You are on our: Electric Trio page
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Our Trio multi-purpose boat is an excellent candidate for electric drive, as her long, relatively narrow hull is so easily driven through the water. You will be able to go further, or faster, or both, on the same battery capacity (the big electric issue). We most often supply the German Torqeedo outboards - click here: Torqeedo motors - with either an integral battery (very convenient, but limited capacity), or adapter for connection to external battery(ies) in a separate box under one of the seats. |
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The simplest electric drive package will be a Trio with one of the integrated
battery Torqeedos, either the:
(1) 503, a 500 Watt motor with 300 Watt hour battery, capable of driving
the Trio at around 8-9kmph (4 knots) for 35 minutes flat-out, or 5-6kmph
(3 knots) for about two hours. A standard Trio plus 503 package is priced
at £3500 (£144 saving); all other boat options can be added as normal.
(2) 1003, a 1 kW motor now with 520 Watt hour battery (2011 model),
capable of driving the Trio at 11-12kmph (5-6 knots) for half an hour, or
5-6kmph (3 knots) for over three hours. Standard Trio plus 1003 package
priced at £3650 (£194 saving); other boat options can be added as normal.
Please note that range/speed figures are indicative, and depend on many
factors such as boat weight, load carried, water conditions (tide, wind etc)
and battery charge at the beginning of the trip. We are trying to be realistic,
not crazily optimistic. One of the nice things about the Torqeedo 503 and
1003 is that they have a digital readout of percentage charge, speed, and
range at current speed. If the range indicated is not enough, slow down -
and range will go up!
If you want more range the first suggestion is to buy a second battery for
the 503 or 1003. Both batteries fit both motors so you can choose either
the 300 Watt version at £399, or the 520 Watt hour version at £499
(more money but cheaper per Watt hour). With two batteries you get a
very simple failsafe system: if you use the first one on the way out, in
theory you know the second one will get you back. That does depend on
the two batteries being the same capacity, and conditions being the same
in both directions - not, for example, if you went out with the tide or
current and then tried to motor back against it. If you don't understand
this point we will try to help (email or phone us), but we strongly
recommend you take a navigation course before going boating anywhere
that tides and currents may have an effect.
The last Torqeedo option is the Cruise 2 2kW motor (twice as powerful
as the 1003), which runs at 26 volts. So it needs either two external
batteries wired in series, or the 104 amp hour, 26 volt Torqeedo lithium
battery. This motor will achieve speeds up to 17-18 kmph (9 knots) on
the Trio, but beware battery drain when running flat out (you will be
drawing approx 76 amps)! The best, lightest and simplest solution here
is certainly the lithium battery which (unlike lead acids etc) can be fully
discharged without detriment to its capacity; from that you would get
about 80 minutes flat-out, or 8-9kmph (4 knots) for five hours or so.
A Cruise 2 motor with lithium battery is £3848 (plus the boat), of which
just over half is the battery; alternatively we can quote you for other
(cheaper) battery packages - but would really need to discuss your
requirements first.