With sales of $49.3 billion in 2020, recreational boating is a huge industry. 

It’s an industry primed for disruption. 

I got to see that disruption first hand earlier this year at the Miami International Boat Show, the biggest boating and yachting event in the world, drawing more than 100,000 visitors. 

When I stepped off the dock at the show onto a prototype boat, I stepped onto a floating example of the future of recreational boating.

As we got underway, I experienced a full demonstration of what an electric boat can do.

I’ve seen outboard technology change a lot over the years. From two-stroke motors to four-stroke, as well as a proliferation of electronics ranging from improved depth finders to GPS units. 

At the boat show six months ago, I saw what was coming next: The electrification of the recreational boating market with a high-performance outboard drive that uses battery power rather than gasoline. 

While people have been building electric boat motors for more than 100 years, what no one has been able to do is develop the energy storage technology and software to make a high-performance outboard motor practical.

Even in the recreational market, we’ve long seen things like low-powered electric trolling motors and even slow-moving all-electric boats. Over the years, some have tried, and failed, to develop an exciting, high-performance battery electric system. The battery technology and power control technology just haven’t been there.

But that’s starting to change now… 

Electric boats enjoy several advantages, and not just in the emissions department. Maintenance is a key advantage for electric systems. Boaters are well aware of the hassle and expense of maintaining traditional boat powertrains. One running joke is that “boat” is merely an acronym for “break out another thousand.” Another is that a boat is a “hole in the water where you pour all your money.” The point is simple: it’s expensive to keep a boat in good running condition.

However, just as with automobiles, boats with electric powertrains should enjoy much lower maintenance costs. Electric systems are much less complex in terms of moving parts than their internal combustion counterparts, meaning there’s a lot less stuff to wear out, break or maintain.

Fuel efficiency is a big deal as well. Boats don’t get anywhere near the same fuel economy automobiles do. Pushing a boat through the water involves overcoming a lot more friction than pushing a car down the road. Moreover, you lose more energy turning a propeller to produce thrust than you do driving wheels on the ground. With fuel prices rising and looking to stay elevated for a while, avoiding pain at the pump is a definite plus.

Most recreational boaters don’t use their boats daily. It’s more of a weekend activity. So a lot of charging-related worries go away if you’ve got most of the week to recharge at the marina or in your driveway.

The same way that electric vehicles are revolutionizing the automobile industry, I expect the same to happen in the recreational boating industry. I’m definitely looking forward to what the electrification of recreational boating has in store.