Brunswick Launches New Electric Outboards, Boats at CES
Jan 9, 2022
By Craig Ritchie
Avator 7.5e
Brunswick Corporation took the interesting step of launching an all-new range of Mercury electric outboard motors and a completely new boat brand designed with electric propulsion in mind last week – not at a boat show, but at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
Brunswick made the announcements at a packed press conference held during the pre-show media preview, with dozens of journalists from all around the world in attendance. After providing an overview of Brunswick’s business operations, CEO David Foulkes formally introduced the much anticipated Mercury Avator 7.5e electric outboard motor.
Avator on Lund WC12
Intended for use on small boats like tenders, jon boats, inflatables and kayaks, the Avator 7.5e outboard generates 750W of power at the propshaft, allowing it to produce similar speed and acceleration as a Mercury 3.5 horsepower four-stroke outboard. The Avator 7.5e will be offered in a choice of either tiller or remote steering variants.
Now available for order with dealer deliveries expected to begin in late winter, the Avator 7.5e – the full production version of the concept prototype that was shown at the 2022 Miami International Boat Show – is the first model in what is planned as a series of electric outboard products to be released this year. Brunswick is also showing examples of larger Avator 20e and 35e outboards in its CES display, with these models launching in time for this year’s Miami show.
“We’re going to have five motors introduced by the end of this year,” said Mercury Marine president, Chris Drees. “We’re officially introducing the Avator 7.5e today, and we have the 20e and 35e in our display booth for release later this month.”
The Avator is powered by an internally mounted, 48-volt, 1 kWh battery developed by Brunswick’s MasterVolt business unit. The battery, which is designed to be easily swapped on the fly, is drop-tested and rated to IP67 waterproof standard.
David Foulkes introduces Avator at CES
“People will most likely have two batteries,” explained Drees. “You can just go to a bigger battery, but of course the larger it is the heavier it gets, and this motor is designed for use on smaller boats. So the batteries are easily interchangeable – it’s plug and play, you just slip one out and pop the other one back in. Then one battery can charge while the other is in use. They’re very easy to switch out and are quite manageable in terms of size and weight.”
Additional features in the Avator 7.5e include a quick-connect mounting system and intuitive controls designed to provide easy, familiar operation, while an integrated full-color display tracks battery level and range. A free, companion Mercury Marine app, available for iOS and Android devices, includes a library of tutorials and the ability to connect with a preferred dealer for expert support. Adding a Mercury SmartCraft Connect module to the outboard unlocks advanced features like a GPS map and the ability to track speed, battery level, outboard hours and system notifications.
In addition to launching its new electric motor range, Brunswick delighted its CES audience by officially introducing its new Veer boat brand, designed from the keel up with electric propulsion systems in mind.
Avator with companion app
Designed by Brunswick’s Lund Boats engineering team, Veer launches with the 13-foot X13 model positioned as a natural fit with its new Avator outboards. Like the larger models of electric motor, additional Veer boat models are also planned for introduction later this year.
Brunswick CEO David Foulkes noted that Veer product offers unique features aimed at driving demand for electric boats, beginning with being produced from rotomolded polyethylene. “Polyethylene is extremely durable, and it allows us to have a lot of really cool features, the coolest of which is that it’s affordable – because a lot of electric products is not. We need to make electric boating affordable, in order for it to be sustainable and commercially viable. That is what Veer does.”
The company notes that retail pricing for the Veer X13 starts at under US$12,000, with boats expected to begin shipping in spring 2023.
