Torqueedo vs. EPropulsion

[Scott T-Bird]

Considering one or the other for dinghy.
Torqueedo 603 Torqueedo 1103 AC EPropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo
Origin Germany Germany China
HP Equiv. 2 hp 3 hp 3 hp
Battery 500 Wh (floating) 915 Wh (not floating?) 1276 Wh (floating)
Shaft Short Short Short (x-short available)
Weight 34 lbs. 34 lbs 43 lbs.
Price (approx) $2,250 $2,850 $2,500

I prefer to stay clear from China products for political reasons and by reputation. The specs and price above seem to make EPropulsion more attractive but I'm leaning toward Torqueedo 1103 AC. I don't understand why Torqueedo lists two 1103 models (Ultralight 1103AC & Travel 1103C). I can't find the difference except they are listed separately and the 1103C costs a little more. I have a store in my neighborhood that sells Torqueedo so that also makes a difference.

Anybody else make a comparison and decide one over the other for specific reasons?

(edit) too bad the chart format doesn't stay the way it's made ....

 

[dlochner]

Scott we picked up an 1103 Traveller last March. I have mixed feelings about it.

On the plus side, it is lighter than an gas outboard, easier to operate, quieter, and when charged from a renewable energy source (my solar panels) pretty green. Susan is able to use the dinghy now because she doesn't have to start the OB, which was an issue for her.

There are 2 major downsides, you can either go a long distance very slowly or a short distance pretty quickly. Once the dinghy starts going much over 2.5 knots power consumption goes up exponentially. Flat out I can go 4 knots in a 8' RIB for one hour, at 2 knots I can get about 10-12 hours of run time. The other downside is recharging time. It takes about 8-10 hours to recharge the batter from about 30% SOC to 100%. The display on the tiller shows, SOC, current draw(in watts), estimated time left, and speed. All good information to have.

If your dinghy riding is for short distances, where going slow is not an issue the Torqeedo is a good choice. Any distance more than about a mile gets tedious. With any electric motor it is necessary plan ahead for charging as it takes more time to recharge the battery than it does to refuel a gas OB.

You will probably want the bigger battery and take advantage of the current deal to get free carrying cases, they are top notch. Also, order a spare prop. Almost everyone who owns a Torqeedo breaks a prop. Better to have one on hand so yours will never break.

I did have an issue with the tiller and a cable connection. When I called Torqeedo, they did not hesitate, "where can we send one to you?" Unfortunately I was on an out island in the Bahamas, so I McGyvered a solution until we got home. Within a few days of getting home a new tiller was delivered.

Our plan is carry both a gas OB for longer trips and the Torqeedo for use in more confined areas.

 

[dlochner]

Here are the technical specs for current Torqeedo Models from the operating manual.

 

[Scott T-Bird]

That's good info and I pretty much can tell the obvious distinctions between electric and gas-powered. I'm more interested in a side-by-side vs EPropulsion if any body has made those comparisons. There may not be a lick of difference between the 2 manufacturers. Our dinghy use is light (probably because we limit it by rowing). I have no problem with the inconvenience of charging, I think.

 

[Mark Maulden]

Have a look at epcarry.com.

 

[NotCook]

I did have an issue with the tiller

My experience with the Torqeedo is similar. Keep in mind, the quoted weight is the motor only, excluding the battery. The battery doubles the weight.
my issue with the 1103 is the tiller. If you inadvertently pull it forward, the tiller tube pulls right out and does not simply push back in! It is the lamest engineering I have seen in a motor. If you had to make awuick speed change, you would be out of luck short of pulling the lanyard off the motor. My other complaint is the tiller attachment cable. I’m sure the tiny thumbscrew works great in a lab, but in a saltwater environment fingers get slippery, even when you try to wipe them off, and there just isn’t any good grip on that tiny cable nut. I’ve written to Torqeedo about both issues with no response.
Other than those irritants, I love the performance and convenience. With respect to charging, it is also convenient to be able to charge on the boat when not in use, and not have to worry about about finding a place to buy gas or keep gas on the boat.

 

[High Current]

I'm late to the party, but I strongly recommend a trolling motor instead. I've been very happy with Newport Vessels, which is saltwater rated. The 55lb pushes my 10' inflatable at about 3kt fully loaded for a small fraction of the cost of any of the solutions listed here. Spend the cash you save on a nice 50Ah or 100Ah LiFePO4 battery to give yourself 1-2 hours runtime at full throttle. The e-propulsion battery is 1276Wh, which is the same as 12V*100Ah. I'm still using lead acid myself but looking to upgrade because the drag under sail is terrible, and 60lb is too much to remove every time.

Consider this: the Spirit 1.0 Evo "3HP equivalent" is actually only 1000W = 1.3HP, the Torqueedo 603 "2 HP" is 600W = 0.8 HP, and the 1103 is 1100W = 1.5HP. My trolling motor is 52A * 12V = 600W, but they go up to 48A*24V = 1150W, and still only $400.

"HP equivalent" is marketing garbage anyway; HP is HP and it's measured at the prop shaft. The only thing that can increase your performance is the prop itself. The only way 1000W comes close to "3HP equivalent" is that you're basically hitting hull speed on your dinghy, so the extra 1.7 HP wouldn't really push you much faster anyway...