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March 10, 2023
FOND DU LAC – Like many companies in the transportation/recreation sector, Mercury Marine – manufacturers of outboard motors and MerCruiser inboard engines – is adapting to industry changes.
Fortunately, the Fond du Lac-based company, which began operations in 1939, seems to be a quick learner.
After first introducing the Mercury Avator 7.5e outboard motor at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 in Las Vegas in early January, Mercury’s first attempt at an electric motor recently took home the Innovation Award at the Miami International Boat Show.
“It was awesome to get that award,” Andy Przybyl, the Avator product line technical manager, said. “I’m proud of the team and the people who worked on the Avator to make that possible.”
Przybyl said it took about two-and-a-half years of work – from start to finish – to unveil the Avator 7.5e.
“We developed this product fast, but there were plenty of challenges – especially in the beginning regarding which motor and battery technology to use and what would the whole thing look like,” he said. “Because of that, it was rewarding to receive the award. Although we developed the motor quickly, be assured extensive work went into it to make it the best product available.”
Perissa Bailey, vice president and general manager of Mercury’s e-solutions, said the Avator 7.5e model is the first in a series of electric outboard products to be released in 2023.
“We’re hoping to release five low-voltage models this year, including the 20e and the 35e,” she said.
Bailey said Mercury Marine’s efforts are meant to transform the boating experience by making boating possible with no exhaust fumes and zero direct emissions.
“At some point, we also aspire to enter into the high-voltage market,” she said.
As infrastructure grows and high voltage becomes more acceptable, Bailey said Mercury’s plan “is to not stop at the avatar product lineup.”
“We’re going to continue developing electrified propulsion systems,” she said. “We want customers to be confident we’re not stopping now.”
Bailey said the Avator 7.5e and future electric motors are an addition to Mercury’s product line.
“I have a background in the automotive industry, so this is not a replacement for the internal combustion engine (ICE),” she said. “We’re not transitioning 100% to electrification – this is a new opportunity for us to appeal to new and existing customers.”
In addition, Bailey said the electrification technology today won’t solve or service every vessel segment.
“It’s unrealistic to expect electrification today to replace the ICE because there aren’t technology solutions for all the vessels we serve if we were to attempt to transition to electrification,” she said.
Being with Mercury for 20 years, Przybyl said he’s seen plenty of changes.
“I started out working on carbureted and direct-injected two strokes, and then we migrated to four strokes,” he said. “I’ve seen the transition of all our vessel products. Like any industry, you have to adapt to changes, or you’ll get left behind.”
The Avator 7.5e
Przybyl said the Avator 7.5e outboard generates 750 watts of power at the prop shaft, producing speed and acceleration like a Mercury 3.5 horsepower four-stroke outboard.
“It’s ideal for powering many small boats, including tenders, jon boats, inflatables and kayaks,” he said.
The Avator 7.5e outboard motor has a full-color display that shows battery level, speed, range, etc. Andy Przybyl, technical manager for the Avator product line, said the 7.5e is the first propulsion system from the company to be compatible with the Mercury Marine app, available for iOS and Android devices. Photo Courtesy of Mercury Marine
According to the company’s website (mercurymarine.com), the Avator 7.5e is equipped with a lithium-ion battery system and was engineered exclusively for marine duty.
“We expect all our avatar products to go one hour at rated power,” Przybyl said. “On the smaller boats we’ve tested, that would be 60 minutes at about five or six miles per hour. But like any electrification unit, once you come off that rated power – like at half throttle – you can get more runtime… maybe up to five hours.”
Przybyl said there’s a quick fix to ease a customer’s mind if they plan to be on the water for long periods and they’re worried if they will have enough battery life.
“You can simply bring along a spare battery,” he said. “The quick mounting system and controls make for easy operation. A full-color display also tracks battery level and range.”
Przybyl said that’s one thing that worries people when it comes to battery power.
“There is anxiety when it comes to ‘How far can I go?’” he said. “That’s why we put so much time, effort and money into that display so it’s right in front of the user.”
Przybyl said the Avator 7.5e is also the first propulsion system from Mercury to be compatible with the Mercury Marine app, available for iOS and Android devices.
“You can check everything out on your phone,” he said. “There are also tutorials and the ability to connect with a preferred dealer for extra support, too.”
Przybyl said there are several other nice functions of the system.
“As far as portability, you can remove the motor from the boat easily,” he said. “Just take the battery out, pop the outboard off and away you go. It makes installation and removal easy and simple.”
Battery and charging
When most people think of mixing water and batteries, Przybyl said they might get nervous.
“The battery in the Avator 7.5e is not considered high voltage because it’s not more than 60 volts – it uses a 48-volt platform,” he said. “From a safety standpoint, our battery has an IP67 rating, so it’s submergible up to three feet for an hour – it’s fully waterproof. We went through a lot of safety aspects with it. We completely isolate the system, so people can’t just grab power.”
Bailey said there is a big difference between automotive batteries and ones used in the marine industry.
“We’re not taking from automotive components and applying them in marine applications,” she said. “We’re taking from Mercury’s more than 80-year history and applying that to the modernization of electrification components. The battery weighs roughly 16 1/2 pounds, and the whole system weighs about 43 pounds, so it’s easy to carry.”
Przybyl said the battery system operates like a cordless tool.
At full power, the Avator 7.5e outboard generates 750 watts of power at the prop shaft. Photo Courtesy of Mercury Marine
“Competitors’ batteries have wires you hook up – there are communications and power cables,” he said. “We integrated all that into a simple package like the cordless tool. You open the hood, drop in the battery, push a button and you’re ready to go.”
Przybyl said there are two charging options for the 7.5e model.
“We offer the standard 110-watt charger you get with the outboard or you can upgrade to a more powerful (230-watt) one,” he said. “An empty battery to a full charge (on the charger provided) takes about 10 hours. The fast charger gets it down to about 4 1/2 hours. You can charge it on a standard outlet at home.”
Future of electric outboard motors
Przybyl said the marine industry has “some definite technology hurdles to get over” to make battery-powered watercraft more feasible.
“Several things are fighting the gap right now – both deal with laws of physics,” he said. “Water is very dense, and batteries are very heavy – certainly not a good combination. If battery technology takes a massive leap in energy storage, that opens up many more avenues for a lot of different things.”
Przybyl said the battery technology is there to move a ship, but it wouldn’t go very long.
“If you took Tesla’s biggest battery and you ran it in a boat at about 300 horsepower, that would give you about 10 minutes,” he said. “We know Tesla has the highest capacity, most-refined battery out there.”
For more information on the Avator 7.5e and other products from Mercury Marine, visit mercurymarine.com.
