Electric motors for houseboats | Our recommendations

In addition, the advantages of a very quiet, efficient and odorless motor outweigh. No maintenance, no warm-up of the engine, easy switching on by pressing a button. In general, an electric motor performs significantly better. Especially in terms of travel costs, if a few solar cells are installed on the roof.

Find more information in our blog or with our partners Rollyboot.

The electric motor is usually used for shorter to medium distances of 4 to 6 hours on houseboats. Houseboats are often slightly larger and heavier. The streamlined shape is good, as many have a catamaran or trimaran hull. A houseboat with a single hull has higher water resistance.

On inland waters, you should calculate with at least 2 kW per tonne, with strong currents or winds rather 2.5 kW per tonne. You mainly need the maximum power against the current, for stopping and maneuvering.

If you are currently looking for a new motor for your houseboat, you should definitely consider an electric motor. If you buy a new motor now, it should be designed for the next 10 years or more. Especially due to the increasing driving bans on the water, this can pay off for you.

Depending on the size of your houseboat, you can already be fully self-sufficient on the road with a few solar modules. In addition, you can of course also charge your boat normally via shore power, especially if you are on longer trips or on the road for several days.

Most houseboats use outboard motors. These are very flexible and easy to install. The outboard motors are usually located on a bracket at the stern of the houseboat. The motors provide optimal propulsion. Depending on the size, theft protection may be recommended.

For outboard motors up to 6 kW, ePropulsion drives are currently the most popular. Since 2021, the 6 kW Navy motors without gears, so completely silent, are available. For power above 10 kW, we also recommend Torqeedo, E-Tech or the new high-voltage series from ePropulsion.

Similar to electric cars, electric houseboats offer great advantages in maintenance and operating costs. The biggest cost driver is the operating costs. Instead of many liters of gasoline, only a few [partly self-generated] kWh of electricity are needed.

The kWh is only ~30 cents, while a liter of gasoline is 1.70€. Especially since gasoline costs are constantly rising. In addition, there are also the annual costs for maintenance and repair of wear parts (oil change, filters, etc.)

There are also some applications for houseboats where an electric motor is currently not optimal. For example, for intensive water hiking with 10 hours of driving time per day and no possibility to recharge the battery in the harbor.

The range of the batteries is somewhat limited, as large battery banks are very large, heavy and expensive. In summer, the yield of a solar system is usually sufficient for completely autonomous use, but not in spring and autumn. Although it is technically possible, it is not always economical compared to a combustion engine. Here, a hybrid system can be useful.