Yamaha has announced that their innovative rim drive electric outboard will enter the US market within 18 months. READ MORE….
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Yamaha says its proprietary electric outboard propulsion system, introduced as a concept at the 2016 METSTRADE Show and having recently completed testing in Japan, will be available in the US market within 18 months.
The engine had its first public showing at the Genoa International Boat Show last week.
“Harmo is the perfect system for horsepower or internal-combustion restricted waterways,” said Yamaha Marine US business unit president Ben Speciale. “Ultimately, it is up to our boatbuilder customers to decide how to integrate it into their boats, and we are eager to see the result.”
Utilising a rim drive electric motor that turns a large four-blade impeller, Harmo mounts to the outside of the boat transom in a low-profile housing that more closely resembles a sterndrive than a traditional outboard. Integrated digital electric steering (DES) and Yamaha’s Helm Master EX joystick provide a 140-degree total steering angle for what the company describes as exceptional handling and control.
The system can rotate a single-engine boat within its length and allow true lateral operation in a twin-motor configuration. A 74-degree tilt angle helps keeps the impeller clear of the water when not in use.
Powered by a high-yield, low-drag 3.7kW motor and 48V battery, Yamaha’s Harmo generates 225 pounds of static thrust, giving it a power output roughly equivalent to that of a 9.9hp gasoline outboard. Run time is dictated by battery number, size and type. Available in single or twin motor configurations, the Harmo motor unit weighs 121 pounds, and the system can effectively manoeuvre boats up to 32ft in most conditions.
While used extensively in thrusters, Yamaha says Harmo is the first outboard to adopt the rim drive technology. Initially, the motors will be sold only to boatbuilders as OEM equipment rather than through dealers or refit yards.
