My next outboard!!!

That was an umbrella Corp under volvo penta I believe. They shut it down. My thinking was because of the engine supply from GM, however just a guess. Seeing as how GM is going all electric I presume the manufacturing of V8 engines will be erased in a few years. I remember Volvo saying they were working on an electric outboard. Don't know how anyone will ever pull that off. If anyone ever does, it will be surely expensive.

Edit: here it is

 
Arnt these already discontinued
I saw it pop up on a FB feed. First I’d seen one. I think Merc 600 will have this market cornered, food now. It looks like there are some promising designs for electric outboards. Hard to believe we’ve become price programmed for $2/litre!!!
 
That was an umbrella Corp under volvo penta I believe. They shut it down. My thinking was because of the engine supply from GM, however just a guess. Seeing as how GM is going all electric I presume the manufacturing of V8 engines will be erased in a few years.

GM and Ford both sell a good number of crate engines each year, and the market is growing steadily. The overheads for standalone engines are pretty low since the zillion other systems in a car or truck are gone, and there's no need for new styling and certification every year. I suspect crate engine demand will continue to grow even as EVs become bigger sellers than ICE vehicles. One GM or Ford assembly plant could cover all their needs for a long time.

I remember Volvo saying they were working on an electric outboard. Don't know how anyone will ever pull that off. If anyone ever does, it will be surely expensive.

Seems a certainty that the hull and electric power would have to be integrated, battery built into hull. Existing battery tech isn't sufficiently energy-dense to provide reasonable range in a size form that would fit in available spaces in typical boat. So that would take an electric concept completely out of the repower market and put it in the OEM world only. That has been the path to profitability in recent decades, hence the cross ownership of boat builders and outboards such as Brunswick Corp (Mercury, Mercruiser, Bayliner, Sea Ray, Crestliner, Boston Whaler, Lund, Thunder Jet), you'd think Brunswick would be the likely one to try electric by floating off another niche boat brand that would be dedicated to electric power.

But then would there be any point in going with an electric outboard? The old issues with inboard in smallish boats (access for maintenance, doghouse taking up deck space) would largely disappear, since the electric motor is much more compact than an ICE, and there's close to zero maintenance. Skippers of big Florida CCs will realise they don't need to repower every 500 hours because number of moving parts dropped to below 10% of a what gas outboard has. That's been another outboard advantage of late, but it become irrelevant with electric power.

Seems to me that the first fully electric boats will be boutique built integrated hull and power packages. My guess is the noise and fury around electric will remain in the automotive world for a while yet. The car and truck guys will have all the battery production tied up for a few years as they make the transition, niche builders in the recreational products areas like boats, sled, dirt bikes etc might have to hold back until the madness eases up a bit and allows them to bring out those initial models at sub-stratospheric prices.
 
As far I I recall GM is going to discontinue the big V8 engines in the next coming years. If they don't have a need in their vehicles I don't see how they would make engines for the marine industry. Seeing as how most of the gas inboards are already remanufactured 5.7l engines into 383. The Northstar engine will 100 percent be discontinued. We will see the electric Cadillac very soon
 
As far I I recall GM is going to discontinue the big V8 engines in the next coming years. If they don't have a need in their vehicles I don't see how they would make engines for the marine industry. Seeing as how most of the gas inboards are already remanufactured 5.7l engines into 383. The Northstar engine will 100 percent be discontinued. We will see the electric Cadillac very soon
I just know crate engines sell in decent numbers every year to hot rodders and racers, Ford and GM both have big programs. I don't see those rodder guys quitting their hobby/living just because Chevy goes all electric on the new vehicle front. If anything they'll buy more, as a hedge against the day it all stops. There will be good money to be made for a few years. And an available supply for marine I/O applications.
 
I just know crate engines sell in decent numbers every year to hot rodders and racers, Ford and GM both have big programs. I don't see those rodder guys quitting their hobby/living just because Chevy goes all electric on the new vehicle front. If anything they'll buy more, as a hedge against the day it all stops. There will be good money to be made for a few years. And an available supply for marine I/O applications.
What some guys here are talking about is true.. Placed an order on an LS427 570hp crate motor for a c1 restomod build the old man and I are currently doing, only to find out that GM is pulling the plug on all of their big HP crate engines, most notably the supercharged LT4 and the LS427. Apparently GM is committed to filling all backorders that were on file before they announced the discontinuation, keeping our fingers crossed.
 
I didn't want to start a discussion about gm or about electric dumbass outboards.. I was only referring to the seven marine product. They have to buy a complete engine assembly from GM. Meaning not just an engine block, a complete engine assembly. The writing has been on the wall for a couple years now in the consumer side of things. It would be different if they manufactured their own engine, however they don't. They rely on engines from GM. From what I've been told ( from being in the marine power industry) is exactly that. No beuno for seven marine
 
DBC03750-927B-4FAD-A777-CB4615C01158.jpeg
I wonder what size of battery bank you’d need for this idea. Probably fairly easy to retrofit? You’d need a strong drive for the torque.
 
We would need to go to the next generation of stored energy density for a drop-in battery pack with sufficient capacity to fit into existing hulls. Unless for very limited day use, like the trolling motors already available.
 
Back
Top