New Vision Marine VoltX dayboat goes 25 mph with E-Motion electric outboard technology

Vision Marine Technologies, developer of the E-Motion electric outboard, has launched the VoltX, designed and built in-house to bring new speed and performance levels to the company’s popular  Volt 180 model. This is the first model where the company combines its experience in both boatbuilding and electric power train engineering. The VoltX Launch Edition celebrates the company’s 30th anniversary and is being offered for US$102,500.

Vision is well known for setting the electric boat speed record of 116mph at the 2023 Lake of The Ozarks Shootout (LOTOS) in 2023. Less well known is that the Volt 180 set the record at the event a few years earlier, in 2019. The Volt 180 hit a significantly lower speed of 30 mph, but that was before Vision Marine and other companies had developed +110 kW (≈150 hp) electric outboards.

Read: Behind the scenes at the Vision Marine electric boat speed record

It is 30 years since Vision Marine came on the electric boat scene as the Canadian Electric Boat Company. Until 2020 they focussed on building and marketing electric boats, with the name change marking the company’s vision to expand from boats alone to developing its high power electric outboard system – the E-Motion 180E.

Vision Marine Founder and CEO Alex Mongeon told me the company did extensive consumer research to help chart the path for its next 30 years. It shows many people want a recreational electric boat that matches what their fossil fuel boat provides, including the ability to hit a speed of 25mph for a reasonable amount of time. These potential owners know an electric boat is going to have a higher initial price than an ICE powered model, but cost was also a consideration.

E-Motion outboard technology totally integrated

The other information he received was from Volt 180 customers who had purchased it with a 3kW electric outboard by ePropulsion. Many customers were happy with the low power and speed, as they had always planned to use it as a leisurely cruising boat. Others, though, were wanting to be able to go at higher speeds on occasion.

Mongeon decided to combine  his company’s expertise in both boat building and drive train development. The VoltX is the first boat from the company that integrates the E-Motion technology.

He was confident it would meet consumer approval, knowing the speed capabilities of the Volt hull at the 2019 Lake of The Ozarks races. That record was set before the development of the E-Motion technology, with a larger, heavier motor, battery pack and system from an outside supplier.

One of the first thing the team examined were ways to reduce the weight of the hull. Even saving small amounts of weight would not only benefit the ‘speed’ customers, but also give new ‘cruise’ customers a little bit of extra speed and longer range.

The next big thing was incorporating the E-Motion electric outboard, battery and all the related systems. This was a big benefit, to be able to design the hull so that the battery could be fully integrated and placed in the optimal position for efficiency and balance.

Mongeon says “The VoltX Launch Edition is a new offer, but not a new product. We’ve sold over 300 of the original hull design, so it has been real life tested for years and years. What we have done is make it a bit lighter and combine it with all of the technology we have been working on for the past 5 years.” The VoltX uses a stepped down version of the E-Motion 180E system, with a power output of about 90 hp (≈65 kw).

In developing the full E-Motion system, Vision worked with each of the companies in the supply chain, including battery and component suppliers, to deliver maximum efficiency with the lowest weight. While the weight of the 43 kWh battery bank in the VoltX is still significant, the total boat weighs about 500 lbs (225 kg) less than the Volt that set the LOTOS speed record.

There were also weight savings in the cabling and connections. Some of that is because of Vision’s proprietary components, some is because the speed record was set 6 years ago – practically an eon in the short history of modern electric outboards.

First deliveries in Fall 2024

Aside from the technical specs, the VoltX is designed to have emotional appeal for those potential boat owners outlined in the company research. Modeled after European ‘picnic’ boats, it can carry 10 passengers, with plenty of seating in the bow area for socializing. A modern shade canopy can be installed or removed in minutes and there are high quality speakers with Bluetooth compatibility. Included with the Launch Edition is a trailer and protective polyblend covers. 

“This is a great boat for our 30th anniversary” says Mongeon “because we have put in all of our learning –  boatbuilding, hulls, motors, batteries. The hull is proven and improved, and it is all designed and built around the battery to make the ride perfect. It’s what people want in an electric boat today. Room to relax, good speed when you need it, and range. You can get about an hour and a half at 20-25 miles per hour, and a lot more time at slower speeds. You don’t have to change how you go boating. You can just enjoy.”

The first limited production model of the VoltX Launch Edition can be ordered from the Vision Marine website with a deposit of $1,000 US.  First deliveries are scheduled for Fall 2024.

Vision Marine Technologies website   Vision Marine stories in Plugboats
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