Why the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus is better

Why is the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus better than Newport NT300 electric outboard motor? Small electric outboard motors are becoming more prevalent and very well suited for certain applications. 3 hp motors like the epropulsion are well suited for electric only lakes and reservoirs as well as dinghy and yacht tender applications. Here's my take on my time with Newport NT300 compared to the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus 3 hp electric outboard motor which might be the best small electric outboard motor available today.
In this video I am comparing an ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus electric outboard motor to the Newport NT300 electric outboard motor. If you're shopping for small electric outboard motors for boats in the 3 hp equivalent range there are four primary contenders at the moment from these brands: ePropulsion, Newport, Torqeedo and Mercury.
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Use coupon code WAYNE at checkout to get 5% off of any purchase in the Tiny Boat Nation Shop!
I will be making more videos with the 3 horsepower equivalent electric ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus as well as the Newport NT 300 putting both of these electric outboards through their paces and using them regularly on my boats to evaluate speed, run time, reliability, quality and usability.
00:00 Introduction
01:53 Price and weight comparison between the ePropulsion Spirit and Newport NT300
03:39 What makes the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus better than a Newport NT300?
06:21 Addressing the proprietary battery concerns with small electric outboards
07:20 My conclusions based on my experience with the Newport NT300 compared to ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus electric outboard motors
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I was provided the Newport NT300 and the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus electric outboard motors used in this video. I am under no obligation from the manufacturers or distributors to produce content or endorse their products. Any opinions or recommendations provided are completely my own and based on my own research and experiences with these products.
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#epropulsion #electricoutboard #epropulsionspiritplus

[@thomaswalters5519]

After researching all the electric motors, I purchased a E-Prolusion Spirit 1.0 Plus from Tiny Nation late last year. The weather just turned nice, and I went out on the lake. I love this motor all I hear is the water. I have a 16.5 ft lowe canoe with transit and I get 6 to 8 MPH in it at full power. I have been out 5 to 6 hours, and it gets me to the fishing spot and trolling and come home with plenty of power left on the battery.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thanks for sharing!

[@TR4zest]

I have an ePropulsion outboard. I am pleased you could see that 'hey, this is different'. I am sure in a few years, Newport and ePropulsion will look ridiculously slow when later generations arrive, but this is what we have now. Perfect for a tender or in-harbour travel.

[@markmoffett6813]

That's an awesome little motor . Thanks for bringing this to my attention and thanks again for another great video. Beautiful backdrop and surroundings for your videos. Mark from harford County

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

My pleasure!

[@LizIsRating]

this series about the electric motors had me hooked. I don't even have a boat :D Very interesting!

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Glad you like them! There will be more coming.

[@klausspunkmeyer5096]

Good review. I like the fact that I could keep a third party battery as an emergency spare for the Spirit 1.0. That makes for a real level of comfort for me, I wouldn't want to fork over all of that cash for an additional Spirit battery. The cable cost would just be negligible in comparison. Let''s see how you make out with your next set of trials. Love your stuff Wayne. Thanks a ton for taking the time to get this to us.

[@stephenwinter8892]

Greetings from southern Ontario Canada I really enjoyed the video i have an outboard motor fully electric at 150hp through my local marina so i can't help out

[@Webcrawler45]

Have a 6.0 Navy on my Electric pontoon boat. I really like it...

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Nice!

[@Mega747400]

while is see what they are doing with electric. it also sucks because many places are forcing you to use electric or banning gas motors all together. with that i will never own a fully electric outboard or support their purchase. great video as always though Wayne your content is top tier.

[@mikedrake5738]

After your Newport video I was really considering an Electric motor as a kicker to troll for trout. After doing some research and obviously the pros and cons i went with an 8hp TOHATSU with electric start and a charging system. The technology is close for those of us who are trollers however its still lacks in my opinion for what I would use it for. Great videos Wayne!

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Thanks - that 8 hp Tohatsu sounds like a nice motor!

[@JasonSipe16]

My only electric motor is a 45lb thrust MinnKota with a deep cycle marine battery. These sound fun!

