Order books open for Yamaha HARMO electric outboard motor
First European deliveries of HARMO, Yamaha’s first-ever electric outboard motor, to start next yearYamaha has officially opened the order book for its HARMO next-gen electric outboard motors, with the first European orders expected to be delivered in the first half of next year.
Five years after it was first shown in concept form, the electric drive system consisting of a rim-drive motor connected to a remote steering control system is finally ready for sale, Yamaha announced.
Yamaha said the HARMO system was “developed with the aim of providing a smart package boat that brings passengers more comfort due to the quietness unique to that of electric motors”.
“With a focus on Europe, where environmental awareness is ever-increasing, HARMO has been exhibited as a prototype in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 2016, and Dusseldorf, Germany in January 2020, where it attracted a lot of attention,” Yamaha said.
“A great deal of insight was also gained through initiatives such as the promotion of demonstration operations on the Otaru Canal Cruise in Otaru City, Hokkaido which started from August 2020.”
Yamaha said the rim drive unit, which spins the propeller inside a fixed hub, was a “highly efficient electric propulsion” with strong thrust generated at low speeds. According to Yamaha, the electric drive system was tested with boats up to 21 feet in length.
It said HARMO’s operation was intuitive, with the joystick steering system’s large rudder angle enabling on-the-spot turning, “providing a greater sense of enjoyment and unity with the boat”.
Similar to Yamaha’s Helm Master system developed for its conventionally fuelled outboard engine range, a HARMO system fitted with multiple electric outboard motors can crab sideways through the water at the tilt of the joystick, helping with difficult berthing or docking manoeuvres.
The joysticks for the single and dual motor applications have been adapted from the Helm Master EX system for single outboard engineers, and the Helm Master system developed for multiple engine applications.
Similar to a conventional outboard engine, the HARMO outboard motor attaches to the boat’s transom. The unit can tilt up out of the water when not in use, minimising maintenance.
The HARMO system is currently only available as an option on the Respiro by Venmar, an Italian private use and taxi boat maker based in Venice – a market where the electric motor will make a big difference.
The Respiro is built from carbon fibre and mahogany, with the completed hull weighing just 700kg.
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