For yachts and small ships, the electric power and electric propulsion technologies are still evolving. We can say that it is still an uncharted frontier in the marine industry. There are many good propulsion sellers and service providers, but there also are inefficinet ones that stretch the truth in order push their marketing strategy.
Make sure you choose a professional company with experienced OEM trained engineers for ship propulsion repairs, replacementa, and maintenence.
Why are commercial ships so much more expensive than a yacht of equivalent size?
Recreational yachts and commercial ships are completely unrelated. Putting the two side by side is like comparing the space shuttle to a Cessna. Although both are technically aircrafts, they were designed for completely distinct purposes.
Commercial ships experience the same thing. They must contend with stricter regulations and require much more safety features. However, what exactly are those variations? What makes the cargo ship safer?
We will discuss some common myths regarding Ship Propulsion in this post.
- Electric is always better
Electricity does not miraculously heal everything and save the world as often marketers’ advocate. Like any industrial technology, this technology has its limitations. Using electric propulsion adds complexity and new expenses. Depending on your personal goals, the complexity may or may not be valuable. You need to know if this technology is appropriate for you.
- Power versus horsepower
Some sales representatives advertise a motor’s power as “E-power,” “kW,” or “Kilowatt power” in an effort to conceal subpar motor performance. They spread the misconception that electric power functions differently from traditional engines.
They want you to think that there is no comparison between the two. This is completely incorrect.
- Peak power
Electric motors’ peak power performance is frequently exaggerated in marketing. They frequently mention the following two power settings while discussing motor performance:
- Continuous power
- Peak power
Peak power is almost 25% higher. Don’t decide based on this peak power.
- Direct drive is more efficient
Some vendors often mislead by offering a direct drive option to get maximum efficiency, where your motor shaft is connected directly to the propeller shaft without gearbox. No doubt, gearbox or belt drive reduces 2-4% of the power, but forcing a certain bad match between your propeller and motor you will lose 10-15% of the power!
- Slow is safe
When discussing battery life, a common marketing justification is to just go slower. With sail propulsion, this would be feasible, but not with solar power alone. There are limits to slow propulsion.
Combustion engines still need to be used electric propulsion is not a substitute. The biggest myth of them all may be this one. Electric propulsion is frequently compared to a replacement for the way things are now done. However, if we alter the way we think about ship powering, electric only makes sense. Different perspectives on what is important to our society and ship.
Do we solely evaluate success by lowering expenses? Or do we also factor in environmental costs while measuring it? Do we still require the same standard of dependability and safety? We think so.