[@bizboomer]

Perhaps it would be helpful to compare the mechanical side of each motor: propeller hub @ shear pin - metal or plastic?, etc.. Since Newport V sold EPropulsion motors, it struck me when NV introduced theirs, that it may be a private label EProp unit. They also could have copied Epro with another manufacturer.

[@BrooklynAvenue]

Epropulsion, I've used it for years. Terrific an reliable. I have the model with remote control, and it allows for use with steering. Fun!

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Nice!

[@transsib]

Great video, as always. I have to admit, that even though I'm cheap and would like the longer range of the NT300 in combination with, let's say, a 36V 100 Ah battery, I am leaning towards the more expensive Spirit 1.0. The main reason is that I prefer to have an integrated battery over a separate battery which is taking up space in the already tiny dinghy. That the Spirit appears to be better made and that it shows all the relevant information on its display is another huge plus.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I think it's a better product. If you do eventually get one, don't forget to use my 5% discount code if you buy it through Tiny Boat Nation!

[@transsib]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy I will, just hoping that the promo code will still be active by the time I need it in spring...

[@andrewstone1868]

Just won my case against them in court.. Good luck to who buys this product

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Sorry to hear you had to resort to that. Are you willing to share more details?

[@mycoolo304]

Love your videos Wayne. I am considering an Epropulsion Spirit 1. Can I ask what was the top speed you got?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

So far it's been about 5.5 in my 14 foot aluminum boat but some people get 6 mph in other types of boats.

[@karlberardi4351]

Hi, up here in New England, where the season is short, any problem with a small outboard is ALWAYS FUEL. The advantage to just throwing a switch is obvious. Im beginning to see a few dinghies powered with electrics. For now they’re pretty much theft proof as any erstwhile small motor thief wouldn’t be caught dead with one. 😊

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

LOL

[@jamesmoore6424]

The newport is still better for a kayak... absolutely agree with everything you said though.

[@music-jj2pl]

The cabling would be weird if you use a 3rd party battery. Using their battery it goes from the tiller over the top towards the back of the tiller and connects to the battery. With a 3rd party it would go over forward towards the cockpit by going over the tiller and then wrap around under the tiller to where you put the battery? Basically the cable would be in the way of moving the tiller side to side???

[@WereAllThatBored]

Purchased the Newport with lead acid. If and when I need lithium I can get 100ah lithium and the run time will not be comparable.

[@fhorst41]

I've seen some homemade Frankenrude ™️ electric motors made using the lower ends of old boat motors and a replacement top end cobbled together to power them using electric motors that have impressed me as being much more powerful than the currently offered factory electric motors. Any thoughts on building one?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I've watched some videos on that subject and it seems there's often been two recurring themes: First - big challenges with cooling. Second - little to no followup content on the experiment working more than a few times. The exception being the work of @rctestflight

[@omieyouknowme]

Building one now myself. A 2kw bldc motor going thru a gearbox using less amps than a direct drive, at least that's the theory. Low speed switch pulls 6a and medium is 12a. 30a at full power. Waiting for smaller battery to arrive. So far I'm in it 140$ for motor and 300$ battery. I have a 8hp tohatsu kicker. It runs at idle 90 percent of time so this will replace it I hope, for small lakes. Big lakes i will use the gas kicker

[@crestedcarvings]

EP has the edge for sure, but no matter how you slice it, that motor is designed to run with that battery attached on the unit. You say it can run third party, but isn't it a very specific voltage? 36v is becoming very popular in the industry (Old Town ePDL uses that platform if I'm not mistaken). Do you remove the 20lb battery when connecting to the larger one? Does that leave the terminals exposed on the main unit or do you leave both connected? I would bet any amount of money that Torqeedo and EP come out with a similar version of the NT300 that is just the motor and connections.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

The ePropulsion battery is 48 volt and there is nothing that needs to be left exposed when using another battery. I plan to test this configuration in a future video.

[@crestedcarvings]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy good to know. I looked at the sprit 1.0 for about a year until I saw the NT300. I got a good deal with a 50ah battery- more than happy with my setup. Just nice to see other brands pushing in with other options. I just hope it doesn't get "flooded" like the ebike market, but good rule of thumb is "you get what you pay for"...

[@yhlee9498]

What happens when the cable that comes with the motor snaps. How easy it is to service it? I think a surface connector is more robust than a wire

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

These have been on the market for a few years now and they seem to be pretty robust.

