Yanmar Marine International (YMI) has unveiled its E-Saildrive series, confirming the engine maker’s entrance into the electric propulsion market. The new product line aims to facilitate emission-free sailing for boats under 40 feet.

Launched at the recent Cannes Yachting Festival and Newport International Boat Show, the E-Saildrive range features a ‘plug and play’ design for straightforward installation. The system integrates gear, motor, motor controller, and cooling components into a single unit.

Available in three models — SDe7, SDe10, and SDe15 — the E-Saildrive offers power outputs up to 15kW. It’s designed as a drop-in replacement for Yanmar’s popular YM engine series, and requires no hull modifications for installation.

The E-Saildrive comes with a new control system featuring a 4.3-inch TFT display that is IPX7 waterproof and anti-fog coated. Control heads are available in inside or top-mount configurations.

Yanmar emphasises the E-Saildrive’s minimal maintenance requirements compared to combustion engines. The company’s global network of 2,000 distributors and dealers in 130 countries will support the new electric system.

Floris Lettinga, director of sales and marketing at Yanmar Marine International, explains the launch as a key step in reducing sailing’s environmental impact: “Our integrated system has a host of innovative features to provide boaters an easy switch to 100 per cent emissions-free sailing. We are confident in the E-Saildrive’s engineering and will work with our network of dealers and distributors to ensure that technical support is available worldwide.”

The introduction of the E-Saildrive and entry into the electric propulsion segments represents Yanmar’s effort to adapt to the growing demand for low-emission boating solutions. At the beginning of this year, the firm unveiled its plans to develop an experimental hydrogen-powered four-stroke high-speed marine engine for coastal vessels in Japan.

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Image courtesy of Yanmar.

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