Hyper Electric Marine’s Electric-Outboard Pontoon Boat

Imagining an electric ­pontoon boat, you might think of a couple of hours of sedate cruising followed by lengthy charge periods. Hyper Electric Marine sinks that image with a luxury pontoon offering comfort, acceleration, speed, quiet running, and economy.

Fitted with a full-size Tesla battery incorporated into the center pontoon of the boat and a Tesla high-performance electric motor that’s ­cleverly housed inside the shell of what was a traditional gasoline outboard, the Hyper Electric’s system produces power on par with a 370 hp outboard. Equipped with the stock outboard’s 1.75-to-1 gear ratio spinning a Mercury 15-inch-pitch Enertia three-blade stainless-steel ­propeller, and well-loaded with six full-bodied men, we reached a top speed of 44.5 mph at 10,800 rpm. Hyper Electric notes that with a lighter load, it has reached 50-plus mph speeds in this boat. Notably, our test boat was fitted with the Hydrofin Super Ride XL, a hydrofoil system for ­pontoon boats. It retails for $2,995 and was installed by Hydrofin ­installation professionals.

Acceleration proved brisk. We planed in 3 seconds flat, and went from zero to 30 mph in just 8.7 seconds. Below 30 mph, motor noise is nil; it’s mostly wind and water noise. Over 8,000 rpm (about 29 mph), it makes a distinct whine that’s entirely different than a gasoline outboard. At full throttle, my decibel meter registered just 86 dB(A), far lower than the typical outboard, which is usually well into the 90-plus range. Average range at cruise speeds is just over 40 miles on a full charge.

Hyper Electric builds its electric outboard using the shell (midsection, cowl and gear case) from existing outboards. As such, the weight as converted is competitive with four-stroke ­internal-combustion ­outboards. With a 25-inch shaft length, weight is 500 pounds. The 400-volt ^­three-phase induction ­motor is the same one used in a Tesla Model S. The gear case is standard outboard fare, and the propeller shaft accepts existing props. Counter-­rotation is available. A proprietary ­digital management system ­offers a custom D-Logic display and controller. The ­10.1-inch touchscreen shows all ­system parameters, plus it controls lights, audio and other ­accessories.

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The Tesla battery is incorporated into the structure of the pontoon, with all wiring and connections to the outboard engineered and installed with precision. It’s a very clean ­layout, with easy access for technicians should the need arise. The battery adds further rigidity to the deck. Hyper Electric claims that this hull has more torsional rigidity and less side-to-side ­flexing than other non-electric-­powered ’toons.

The outboard and tritoon pontoon boat with battery come as a package, which carries a retail price of $165,000 with the charging system. Hyper Electric also offers inboard and sterndrive systems for repower. For more information, visit hyperelectricmarine.com.

Pricing and Specs