Volvo Penta marks 30,000 IPS installs

IPS stands for Inboard Performance System, the name it gives its range of inboard engines that are fitted to a pod drive system rather than a traditional shaft drive.

Volvo Penta claims the IPS has helped owners reduce their fuel use and emissions by up to 30 per cent compared with a conventional input shaft-based system.

One fit-out to an Amer 94 superyacht resulted in a 45 per cent fuel saving for its owners compared with a more traditional shaft-drive under testing.

IPS was launched in 2005 featuring twin forward-facing, counter-rotating propellers sitting underneath the hull that Volvo Penta claims help to provide “incredible” grip on the water.

The system is linked to a joystick controller that can be mounted anywhere around the boat – most conventionally at the helm and optionally in the cockpit – that gives the skipper much more control when making low-speed maneuvers such as docking, recognised as one of the most stressful parts of large motor yacht ownership.

The IPS system also allowed larger boats to do something more traditional shaft drive models had only been able to do thanks to prop walk – crab sideways – thanks to the two pods rotating independently of each other to precisely control the direction of thrust.

Another advantage was the ability to corner at speed in a much tighter circle than a conventional shaft-driven model.

Over time, the simple joystick controller launched with the original system has evolved to offer much more functionality, such as the ability to automatically hold the boat at station in the water at the press of a button by tapping into the boat’s GPS system.

Something of an overnight sensation, the IPS system was showered with industry awards when it launched, and soon more than 100 were installed.

Over the years, the system has become even more popular with the addition of joystick steering and docking in 2006, followed by bigger pods and Volvo Penta's Dynamic Positioning System (DPS).

By 2009, 10,000 units were in use, and in 2015, more than 16,000 units had been sold, featuring in around 1100 boat models worldwide.

The pod drives also integrate with Volvo Penta’s unique Glass Cockpit system, which presents a clean, easy-to-use dashboard with an enhanced overview and greater control of both the engines and navigation.