Elco vs Torqueedo

[Cloroxbottle]

I'm considering a repower of our catamaran with two electric outboards.

The two options seem to be the Elco EP-9.9 Electric Outboard Long Shaft and the Torqueedo Cruise 6.0 RL TorqLink Long Shaft.

Anyone have any thoughts on these two engines?

EDIT: A third engine, the epropulsion Navy 6 seems to be ideal with a maintenance free direct drive motor and hydroregeneration (which the other two don't offer) eliminating the need for a Watt and Sea hydrogenerator.

[Tedd]

Regeneration (ePropulsion calls it hydrogeneration) would be a high priority for me. It requires due diligence, though. Just because it has regen doesn't mean it works very well. But, assuming that it does, it would be a very good thing to have.

[Adelie]

Torqueedo has a podded motor which requires annual replacement of seals if I recall correctly and I believe it has to be done by authorized dealer, but not sure.

Elco has been around since 1900ish so they get a point for longevity from me.
Their outboards have top mounted motors with a shaft down to prop with a bevel gear. Slight efficiency loss with the gear but much lower risk of water induced failure and less required maintenance.

[Cloroxbottle]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Torqueedo has a podded motor which requires annual replacement of seals if I recall correctly and I believe it has to be done by authorized dealer, but not sure.

Elco has been around since 1900ish so they get a point for longevity from me.
Their outboards have top mounted motors with a shaft down to prop with a bevel gear. Slight efficiency loss with the gear but much lower risk of water induced failure and less required maintenance.

Thanks. That puts Elco ahead of Torqueedo for me.

[Cloroxbottle]

Just sharing some additional information. Epropulsion's hydroregeneration only works if you use their brand of batteries. There are also reports from people using their outboards of (1) slow or unresponsive customer service, (2) difficulty in obtaining replacement parts, and (3) the expense of replacement parts. The combination of that takes them off the list for me as hydroregeneration was the primary reason they were leading.

Torqueedo and Elco both make a gasoline 9.9 outboard replacement. But if you compare the thrust rating of the Torqueedo 9.9 equivalent and the Elco 9.9 the Torqueedo's static thrust is actually closer to the Elco 14 than the Elco 9.9. I assume that's due to the efficiency loss in the Elco mechanical leg?

Offsetting that is the higher price of the Torqueedo offering, and the requirement someone mentioned above to have the seals changed annually at a dealer which is a significant inconvenience for a cruising boat.

Still researching. But right now, it's come down to the Elco and Torqueedo offerings.

[Adelie]

That was me in the previous 2 posts talking about the seals.

Each gear is worth about 3% power loss. The Elco probably only has one where the vertical drive shaft turns a bevel gear to the prop shaft.

The static bollard pull is not a good comparison. Static bollard pull is a function of power, prop diameter and prop pitch. Also, it measured when the boat is static rather than moving thru the water. If an ICE were driving the prop I would assume it had a larger flatter prop. I believe this situation is similar, the Torq probably has a larger flatter prop, you should check that.

You can almost certainly get a larger flatter prop for the Elco. I would look into that.

A larger flatter prop is optimized for displacement speeds. Smaller higher pitch props are good for pushing dinghies on a plane.

High thrust ICE outboards use larger flatter props to get more thrust at displacement speeds and sometimes a larger gear ratio. If you are having trouble getting on a plane with your dinghy, a larger flatter prop may give you enough lower speed power for the hole shot to get onto a plane. It will cost you some top speed, but if it's the difference between not getting on a plane or having to buy a bigger motor. Not directly related to this discussion but indicative.

Another issue is that I believe the Torq has a plastic prop. This is more subject to blade erosion due to particles in the water and cavitation. Replacement props will be needed more often with the Torq.