Converting an R21EC to electric propulsion?

H

hwhayes

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 16, 2019
Messages
128
Location
Athens Georgia
Fluid Motion Model
R-27 Classic
Vessel Name
NightHeron
I am interested in exploring the possibility of converting our 2015 Ranger R21EC to electric propulsion.

There is an increasing presence on the web of companies who offer the hardware to accomplish this modification. I would like to know if any members have explored this, or have information about the topic.

From what I've read the R21EC might be an ideal size and design to make it feasable.

I realize I would be giving up range over the diesel with a full tank, but depending upon what range is possible with electric we might be OK with the reduction.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Maybe the factory should think about bringing the R21 back in electric form?
Thanks
 
The vendor I was looking at was Elco Electric Motors.
Unfortunately they don’t have a 30 hp motor. They do make
a 20 hp and a 40 hp. Waiting for price to come down and
range to go up.
 
Search.... "Ranger/Martini" and there may be a Facebook group ?

If you want any appreciable range you may want to consider more of a hybrid. (small diesel generator + batterypower), otherwise the amount of battery you need could get wayyy to heavy. Maybe check the specs from electric boat builders like Duffy
 
Thanks to all for the comments thus far.

I'm still researching this option although, as has been noted and as I have found in my research, the limiting factor seems to be having enough batteries and whether the R21EC can accommodate them. Newer battery technology may ultimately address this issue.

For those who share this interest I found a good web site in Canada that has lots of information and related links. Here's the link to the PlugBoats site:
https://plugboats.com/
The author has a good e-book that gives a great overview of electric power oriented for boating. I will post more as I learn but please continue to contribute if you would like to share your experiences.
Thanks again
 
There are a couple of battery powered boats used it the Water Taxi fleet in the inner harbour of Victoria on Vancouver Island. Not sure of the name but they look to be roughly the size of the R21-EC, maybe a little wider. They have been there for at least 3-4 years. The next time I'm down in the city I will stop by and talk to the operators to get a little info,,speed, battery life, charge time etc etc.

There's also a small airline down there, Harbour Air, that's testing a battery powered float plane for their runs from here to Vancouver, Seattle and other short runs on the island. Not sure if they have passed the test flight phase and are now seeking regulatory approval but it's been on the go for a couple of years now.
 
I started down this path as well to have a quieter ride in the cockpit from the reverberations of the diesel. Elco has some nice products and a good website for understanding the cost really quickly.
If you are a couple hour/day then back to land for a charge I think this is doable with the R21. The weight balance of the fuel/diesel/starting battery was close to needed motor/LI batteries. The challenge comes in for longer cruises or powering up fridge/AC for any length of time. A solar panel on the bimini will help maintain the batteries and balance out some of the electronics while in motion.
Ultimately the cost exceeded the "nice to have" features at the time.
 
We are hoping to take delivery of a 2012 R25 this month so I'm new here. Saw this thread and wanted to add my 2 cents.
I have been involved in EV's for the last 35 years and retired in 2020. I did some of the pre delivery rigging on those Victoria taxi boats, mostly battery install and monitoring systems. I also worked on the protection Island ferry conversion in Nanaimo harbor and some sail boats. One installation that may be of interest here was a charter fishing boat out of Port Alberni BC. It had a big smelly diesel main engine and the owner wanted to have a quiet electric drive for trolling. With some fabrication he added a tooth belt pulley to the main shaft and then mounted a 6HP electric motor that was belt driven to the shaft. The AC drive motors can either run as a motor or a generator so when trolling he ran the motor to drive the boat and when getting back to the marina he ran the motor as a generator to charge the batteries. I programed the motor controller to have variable charging (regen) controlled from a knob on the dash. The recharge voltage limit was set low so the batteries could never be overcharged and then they were topped up when plugged into shore power with a smart charger. To run the 12V system we just use a DC-DC converter off the main battery pack so you have lots of 12V power.
 
Bumping reply delayed in moderation queue.
 
Thanks Cutwater 28GG, the electric outboard option may be worth looking at, I will be contacting the company with more questions. I have a Torqeedo outboard that I have been thinking of mounting on the swim platform just as a test case and to use while slowly moving around an anchorage. It has a remote throttle I can mount in the cabin and if the motor is locked in place I can use the rudder and bow thruster to steer. One thing I need to explore is how sturdy the swim platform is and how it might be reinforced. I think the 4hp equivalent Torqeedo probably would not be a problem but this company sells 25-50hp electric outboards which I am sure would need a better mounting platform. Thanks again to all who have responded, the quest continues.
 
Evguy1 said:
We are hoping to take delivery of a 2012 R25 this month so I'm new here. Saw this thread and wanted to add my 2 cents.
I have been involved in EV's for the last 35 years and retired in 2020. I did some of the pre delivery rigging on those Victoria taxi boats, mostly battery install and monitoring systems. I also worked on the protection Island ferry conversion in Nanaimo harbor and some sail boats. One installation that may be of interest here was a charter fishing boat out of Port Alberni BC. It had a big smelly diesel main engine and the owner wanted to have a quiet electric drive for trolling. With some fabrication he added a tooth belt pulley to the main shaft and then mounted a 6HP electric motor that was belt driven to the shaft. The AC drive motors can either run as a motor or a generator so when trolling he ran the motor to drive the boat and when getting back to the marina he ran the motor as a generator to charge the batteries. I programed the motor controller to have variable charging (regen) controlled from a knob on the dash. The recharge voltage limit was set low so the batteries could never be overcharged and then they were topped up when plugged into shore power with a smart charger. To run the 12V system we just use a DC-DC converter off the main battery pack so you have lots of 12V power.
Click to expand...
This sounds like the ideal solution. I think in the R21 you could remove the house batteries in the motor compartment and have plenty of room to add the tooth belt pulley + motor. I assume you could run the house electric and the drive motor off the same battery pack, stepping the voltage down for the house stuff. I'd love to pick your brain on the motor control stuff, especially the regen programming.
 
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