Does hydrogeneration work on a motorboat, or only under sail?

Hydrogeneration on the Spirit 2 works on any vessel that is moving through the water with the motor in neutral—not just sailboats. The propeller spins as water flows past it, generating electricity through the motor acting as a generator.

In practice, however, hydrogeneration is most useful on sailboats, where the wind provides propulsion and the motor can be left in neutral for extended periods. On a motorboat, you would need a separate source of propulsion (such as a second motor) to move the boat while the Spirit 2 generates, which is an uncommon setup.

Hydrogeneration requires a minimum boat speed of 4 knots to generate meaningful power, and is automatically disabled above 19 knots to prevent overcharging. Hydrogeneration requires a genuine ePropulsion battery—it does not work with third-party batteries. It will also automatically stop once the battery reaches 90% charge.