Mercury teases Avator, its electric outboard motor brand

Launched at the 2022 Miami International Boat Show, which kicked off yesterday, and hinting that Mercury’s upcoming line of electric outboard motors will fall under the Avator sub-brand, our first look at Mercury’s future is a lightweight tiller-steer device with a design that does little to buck conventional outboard engine aesthetics.

It will take on established brands including first mover Torqueedo, which already dominates the low-powered outboard motor market up to 80hp globally.

Like the Torqueedo, Mercury’s outboard motor appears to have a built-in power source – there are no plugs or leads suggesting you need to lug along a separate battery – and can lift out of its steering yoke suggesting it is light enough to lump into the back of a car.

Mercury also has shown that it will build in the ability to hot-swap batteries on the go via a panel on top of the motor that lifts up – great for anyone who suffers from the so-called range anxiety that dampened interest in modern-day electric cars early in their development.

Controls – built onto the front face of the motor rather than on the tiller – include a power button, two toggle buttons and an “enter” button, suggesting the Avator outboard motor will have a number of pre-programmed running modes selected via the large built-in colour LCD screen that may include everything from trolling at ultra-low speeds to automatically maximising range.

The images show a lean and long 12.4-inch diameter 9P propeller, hinting that this concept outboard motor is quite low-powered, probably around the 10hp mark at most. Mercury said the initial concept was for “small, easily transportable vessels”.

“Avator creates a new boating experience for Mercury’s global customers combining an investment in electrification with more than 80 years of expertise in the marine industry,” Mercury said in a statement announcing the new electric motor.

“Leveraging Mercury's leadership and reputation for hydrodynamics, corrosion resistance, reliability, and industrial design, the Avator concept will deliver a superior user experience for a wide range of vessels and activities.”

Mercury Marine product development and engineering vice-president Tim Reid said the Avator range of marine motors would help to expand the brand “into new applications”.

“We believe features like easily changeable batteries and quiet operation hold great appeal for current and prospective boaters,” Reid said.

“We expect our breadth of electric offerings to expand over time, and we will continue to listen to consumer feedback and monitor adoption trends.”

Mercury flagged its move into electric outboard engines earlier this year when it announced it would provide cutting-edge high-performance outboard motors for the E1 Series, a global race program that will race battery-powered foiling monohull boats against each other.

Under the class rules, the boats will use a 35kWh battery to feed a 150kW electric outboard motor, pushing the foiling boats along at a top speed of around 50 knots.

The first race is scheduled to take place in 2023.

Mercury Australia was asked for comment.