Nov 13, 2016

At the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show last week, Volvo Penta introduced their new Battery Management Solution, the e-Key Remote, that makes unlocking and starting a boat, a lot like starting a car. In fact the boat’s whole driveline can be controlled with just one key, which can be used remotely.

The new Battery Management Solution also includes a number of other innovative features for improving safety, uptime and security. It is all in line with Volvo Penta’s philosophy of ‘easy boating’.

e-Key Remote: a car-like experience

The e-Key Remote is the first key on the market that is connected and integrated into the boat’s entire driveline. No need to search for ignition keys and circuit breakers – both are easily controlled remotely from as far away as 100 meters. It is also possible to connect additional electrical equipment to the same remote key, such as lights, gangway or windlass – which can then be switched on before you even step foot onboard.

The e-Key Remote also provides effective theft protection since every e-Key is connected to the vessel with a unique identifier. Only a valid key can be used to operate the system, and a vessel can be paired with up to four e-Keys.

“The e-Key Remote offers much greater ease and convenience when it comes to unlocking and starting a boat, as well as much greater security from theft,” says PetterAndolf, Chief Project Manager for the Battery Management Solution and e-Key Remote. “In fact the experience feels much closer to operating a car. When approaching the boat from the jetty one simple press on the e-Key Remote will authorize the user, switch on the battery supply and power up the electrical vessel control system (EVC). Once onboard, just start the engine and you can cast off! When leaving the boat, one press on the e-Key Remote will power down the system to a locked state and switch off the battery supply.”   

Easy, trouble-free boating

The Battery Management Solution includes a number of smart features for enabling simple, trouble-free boating. For example, if the start battery is weak, the Start Aid function will automatically borrow energy from the auxiliary battery. The system also provides alerts on battery health and statuses, as well as all diagnostic information so that potential issues can be handled preemptively.

Battery Management: full control of battery status

Today many boats need multiple voltage meters for its many batteries, which are often located in different places. With the Battery Management Display, all this information and more can be accessed in one display in the boat’s cockpit at any time. The same information is also available in the ordinary user display at the helm when powered up. This includes voltage, current flows, time to full/empty and status of battery health.

Easy boating

The concept of ‘easy boating’ is the driving force behind all of Volvo Penta’s product innovations, including the Battery Management Solution, which has been designed and developed with the sole aim of making owning and operating a boat simpler.

Since the fully-integrated unit includes all the necessary switches, connections, fuse holders, cables, guards and charge distributors, even the most complex installations are simple and easy. This also enables a reduction in the number of components, wiring harnesses and connection points – and by extension fewer sources of potential failure. For boats owners, the result is a more complete and robust system – and more time spent out on the water.