Spirit 2

The ePropulsion Spirit 2 is a complete overhaul of the decade-old (and world’s most popular electric outboard) Spirit line. With twice the power, a bigger battery and a some really nice design innovations that provide some great quality-of-life improvements, the Spirit 2 keeps the same portable, lightweight design (still about 20kg/44lbs) and near-silent operation. Designed for dinghies, yacht tenders, inflatables, and smaller sailboats, the Spirit 2 is engineered for for anglers, adventurers, and small-craft owners who want strong performance without the noise, fumes, unreliability or hassle of gas motors.

Like all ePropulsion motors, the Spirit 1.0 Plus is suitable for freshwater and saltwater, and because it requires no gasoline, it provides clean power with no emissions, no oil slicks and no noxious fumes. Stow in the trunk of your car without worry of spills or smell. It’s also virtually maintenance-free, requiring only a freshwater rinse after use in saltwater.

Like the Spirit 1.0 Plus/Evo, it still offers excellent acceleration and instant torque at all RPMs, with low vibration and near-silent operation. The Spirit 2 has a direct drive motor so there’s only one moving part (no friction noise).

More power, boost mode, bigger and easier battery

The Spirit 2 has an upgraded 2kW (2,000 Watts) motor which is the rough equivalent to 5hp. It also offers a “boost” mode, increasing output to 3,000W for short bursts when you need extra push, which is enough to get a small dinghy up on a plane.

The motor is paired with a 1,536Wh quick connect battery, 20% larger than the Spirit 1.0 Plus/Evo battery and the largest of any integrated battery among all electric outboards in the same class. Unlike the Spirit 1.0 Plus/Evo, the battery now just slides into place at a very well thought-out angle, locking into place with a satisfyingly mechanical lever action. It is then connected, ready to go with no need to attach any cables. This slide-in system makes attaching and detaching the battery super quick and easy, even when you’re in a dinghy and it’s a bit wobbly. The recessed port that connects the battery to the motor is replaceable, in the event it gets damaged or corroded. A built-in cover protects this port, so that should never happen.

The battery carries a UN3480 safety certification.

Built to last with 1,000+ charge cycles at normal discharge levels, the battery can be charged from any standard 110V outlet or charge with the optional solar panel charger (even while motor is running) or from any 12V source with the optional 12V charger  (neither have been officially released yet).

Another nice new feature is the inclusion of four built-in LEDs near the handle allowing you to check the charge status of the Spirit 2 battery without attaching it to the motor. A 45w USB-C output port keeps things like fish finders and lights powered and smartphones charged.

Like all ePropulsion motors (except the eLite), the Spirit 2 can be powered by compatible 3rd-party 48V lithium-ion batteries via an external battery adapter (not yet available), or any of the excellent largee-capacity ePropulsion batteries like the E60 or E163 LiFePO₄ batteries.

Hydrogeneration

Hydrogeneration is built into the Spirit 2. Under sail and traveling at a minimum of 3 knots, the motor can recharge the battery. Like regenerative braking on a Tesla, this extends the runtime/range by recharging the battery while sailing. As such, the Spirit 2 is ideally suited to sailboats up to 2,200kg/5,000lbs. Note that hydrogeneration only works with ePropulsion batteries.

Easier installation and better portability

The quick-connect battery instantly splits the weight of the motor in half (both the motor and the battery weigh about 10kg/22lbs). Carrying over a very popular feature from the eLite (albeit massively beefed up), the Spirit 2 can be removed from the clamp bracket at the push of a button. This reduces the weight of the motor when you’re passing it to someone when installing or removing it from the boat. It also allows you to leave the clamp permanently attached to the transom (as it’s not likely to be stolen) so only the motor and battery need to be removed. To install, just place on top of the clamp bracket and it self-locks into place. Installation or removal takes literally a couple seconds.

The clamp bracket itself is much beefier and more robust than the equivalent on the Spirit 1.0 Plus/Evo.

Another feature borrowed from the eLite is the ability to fold the tiller down and quickly lock into place so it’s parallel with the motor shaft. Holding the end of the tiller handle the motor is balanced, making transporting with one hand almost effortless.

Greatly improved ergonomics

The design of the tiller has thoughtfully considered for the Spirit 2. First, the length is adjustable, allowing you to extend by an additional 25cm for better reach. The tiller angle can be set horizontal (as you’d use it most of the time), vertically downward in line with the shaft (for carrying or storage), and at 45° above horizontal—useful if you are steering standing up. You can also angle it vertically upwards to get it out of the way. All tiller position adjustments are done with a simple locking mechanism on the side of the tiller or you can leave the tiller in “free mode” allowing any angle between -90° and 80°.

The Spirit 2’s display has been upgraded—it’s now a larger, full colour LCD screen and easily readable in direct sunlight. It also includes a built-in GPS, providing a richer array of information:

• Speed in knots, miles per hour or kilometres
• Distance travelled
• Battery charge and remaining range
• Current power output
• Current direction (forward or reverse) or neutral

Rather than a pin system (requiring a separate pin that would often get lost), to lock the rotation (steering lock) there’s now a simple toggle switch for when you’re using the Spirit 2 on a boat with it’s own rudder.

The Spirit 2 clamp bracket does have a part-way-up shallow water drive angle, and can be tilted much higher than previous models (useful when you’ve landed your dinghy on a beach for example). Shallow water trimming (allowing the motor to freely tilt up if the shaft or skeg strikes something under water) is now simpler with an easily-accessible toggle switch. The tilt-release lever is also more accessible, allowing you to easily tilt the motor out of the water at a 70° tilt, and now also a 90° tilt, great for when the beach is a steeper incline or rocky.

Remote control is possible with the Spirit 2—it can be connected to the wireless top-mount throttle control or the side-mount throttle, and the wireless safety wristband. A version without a tiller for remote steering applications is also available.

Finally, there’s a new anti-theft tab on the motor, which allows you to lock the motor on your boat with a chain, without requiring a 3rd-party lock. The battery can also be locked with a chain through the battery handle.

Optimized propeller & performance

A new, streamlined, composite propeller design with a 240mm diameter is optimized for better hydrodynamics, rotating at 2000 RPM. It’s extremely efficient and designed for smooth thrust, strong acceleration and low drag.