According to an article in Watercraft Zone, Australia may soon have an electric Jet Ski available to the public. An obscure boating store in Kima on the south coast of NSW is experimenting with Jet Ski engine swaps. They are replacing gas motors with pure electric power for an estimated cost of $10,000-to-$12,000.
The company, EClassboats, has already swapped out at least six two stroke engines with electric outboard motors. They are now working on bringing electric power to PWC by replacing combustible engines deemed to expensive to repair. They are beginning with a 2008 Kawasaki Ultra with a blown 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. They started this project in early February. They pulled the engine and fuel tank and dropped in a 10kWh battery pack and a 50kW electric motor. The lithium-ion battery pack weighs 154 pounds, and the electric motor comes in at close to 84 pounds. The battery pack weighs as much as full tank of fuel and the battery is half the weight of the Ultra’s engine.
EClassboats hope to have this machine in the water for testing by the end of March. If they are successful in this endeavor, they will give Europe’s fully electric Narke Electrojet, a run for its money. Right now, Narke doesn’t have any competition in this arena. Also, EClassboats will be offered at a much lower and affordable price point than the Narke’s $80,000 cost. EClasstboat’s PWC will cost between $10,000 and $12,000.
For now, electric jet skis are considered niche products and the big three; Sea-Doo, Yamaha, and Kawasaki are researching electric motor technology and how it may work with personal watercraft. No plans to move forward have been announced.
