HMB Sea Trial: Why this electric seriously impressed.

The Elite Outboard lightweight, no noise, no fumes and plenty of power

A few of the HMB Marine crew took the new ELITE electric outboard from E Propulsion out for a spin last week – and we were seriously impressed.

We mounted the ELITE on a 3.0m soft-hulled inflatable, loaded up with two of the team and some gear – about 250kg total, plus 40kg for the boat and just 6.7kg for the motor itself.

With a full battery charge, we set off on a 3.5-hour test run. That included a 30-minute fishing stop (with 60% battery still showing), and a cruise back to port with 10% left in the tank. 

Top speed hit 5.5 knots at around 80% power (400 watts), with no real gain when pushed to 100% (500 watts) – suggesting 80% is the sweet spot for this setup. The most economical cruising speed came at 45% power, giving us around 3.5 knots, even against the tide.

Quiet, light, and hassle-free, the ELITE is a brilliant alternative to a 2.2hp petrol outboard. Rated at 500 watts (with a 700-watt boost mode), it delivers solid performance without the noise or fumes.

And the other benefit of electric… you won’t wake up fellow boaties when you take your pooch for it’s early morning poo!   

We’ve got this model in stock now for $2,490 incl. GST. We also stock the Spirit 1.0 – sea trial results coming soon!