[@richardowens9061]

So, do any of these electric trolling motors have a remote wireless control that could be clamped elsewhere on the boat - like on the front, so you could sit somewhere else to balance the boat?

[@Burghound56]

The ePropulsion Spirit EVO can be remotely controlled.

[@alanaugust8853]

These e-outboard motors would seem to be a really good application for a canoe, especially one with a flat stern, like an aluminum Grumman canoe. Would you agree?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yes they seem to do well on small boats. I have been looking around for a flat stern canoe to try this on!

[@thomaswalters5519]

I have restored a 1974 16 1/2 foot Lowe canoe and it has the transit. I used a trolling motor the first year. But this year got the E-proportion and I went from 2 mph to over 6 mph.

[@als2217]

I’ve used the Newport paired with the 40 amp battery 6 times on a 22 foot sailboat Pushed the boat 5 miles in calm conditions, on 25 percent power after a few days of light use. We never know how much life is left in the battery.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Have you tried the Newport phone app?

[@als2217]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy No, but I’ll look it up. Thanks!

[@AbbyNormalGarage]

I still don’t see the advantage. Your 2 stroke 3.3 mercury weighs 27 lbs. add in 16 pounds for a 2 gallon can your still 10 pounds lighter for same HP. When it runs out of gas you can refill it in less than 5 mins. In addition the price difference. New those 3.3’s were less than 1K. Even the fail stroke 3.5 is $1029 as of 8/21/23. So you end up paying 1K more for something that’s heavier, filled with techno junk, less run time, uses proprietary batteries and the only Pro is it’s quieter? Not to mention water and electronics don’t mix. What happens if this sinks? In salt water it’s fried. Your 2 stroke on the other hand. Pull the plug, crank the water out, make sure there’s no water in the fuel and your good to go.

[@mikestevens3506]

Well quite simply, some lakes prohibit the use of gas motors. So this would fit that niche extremely well

[@mrc1436]

Better for the planet. Quieter, and more efficient (quieter is a lot better!

[@AbbyNormalGarage]

@@mrc1436 your more than welcome to do what works best for you. I prefer the good tone of a 2 stroke, the power to weight ratio and so forth. The planet will be fine with my little contribution as it pales in comparison to the pollution the elites with their private jets, yachts and so forth. When they give up theirs I’ll consider giving up mine. I don’t know if electric is even better when you factor in the mines that produce the minerals for the batteries. The end user doesn’t see that.

[@mrc1436]

Drilling refining gas & Draining the planet of the oil that sits under us possibly acting as a lubricant for the crust that has taken millions of years to create are probably far worse than mining I think we all need to do more this is our only home

[@mrc1436]

Gas is also 4 times more expensive for the user than home charging

[@billbubnis3128]

what kind of engineer are you Wayne? LOL

[@slacktide_angler]

If there’s one thing I really would like to try is to run a Navy 3.0 with their largest battery available as a kicker motor pushing my 16’ fiberglass boat at 2.5mph(avg SoG with 1-3kts current going with and against) while dragging 2 15lb downrigger balls and 2 flashers down at 70ft deep. If there was anyway to get 5 hours of runtime, for less than $5k I think ePropulsion would open a door to a new customer base.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I think their biggest is the Navy 6.0 - but even that might be asking a lot of a 10 hp equivalent motor - But it would be a neat test!

[@williamdemay9446]

Could you get that motor with hands free foot pedal stearing?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

No, but the similar ePropulsion "Evo" model can be rigged up for remote steering/throttle operation.

[@williamdemay9446]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy thanks will look into that.

[@001Cherith]

I would keep the freedom of being able to use any third party battery, especially when a good deal is available, you can always go for a good lithium battery. With that freedom, you can also buy an additional set for extended range, which is not possible with eP

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

The ePropulsion also supports a third party battery. I plan to be testing that arrangement soon.

