ePropulsion eLite Quick Review

[Unlimited65]

Went out and purchased an eLite for my Picnic Cat. I have originally used a Spirit 1.0 Plus for the past year. I use the boat (and motor) on a lake. Below are my observations.
For me, the Spirit 1.0 Plus was overkill for the Picnic Cat. I leveraged very little throttle to move the boat about on the lake. I used about 125-160w when in use ... and that would cruise about at 3.5 mph based on my iPhone app. I never had it full throttle. Battery life ... literally I would charge this a few times the entire season. I mostly used this to come in/out of the marina ... and with winds averaging 5-10mph. In summary, this is like putting a v8 in a Mini Cooper.
Decided to purchase a eLite ... note I have a fixed motor mount on the Picnic Cat. This motor weighs about 15 lbs.... and is considered a short shaft.
I first tested the Elite by seeing if I could charge it with a Jackery 300 .... it charged 50% of the eLite battery. Next I did my trial run .. as a note there were 2 adults on the Picnic Cat. I throttled more than the Spirit - but that was expected. On this first test, I used between 111-180w in use which got me cruising at about 3.2 mph; again in 5-10 mph winds. At the end of my 35 minute test, I had 80% remaining on the battery -- to me that was pretty impressive. I did not take it to 1/2 throttle , nor full throttle - not even sport mode.
Would I use the Spirit in a bay or ocean - yep! Would I use the eLite in a bay or ocean - nope! I think for me it is perfect for a lake.
I would like to test again in heavier winds, heavier chop. I would also like to understand the speed at 1/2 or full throttle - and the impact of the battery.
Having had a SunCat in the past - I would use the Spirit .... I don't think the Elite would support the weight to move the SunCat. (but it would be a good test)
So I do like the eLite - even though I will need to charge it each time I use it most likely. Having the ability to charge this via a battery bank helps. Storage size is a huge bonus too.

[bruce]

Thanks for the review. Nestaway, a British dealer that I've found useful comparing the ePropulsion and Torqeedo small OBs, likes the eLite over the Temo 450 and the ThrustMe Kicker.
https://nestawayboats.com/shop/epropulsion-elite-electric-outboard-motor/

One thing I've not liked about my Spirit gen 1 is the automatic discharge of the battery, about 100mA, during periods of inactivity, down to 60% or 75% depending on how you read the manual. Over a week, that means about 10% for me. No big deal, we dry sail out of our garage, so topping the battery off is easy enough if I remember. But, it could be a pain on a mooring or slip. I understand why they do it, but none of my other battery-powered equipment feels the need.

I see the same is true for the Spirit Plus and Evo, but I don't find mention in the eLite manual. Does it stay fully charged?

[Unlimited65]

Checking today after 6 days since last charged ... I am still at 100%
I can't say that for my Spirit ... that drops 5-10% a week.
The bag that comes with the eLite is 'ok' .. it only fits the unit (not the mount). There is no padding. I purchased a bag for a rifle ... which is much more padded.

[bruce]

Thanks, good to know.