maybe some crabbing.  Been looking in to the new electric outboards (e-propulsion, torqeedo, newport vessels, etc.).  Trying to justify the price but that aside, does anyone have experience with any of them? 

[follow maggie]

I’ve seen a few videos done with them. They work well, but the batteries take up a lot of space and are insanely expensive. Deep into the thousands just for batteries. Lithium is the only option for batteries because of the weight.

[CP]

I picked up a cheap Hangkai 7.0 awhile back.  It works well, for what it is.  The big names that you listed seem way overpriced to me.

And yeah, 100Ah of 48V LiFePO4 will set you back about $1K and they take up more space than a small gas tank will. 

[millerwheeler]

Can I ask why you would even go electric? These small 4 strokes are amazing. And if your not aware do some research on lithium ion battery fires and the fact they still can’t be recycled.

[dwils233]

Can I ask why you would even go electric? These small 4 strokes are amazing. And if your not aware do some research on lithium ion battery fires and the fact they still can’t be recycled.

Lithium battery fires are mostly the result of no-name manufacturers and/or neglectful maintenance/use (or in the case of a tesla, car accidents that rupture cells). Lithiums usually have much better discharge rates and capacity than traditional batteries. Valid point on recycling though. Make sure whatever battery you get has name brand cells in it like samsung, the QA isn't worth the risk sometimes.

All those ebike fires usually are from DIY builds with kits from online, not from established brands like Specialized, trek, etc. I think the same would apply for an outboard, but be warned almost all of them would make you an early adopter in a startup- I'd go with something like the new mercury e-outboard. They've got a brand to worry about and the capital to invest in a solid product.

I think depending on your use case and budget, they can absolutely be a sound investment. This sounds like such a use (limited storage footprint and range). Anything that you'd trailer and I'd step up to a 4 stroke now.

Price can hurt though

[follow maggie]

Lithium batteries are recyclable. There are places doing it right now.

[Night goat]

I run a 10 foot RIB with a 8hp outboard. The little zodiacs actually take on camp spray paint really well and I use it for duck hunting too. Pretty zippy little boat… I had a hole on my last one, a good glob of 5200 sealant fixed it no problem. I just can’t get on the electric bandwagon

[outdoorspapa]

Thanks for the replies.  I haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet.  My original thinking on e-outboard was the convenience... no gas tank, integrated battery, deflating to carry in the back of my SUV, etc.   Price aside, I think they would be great for small lake fishing (I live near Lake Sawyer in south king county) & non-combustible lakes. It's when I think about possibly crabbing in saltwater that the small e-outboards won't be enough. Guess I need to decide the best use & get something that works for that.