How long can I cruise on an electric motor? Real-world tests

How long can I cruise on an electric motor? Real-world tests

This is one ofthe most common questions asked by anyone considering an electric motor:
“How long will the battery last?”
“How many kilometers can I cover?”

And these are very good questions, because with electric propulsion, we don't talk about fuel consumption in liters, but about energy consumption in kW and running time. Fortunately, this can be predicted very accurately – much more accurately than fuel consumption in a combustion engine.

In this article, I will share real-world tests on boats equipped with ePropulsion motors and G102-100 as well as G102-230 batteries, so you can see what it looks like in practice, not just in a brochure.

ePropulsion Logo – manufacturer of modern electric motors

How long can I cruise on the G102-100 battery?

The G102-100 battery has about 10.2 kWh of energy. If we have two batteries in the system - we have about 20.5 kWh of energy.

The simplest way to calculate it is like this:

Power consumption Running time (2x G102-100 )
2 kW approx. 10 hours
4 kW approx. 5 hours
6 kW approx. 3.5 hours
10 kW approx. 2 hours
20 kW approx. 1 hour

These are, of course, approximate values, but they perfectly illustrate one important thing:

Range with an electric motor depends mainly on speed, not just on the battery itself.

Real-world examples

Check how the parameters of different boats affect the range. Click on a selected boat to see the details:

Maxima 630 (2024)
Maxima 630

Maxima 630 (2024) - a compact electric boat with an X20 motor

Length:
6.10 m
Beam:
2.30 m
Total weight:
1344 kg
Motor:
20 kW
Battery used: 2 × G102-100
Boston Whaler 13 (1960)
Boston Whaler 13

Boston Whaler 13 (1960) - a smaller electric boat with an X12 motor

Length:
4.06 m
Beam:
1.65 m
Total weight:
347 kg
Motor:
12 kW
Battery used: 1 × G102-100
Prins 555 Open (2023)
Prins 555 Open

Prins 555 Open (2023) - a typical 5-6 meter recreational boat with an X20 motor

Length:
5.55 m
Beam:
2.30 m
Total weight:
1087 kg
Motor:
20 kW
Battery used: 2 × G102-100

Does a heavy boat with a small electric motor make sense? The Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695 example

A very interesting example from real-world tests is the Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695. This is already a typical, relatively heavy cabin cruiser, yet it was equipped with a relatively small electric motor and one battery.

Click to see details:

Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695 (2025)
Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695

Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695 (2025) - a heavy cabin cruiser with an X12 motor

Length:
6.55 m
Beam:
2.54 m
Total weight:
approx. 1629 kg
Motor:
12 kW
Battery used: 1 × G102-100

What does this example show in practice?

This is a very important example because it shows something that many people don't know:
Increasing power in a heavy displacement boat does not result in a large increase in speed, but it drastically shortens the running time.

Consider this:
  • we increase the power from 1 kW to 5 kW (5 times more power),
  • speed increases only from 7.4 km/h to 10.1 km/h,
  • but running time drops from 10 hours to 2 hours.

Meaning:
  • +2.7 km/h of speed
  • -8 hours of running time

This perfectly shows why displacement and recreational boats are mostly driven at an economical speed, rather than maximum.

Takeaway for the user

Using this boat as an example, it is very clear:
  • a heavy boat does not need a very large motor for recreational cruising,
  • you can cruise at 8-10 km/h for several hours even on a single battery,
  • increasing power beyond a certain point gives a small increase in speed, but very high energy consumption.

Therefore, with electric propulsion, the most important thing is not 'how big the motor is', but:
  • how heavy the boat is,
  • what the waterline length is,
  • what speed you want to cruise at,
  • how long you want to cruise.

And only on this basis are the motor and battery capacity selected.

This example educates the customer very well and at the same time shows the sense of 96V systems - especially in recreational, cabin, and displacement boats.

Does the larger G102-230 battery make a big difference?

Yes - a very big one.

The G102-230 battery has more than twice the capacity of the G102-100 . So if you use two G102-230s instead of two G102-100s , then:
  • instead of 4 hours, you cruise for approx. 8-9 hours,
  • instead of 2 hours, you cruise for approx. 4 hours,
  • instead of 1 hour, you cruise for approx. 2 hours.

In practice, this means the boat can operate all day without charging.

Why do some cruise for 1 hour and others for 10 hours on the same battery?

Because speed is the most important factor.

Power demand increases very quickly with speed. We can simplify this:

Cruising style Power consumption Running time
Very slow 1-2 kW 10-20 h
Recreational 3-6 kW 3-6 h
Fast 8-12 kW 1.5-2.5 h
Maximum 15-20 kW approx. 1 h

And this is the most honest answer to the question: How long can I cruise on an electric motor?

As long as the speed you want to cruise at allows.

Summary - how long will the G102 battery really last?

For a typical 5-7 m recreational boat:

Batteries Leisurely cruising Normal cruising Fast cruising
1 × G102-100 4-6 h 2-3 h approx. 1 h
2 × G102-100 8-10 h 3-5 h 1-2 h
2 × G102-230 15-20 h 6-9 h 2-4 h

And these are values close to real-world usage, not just brochure data.

The key takeaway

With a combustion engine you ask: how much fuel it burns per hour.
With an electric motor you should ask: how many kW do I need to cruise at my desired speed.

Because it is the speed that determines the range, not just the battery itself.

And that is why a well-matched 96V system with G102 batteries can be tailored so that the boat operates exactly as the owner needs – whether it is for 2 hours of fast cruising or a whole day of leisurely recreation.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Fully charging a G102-100 battery (10.2 kWh) from a standard 230V marina socket takes about 5 to 8 hours. