The future on the water is electric. In January 2023, Mercury launched the Mercury Avator 7.5e electric outboard motor. The innovative engine was promptly awarded the Innovation Award at the Miami International Boat Show (MIBS) 2023. SeaHelp will be presenting interesting, forward-looking projects in the field of e-mobility on the water for sports skippers here at regular intervals.
The future on the water is electric – there is no longer any serious doubt about that. We present new, innovative projects dedicated to e-drives on boats in loose succession (see our news on ed-tec by former VW chief strategist Michael Jost, on the H2C-Boat, which has a Fuel-Cell on board, and on the new Porsche boat from Frauscher, which is powered by the electric motor of the new Macan SUV).
While previous developments in (more powerful) e-drives have tended to focus on built-in solutions, the market for electric outboards, which offer a few more horsepower than the various small and micro e-drives available for boats, is manageable. Mercury is now stepping into this gap in the market with the new Avator 7.5e electric outboard – with success: the drive was recently awarded the innovation prize at the Miami International Boat Show (MIBS) 2023.
With the Avator 7.5e, Mercury wants to make boating more accessible and promote its sustainability
Launched in January 2023, the electric motor took first place in the electric motor / battery-powered / hybrid drive category. “Clearly, the innovative features we’ve built into the Avator electric outboard strike a chord with a growing number of consumers who appreciate the benefits of electric propulsion,” says John Buelow, President of Mercury Marine.
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With the Avator 7.5e, Mercury has developed an electric outboard designed to make boating more accessible and sustainable through its ease of use, connectivity and smart battery technology. The outboard generates 750 W of power at the propeller shaft and achieves similar speed and acceleration to a Mercury FourStroke outboard with 3.5 hp.
The batteries are easy to replace, the tiller also serves as a carrying handle and the motor can be easily removed from the transom mount
“A lot of thought went into the design of the Avator from Mercury: the batteries are easy to replace, the tiller also serves as a carrying handle and the motor can be easily removed from the transom mount,” says Zuzana Prochazka, one of the Innovation Award judges, explaining her decision.
Other features of the Avator 7.5e from Mercury: the electric motor works cleanly and quietly, and is easy to operate. The motor can be operated with a tiller or remote control, the battery can be connected quickly and easily, and the controls are intuitive.
No cables are needed for the 1 kWh lithium-ion battery. It can simply be slid under the hinged canopy, saving valuable space in the boat. If you want to go further out, simply take a second battery with you, which can be replaced in seconds. The Avator tiller can be moved up, down, left or right and can be folded into a practical carrying handle.
With special motor technology, the Avator 7.5e is said to be able to generate 750 W of power at the propeller shaft
On console boats, the digital speed and shift control responds without any delay. The controls are available in three versions for the various installation positions in the center and side consoles. And: with what it claims is the industry’s first “transverse flux motor technology”, the Avator 7.5e can generate 750 W of power at the propeller shaft.
The outboard motor made of high-strength, impact-resistant composite material is available in three pitches. Thanks to the three-blade design, the thrust is optimally utilized with minimal noise and vibrations, which extends the battery life. A clear color display ensures that the Avator drive is always under control (the display is integrated in the outboard on the tiller version).
The standard integrated GPS module shows the speed and estimated distance in real time until the battery is “empty”
There are two options for console boats: an adjustable pedestal display or an elegant, flush-fitting variant. The standard integrated GPS module displays the speed and estimated distance in real time until the battery is “empty”, as well as other important information such as battery status, power consumption, warnings and remaining runtime.
If you want, you can download the Mercury Marine app free of charge and use the basic functions such as the tutorial library. If the outboard is equipped with a so-called Mercury SmartCraft Connect module, a wireless connection to the app can be established to activate additional functions such as a GPS map and a visualized range estimate.
The outboard is supplied with a 110 W charger that can be conveniently stored in a carrying bag
Thanks to the intelligent Avator chargers with integrated voltage and current monitoring, safe and effective charging is possible. The Avator 7.5e outboard is supplied with a 110 W charger, which can be conveniently stored in a carrying bag. If you want to improve the charging time, you can also switch to a faster charger. A normal household socket is sufficient.
In addition to the limited three-year warranty, Mercury offers a three-year corrosion warranty for its electric outboard motor, which also covers the controls and accessories. The Avator batteries and charging accessories are offered with a two-year limited factory warranty.
Further information: Download brochure
Technical data of the Avator 7.5e:
Power at the shaft: 750W, 48 V
Battery 1kWh, Li-Ion
Charger 110W
Weight without battery and bracket 16.7 kg
Battery weight (1kWh) 7.7 kg
Price from 3,560.48 euros.
Mercury plans to present further (larger) e-outboard models at boot 2024 in Düsseldorf in January.