[@001Cherith]

Thanks for correcting me. If that is the case, then I'd say eP is probably a better engine as it is quieter, which often means better quality@@WayneTheBoatGuy

[@jckdnls9292]

That'll teach you to make statements without comparing head to head lol. I'll still hold on to my Newport trolling motor as it pushes my 14ft aluminum semi v hull 4mph in the bay in semi choppy condition with 5mph wind 2 adults cooler & fishing gear

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

That's awesome and something a regular trolling motor usually isn't able to do! Do you plan to relocate your battery to the front of the boat or do you keep yours close by?

[@jckdnls9292]

It's a regular trolling motor 80# which doesn't add to the speed but add to the torque which helps it keep it's speed even in choppy water. Empty boat just me goes at 4.6mph loaded 3.9 to 4.2 mph ..

[@sams2960]

I am considering an ePropulsion on the backend of a mini pontoon instead of a 5hp Honda. Why? no daily fuel costs, no carbon monoxide/gas fume issues, WAY lower fire hazard. I like the idea of the proprietary battery cause I can always buy a 2nd and if the first one runs out of juice, switching batteries shouldn't be an issue, if you drop it, it floats! No battery cables to trip on either and no worries about securing a separate battery wired to the motor in the boat to meet USCG/local regs. Yes I know it won't go as fast as it would with the 5 hp Honda but who buys a mini pontoon boat to go fast?

[@TR4zest]

Do it. You will love it.

[@ctibpo991]

Have you considered a 5hp propane Mercury/Tohatsu? A 20 pound tank would run for days. Not sure about the fire hazard vs lithium batteries, but you can put fire to good use by bringing a bbq and burgers. ;) Which will last 10 years?

[@Black-March]

The real competition is between Torqeedo and EPropulsion. EPropulsion has the bigger battery but Torqeedo is even quieter than EPropulsion and slightly lighter.

[@JosephMBoyer]

dang wayne just rolling in the free gear lol

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

If I could get Mercury to send me a few of those Verado 600s!

[@pwolkowicki]

Why are electric motors SO expensive? They were supposed to be cheaper than ICE due to simplicity of design and production !

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

It will be interesting to see how all of this evolves over the next several years.

[@mrc1436]

Gas costs 4 times what electricity does (savings). Maintenance is basically 0 again cheaper less pollution less mess less danger from carrying gas

[@pwolkowicki]

@@mrc1436 still no explanation. An electric motor is a very simple thing and as such it was advertised and you confirmed it. So why is it more expensive to purchase?

[@codyrivenburgh6007]

@@mrc1436maintenance still isn’t zero….. u have battery’s to charge every time u use it….And im sure some kind of basic maintenance on certain parts…… an ole 2 stroke on the opposite side of the spectrum of the clean water world u mix some gas and go…. Do lower unit oil change every now and then and a water pump replacement every few hrs or so and ur pretty much good forever ….. and the best part no saying oh no im low on battery I gotta go home and charge for a few hrs… just pull up to the marina get some gas and oil pour shake can and go back to fishing

[@alanploetz7100]

Economies of scale? My guess is the volume of production is miniscule compare to IC based engines. There is a lot of capital investment getting spread across a relatively small volume of product. Also, they can't buy raw materials in the volume of the big outboard manufacturers. It will be interesting to see if Torqeedo prices start to drop with Yamaha's buying power behind it.

[@leadreviewer3257]

Its awesome pricey but awesome

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Yeah the initial upfront cost is steep.

[@gjordan8800]

Do you need a special charger?

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Both the Newport and the ePropulsion came with their own battery chargers that are designed to charge these types of batteries.

[@gjordan8800]

I did not hear you mention that in the video

[@buddyrevell6369]

Now go down the other end of the spectrum and test out a hankai 48v electric outboard!

[@gnrrailroad1531]

I’ll keep my 2 strokes.

[@kennethlindahl9206]

Ripping one apart to relocate the speed control in a micro boat is to spendy Hmm I wonder if they just have the parts i need like the motor and prop alone with a speed control

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

They do offer some options for remote controls on some models on their web site but it can get pricy.

