The core requirements
For me, it’s clear: I’d rather stick with 48V than go up to 72V or 96V.
Why 48V? For starters, there’s a huge range of batteries and system options, and it’s still manageable. Don’t get me wrong—you can still make a serious mistake at 48V. And honestly, whether a short circuit at 48V is any safer than one at 72V – I have no idea, and I’m not about to experiment.
Interestingly, in Germany, there’s no rule saying that a 48V system has to be installed by a professional. As long as you follow the guidelines, regulations, and document everything properly, you can technically do it yourself. Above 60V, though, it’s a completely different story. And yes, that even applies to simply hooking up a 72V battery to a motor.
So, I’m fishing in the 48V pond.
What does the market tells me?
There are a few 48V systems that could work, but honestly, they’re all expensive. At the end of the day, it’s always just an electric motor and a controller. Air-cooled? I’ve had my experiences with air-cooled setups, and I’d probably prefer water-cooling, even if it does make things more complicated (and costly).
Right now, the Vetus E-Line 22kW is the most powerful 48V marine motor I know that’s also easy to swap out, it even comes with its mounting frame. There’s also one from Ri-Power, but sadly, there’s very little info about mounting frames or installation. Then there are all the DIY-style solutions, like those from ElectricYacht.com, but with tariffs right now, that’s not really on the table. And by 2026, prices will go up even more, since most systems come from China, not the EU.
One very interesting Dealer is OZO. Just spotted I will need some more reding time :-). French!
There are exceptions, of course. Mahle, for instance, offers a Mahle 48V 15kW motor through e-drive-solution.de. Pretty reasonably priced—you’d just need to build a mounting frame for it yourself.
So, it’s not an easy decision. And this is just for pod drives.
What about electric Saildrives?
If the new boat has a saildrive, things get even trickier. Motors that bolt directly onto a saildrive are rare. Waterworld offers one, but at €12,000, it’s a serious investment.
Yanmar have a new Electric replacement (YANMAR SDe15) for their Diesel Engines. No prices available so I will stax tunded. If the cost is ok, this would be a real cool solution without DIY.
Source: YANMAR
DIY on a saildrive? Probably not for me. There’s oil inside, and it should stay there. Sure, you could remove the gearbox and bolt a plate directly to the shaft, but there’s so much to consider – it’s just not my thing.
I’ll list my sources here, and if anyone else is exploring this topic, I’d love to hear your references—preferably 48V systems! Oceanvolt, Fischer Panda, and the like are way beyond my budget.
- https://electricyacht.com
- https://plugboats.com
- https://store.lightningcraft.co.uk
- https://www.thunderstruck-ev.com
- https://www.tema.hr
- https://waterworldelectronics.com
- https://www.seadrive.no
- https://www.e-drive-solution.de/produkt/e-motor-set-18-kw-48v
- https://ozo-electric.com/en/279-brushless-central-motors
The jouney will go on! Page added to SY-Colette Projects.