As lightweight, power-dense axial-flux electric motor topology shows its ability to be a dominant force in the auto market, and flashes early signs of inherent superiority for the skies, it’s also quietly making some inroads in the boating segment. The new Falcon series from Denmark’s EPTechnologies (EPT) has debuted as one of the most powerful electric outboards on water, and it’s well lighter than the competition thanks to its slim, axial-flux orientation. The Falcon is smart, too, using a free-rotating propeller to provide improved maneuverability and handling.
Rather than adapting a combustion engine outboard platform to electric power, EPT used expertise from other electric marine propulsion technology toward developing the electric Falcon outboard from the ground up. This helped it save heaps of weight and develop an outboard that fully capitalizes on its light, power-dense axial-flux heart through a sleek, streamlined design.
We’ve recently seen how axial-flux motors can straight out dynamite the boundaries of power and torque density. And while slim, lightweight design might seem less important for a motor hanging off the transom of a heavy, bulging watercraft loaded with passengers, the energy needed to push all that mass through uncooperative water is a problem that’s limited battery-powered electric boats to short-distance applications. Beyond that, e-boats have remained more a novelty than a serious means of transportation or recreation.
Even if weight savings from the outboard is but a drop in the lake when calculating a boat’s final weight, they can also serve to help offset the weight of a larger battery pack and increase available runtime and range. So saving weight while maximizing available power remains a critical goal in the marine electric propulsion market, and EPT affirms the axial-flux motor’s ability to achieve it.
The 130-kW (174-hp) motor within the greater Falcon outboard body weighs in at just 27 kg (60 lb), and EPT reckons it’s as powerful as motors weighing more than 115 kg (254 lb). The complete, ready-to-mount Falcon 130 outboard weighs between 130 and 160 kg (287 and 353 lb), depending on configuration.
The Falcon’s 130-kW (174-hp) output is continuous; the motor is also capable of delivering short bursts of 220-kW (295-hp) peak power. Estimated torque checks in at 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) continuous, 525 Nm (387 lb-ft) peak, an advantage when trying to tug water skiers and wake boarders up out of the water and gliding forward.
EPTechnologies
While robust, the Falcon’s available power does fall well short of the Evoy Storm, which remains the most powerful electric outboard we’ve looked at. The Storm boasts a full 221 kW (300 hp) continuous and 441 kW (600 hp) peak. But the Storm weighs in at 385 kg (849 lb) before adding in the weight of the cables, coolant and propeller.
Even without factoring in the extra weight of the propeller that comes with the EPT Falcon, the Evoy Storm checks in with a 0.57 kW-per-kg continuous power density compared to the 1 kw-per-kg continuous power density of the Falcon at its base weight. Even Evoy’s smaller 88-kW (120-hp) Breeze e-outboard weighs 240 kg (529 lb), close to double the base weight of the more powerful Falcon 130. That gives the Breeze a 0.37 kW-kg power density that’s well less than half the Falcon 130’s.
The closest electric outboard we’ve looked at previously in terms of output, the Vision Marine 180E packs 134 kW (180 hp) continuous and weighs 188 kg (414 lb), still over 50 kg (110 lb) above the Falcon’s base weight. That’s a 0.71 kW-kg density for the 180E.
Taking a quick trip over to the combustion engine side, EPT states the Falcon 130 undercuts the segment competition by a solid 100 kg (200 kW). Comparing the Falcon 130 to Mercury’s 175-hp 3.4-liter four-stroke V6 outboard shows the 100 kg to be just a little overstated in that particular head-to-head, with the Mercury weighing in at an estimated 216 kg (476 lb), or 86 kg (190 lb) more than the base weight of the EPT. Power density is 129 kW/215 kg = 0.6 kW-kg.
EPT’s blanket 100-kg estimate certainly isn’t a horrible exaggeration over 85 kg, and that’s just one Falcon-vs-combustion comparison we selected simply because Mercury was top of mind as the brand behind the last combustion outboard we covered. We just found one of its outboard models with comparable power and sent it battling.
To be fair, Mercury tunes that same V6 to higher outputs with the same listed weight, so that 216-kg machine also puts out 225 hp (166 kW), for a 0.77 kW-kg density.
Now that we’ve mentioned combustion, some of you are undoubtedly itching to jump to the comments and point out that the Mercury V6 is going to come out way lighter in complete powertrain system weight because of the 800-lb (maybe more) gorilla lurking behind every e-outboard: the battery. And it’s true, none of those outboard weights includes the battery, which, of course, is what will really hold the EPT Falcon series back from competing with gas outboards in terms of overall system power-to-weight and range.
But you have to start somewhere, and optimizing weight on your motor as battery density improves is an excellent start. Plus, much as it purpose-built the Falcon as an electric outboard solution from the ground up, EPT also develops and builds its own batteries to be custom-matched to its electric drives. It focuses in on lightweight and efficient battery design with various chemistries, including semi-solid-state and LFP, and tailors battery pack spec to the specific boat and application at hand.
Besides, the Falcon is more than just sheer kilowatts-per-kilogram potency. Developing it from scratch gave EPT the leeway to optimize other aspects of the design around overall efficiency and performance. You can see the company has made every effort to slim the Falcon body down below the powerhead, giving it a thin midsection that tapers inward from top to bottom. Without the need for an exhaust port, it’s also slimmed the lower unit, sculpting a torpedo-shaped tail cone for improved hydrodynamics.
One final innovation EPT adds to the Falcon design is a rotating propeller that steers the vessel without moving the entire outboard. The propeller is able to rotate 360 degrees for more precise maneuvering in tight waters, without so much as switching on a bow thruster. This design also keeps the bulk of the Falcon outboard’s weight stationary, improving overall weight distribution and stability, especially helpful for twin-outboard configurations.
The propeller steering mechanism also simplifies and lightens the mounting hardware, adding to total weight savings, and allows multiple outboards to be mounted closer together. Finally, the independent prop steering is said to decrease wear and tear on internal outboard components.
EPTechnologies
EPT sums up the Falcon 130 by calling it the lightest, quietest and most efficient outboard in its class, and it’s already working on one that could potentially add “most powerful” to that list of superlatives. The Falcon 230 will offer 230 kW (308 hp) of continuous power and 430 kW (577 hp) peak to rival the Evoy Storm for the title of world’s most powerful electric outboard. Ultimately, the “most powerful” of the two depends on whether you’re using continuous or peak power as the standard, and given how close the numbers are anyway, we’d be willing to call it a two-way tie.
That said, Evoy need not worry too much about losing its place atop the market. It, too, has a more powerful e-outboard in the works: the 331-kW (450-hp) Hurricane, which we’re looking forward to having a look at once Evoy releases details beyond “coming soon.” If that model gets it to market before the Falcon 230, Evoy won’t ever cede even the smallest gem of its power crown.
The EPT Falcon is undoubtedly a light, efficient and smart outboard solution for those looking to go electric. EPT reckons it’s good for a wide variety of vessels, including the wakeboats alluded to earlier, leisure yachts, rescue boats and even hydrofoils.
With all that going for it, we were kind of dreading scrolling our way down to the Falcon 130 price section, but as it turns out, this one is very much a “contact us with your boat needs and we’ll get back to you with a full powertrain system quote.” From what we can tell, EPT focuses its work on supplying boatbuilders and other business entities, anyway.
We’ll certainly be keeping an eye out in the future for production boats equipped with the Falcon 130 (and 230).
Source: EPTechnologies