The proliferation of e-bikes started with easy-to-install conversion kits that allowed riders to take their existing bicycle and convert it into an electric bike. Now, electric boats are charting a similar path. TEMO’s easy-installation electric outboard motors make it painless for boaters to convert their vessels into electric boats.
The French company TEMO just landed a €6 million Series A financing round with the US impact fund At One Ventures, the Ecotechnologies 2 fund, and business angels, to accelerate the company’s growth.
TEMO currently offers two models of small-format electric outboard motors but hopes the funding round will help accelerate the development of its range to include larger motors. The company aims to “add three new power units to its catalog by 2027, so that the entire fleet of small sailing yachts and recreational craft can be powered electrically.”
As TEMO’s CEO Alexandre Seux explained further:
“The combination of At One Ventures and Bpifrance makes an excellent investment team for TEMO. They will help us grow our business internationally and continue to our vision for a carbon-free recreational boating sector. With the Series A funds, we will accelerate our product roadmap and distribution, including in North America.”
The company’s current models are targeted towards dinghies, smaller sailboats, and row boats. The models include a smaller 450W motor and a larger 1,100W motor.
The TEMO 450 uses a telescopic handle with a rear-mounted propellor and is easily mounted in a rowlock similar to oars on a row boat. The unit offers equivalent power to a 1.5 hp internal combustion outboard motor.
Its battery provides enough power for an hour of full-power use or several hours at reduced throttle. At full tilt, it offers around 125 lb of thrust (50 kg).
It can be recharged either from a 12VDC portable source, like a vehicle’s electrical outlet, or from a typical 110VAC wall outlet.
When paired with an inflatable dinghy, an entire electric boat could collapse down into something carryable in a backpack. The entire motor system weighs just 11 pounds (5 kg), though they have a carbon fiber version that weighs 10 pounds (4.5 kg).
For larger vessels, the company’s TEMO 1100 is rated at 1.1 kW yet offers similar performance to a 3 hp internal combustion outboard motor.
It weighs 33 pounds (15 kg) and includes a retractable control tiller.
Like the TEMO 450, it has a 1-hour runtime at full throttle or longer at reduced power and can recharge from either wall power or a 12V source.
TEMO manufactures its electric boat drive systems in France, and will use its new funding to expand operations and roll out a wider range of more powerful electric outboard motors.
The electric outboard market is quickly heating up as several companies have recently presented interesting new products.
It’s becoming easier than ever for boaters to create their own light electric vessels using retail electric outboards that can be powered either by their own internal batteries or off-the-shelf marine batteries.
Images provided by: @Wind4production