[@classicarcadeamusementpark4242]

The winner for me is the Torqeedo Travel. I've had one for about 10 years, and the Travel 1003 (now called 1103 pretty much same motor with very minor improvements) has been on the market at least 12 years. The 1003 & 1103 use the same batteries and most of the same accessories. 12 years later, you can still buy replacement batteries. Torqeedo service centers and local stores where you can buy parts & accessories are much wider distributed than either of these other 2 companies. Like most products, you will probably need servicing at some point, and getting that done with a Torqeedo is likely going to be much easier. We have a service center an hour from me, and stores that sell batteries and parts much closer. You pay a little more for Torqeedo, but I feel it's worth it.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

Use coupon code WAYNE at checkout to get 5% off of any purchase in the Tiny Boat Nation Shop! Use this link to get to the Tiny Boat Nation Shop - tbnation.net/?ref=wayne

[@ttnyny]

I watched Tiny Boat Nation review of 4 motors (3 of which they had on hand for field testing). I do not recall them disclosing in the review that they SELL the ePropulsion motor. It's possible that they did and I missed it, as it was a pretty long clip. However, that's a conflict of interest that should be disclosed prominently and perhaps a few times during a long review.

[@digitalalchemy6414]

I think there is more to consider in comparing the engines. especially with 3rd party batteries. I haven't found a price for the cable for 3rd party batteries on the epropulsion, and in most battery configs its more expensive. I can get 3x100ah lifepo4 batteries for about $750. Giving me over 3 times the range on as the newport battery for less money. I would have to 4 batteries at $1000 to do the same thing with the epropulsion, assuming the cables prices aren't astronomical. We also have next to know information on how well either oft them are going to handle larger external batteries on their on motor screens. On the other end... i could put together a little 20ah 36v for about $180, or 48v for $240. Not a lot of run time but a lot more economical than the $1000 batteries from newport or epropulsion. The epropulsion is more expensive and its quieter. Thats the only definites I get here.

[@ctibpo991]

Another nice score. Congrats. A 1000 watt motor is only 1-1/3hp - not 3hp. Let's not mislead people.

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

All of these outboards (Torqeedo, Newport, Mercury and ePropulsion) have similar wattage and are all advertised as 3 hp equivalent. I'm not sure how any of that is actually calculated, but since regular trolling motors are considered 1.5 hp equivalent, these are all faster and more powerful than a trolling motor.

[@ctibpo991]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy The calculation is very simple and universal: watts/745.7 = hp

[@XSAILOR65]

the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 is definitely not a 3hp equivalent engine, that is just BS. It might be a nice engine, but sure not 3HP. The propeller shaft does not know what is spinning it...On gas outboards power is measured from the propeller shaft. You can not fake to the shaft that it is powered by 1000w that its powered by 3hp:)

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I have no idea "how" they measure these, but several brands make 3 hp equivalent electric outboards and I assume they base it on providing similar speed and thrust.

[@XSAILOR65]

@@WayneTheBoatGuy Yes they do, but its not right. Wonder why electric car manufacturers are not saying 100 kwh electric motor is equivalent to a 300 hp combusting engine:) These electric outboard motors ar optimized for relative slow speed, those You can achieve with relatively small power usage/output. You can get a 3hp outboard to plane on a dinghy with reasonable weighted person, never seen that happening with the 3 hp equivalent electric outboards....They ar nice engines though, but the marketing is pretty horrendous.

[@Blue_Doge]

yea no way these are 1Kw motors, thats only 1.3ish hp, like you said if it was 3 hp there shouldn't be much problem getting on plane

[@omieyouknowme]

Glad this was brought up. None of these motors will plane a dingy. 750w = 1hp is general rule If 1300w = 3hp then someones math is off. 1300w be it 36v or 48v is still not 3hp I would love a real 3hp speed/range comparison Tohatsu Yamaha only make 2.5 and 3.5 HP motors not sure who makes a 3hp

[@XSAILOR65]

@@omieyouknowme Yamaha had a 2 stroke that was 3HP(Malta). Mercury had a 3.3hp 2 stroke(actually rebranded Tohatsu)

[@andrewstone1868]

1kw = 1.34 hp NOT 3hp Google it

[@bradhamer8108]

If you re gonna go that slow, why not buy a nice set of oars and get a little exercise?

[@bradhamer8108]

Or a sail😊

[@WayneTheBoatGuy]

I go out to relax - not to get a workout!

[@richardeverett1227]

A human body can only output about 300 watts continuously so a 1000 watt electric is like 3 people rowing. Got a Viking ship per chance?