As has been mentioned - electric is still an expensive proposition, especially for larger boats.
The price of the Torqeedo is very intimidating for most boat budgets. And if you look at lithium batteries - you really get the "OMG factor"... :)
For a Torqeedo 2R and single lithium battery pack, I could easily spend over 3x the cost of the boat (granted - it's a very old boat, but still...)
Kinda' like buying solar panels for the house - it takes a VERY LONG time to recover the cost.
The main thing for me is the simplicity of having so many fewer things to break. Case in point - we took our Catalina 30 out for a sail yesterday evening, and the motor died. Not sure if it's the starter, the starter solenoid, or loose/bad wiring. And that's after having the carb rebuilt, alternator replaced, plugs, wiring updated, exhaust riser replaced, etc... There are just soooo many things that can go wrong with a gas engine system. Since I'm not at all an engine mechanic, I'd SOOO much rather have just the outboard, the batteries, and the chargers to worry about! (and with the outboard, there's at least 2 fewer holes in the bottom of the boat to worry about!!).
John
From: stmbtwle <stmbtwle@yahoo.com>
To: electricboats@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, June 3, 2013 8:33 AM
Subject: [Electric Boats] Re: Pushing a 16 ft fiberglass Whitehall
Aye, but there's the rub. Cost/benefit is ALWAYS a factor. My canoe cost me $300, the trailer $150, the motor AND batteries about $350. Even with seats, solar panel and other accessories it comes in at around $1000. As equipped it will do 5 mph and can cruise at full speed for several hours.
I simply couldn't justify the price of a Torqeedo on such a rig, no matter HOW good it is. On a bigger, heavier, more expensive boat the situation might be different.
Willie
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Per A Lorentzen <LorentzenP@...> wrote:
>
> Others know more than me and will hopefully correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that if cost/benefit is not a factor, the Torqeedo will demonstrate significantly greater overall efficiency due to more efficient motor/controls; faired shaft yielding less hydrodynamic drag; lower overall system weight, and novel, proprietary prop design more suited to your application (vs slow-speed propulsion of heavier fishing craft and weed-shedding as for trolling motors).
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> But purchase cost, new or used, will be substantially higher.
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> -Per
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I simply couldn't justify the price of a Torqeedo on such a rig, no matter HOW good it is. On a bigger, heavier, more expensive boat the situation might be different.
Willie
--- In electricboats@yahoogroups.com, Per A Lorentzen <LorentzenP@...> wrote:
>
> Others know more than me and will hopefully correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that if cost/benefit is not a factor, the Torqeedo will demonstrate significantly greater overall efficiency due to more efficient motor/controls; faired shaft yielding less hydrodynamic drag; lower overall system weight, and novel, proprietary prop design more suited to your application (vs slow-speed propulsion of heavier fishing craft and weed-shedding as for trolling motors).
>
> But purchase cost, new or used, will be substantially higher.
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> -Per
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