There are many reasons: the ones that stand out are quietness, clean, reliable, fun and cool.
Quiet
An internal combustion engine (ICE) using diesel or gas, runs using an explosion cycle where thousands of small explosions occur every second. Each explosion creates a lot of noise, which needs to be muffled.
An electric motor operates using magnetic fields to make one part spin around inside another part. No explosions and thus very quiet.
When people take their first trip in an electric boat, they often comment on how peaceful and quiet it feels compared to traditional boats. If you enjoy the sound of the waves, wind, and nature when you're out on a sailing boat, you'll probably enjoy the silence of an electric boat too.
Clean
Every time an explosion occurs in an combustion motor, exhaust is created that must be removed so the motor can take in more fuel and air for the next explosion. That car emissions contain chemicals that aren't good for you and CO2, which has been found to not be good for our planet.
Since an electric motor has no combustion, it has no exhaust, no noxious fumes and does not emit CO2. Nor does it have any oil or gas to spill into the water.
Reliable & Low Maintenance
A combustion motor has thousands of moving parts that have to be perfectly timed with the explosions that make the motor spin, with the fuels coming in and mixing with air in the exact proportions to create those explosions and with the system that expels the fumes when the fuel has been burnt.
An electric motor, like the Axial Flux motors we use, has basically those two moving parts: the part that stays still (the stator) and the part that turns (the rotor).
Our electric motors don't require new spark plugs, or tune ups, or winterising. They are not zero maintenance engines, but it is pretty close.
Our motors also last longer than combustion engines because they are not constantly being subjected to the heat and vibration of thousands of explosions.
Fun
Many boats are fun, but many people are discovering every day that the quietness, lack of fumes, freedom from maintenance and the pleasant feeling of knowing that they are not emitting carbon or exhaust gases into the atmosphere gives them more fun they have had in their gas or diesel boat.
We have tried to make them fun to operate as well. Out interfaces are not complex and show you all the information you need.
Cool
When you buy something, you know it has something to say about you. If you're buying an expensive item, like a boat, then you want it to be representative of who you are.
Having an electric boat is cool. It's new, it's tech, it's green, It means you care about the environment.
If you buy an electric motor, then you are ahead of the curve and people will be asking you about it. It is fun to be the first and share your experiences with others.
We have created a lengthy article that may help to answer even more questions related to electric boating. You can find the article here: The ABC of Electric Boating — The most important questions answered.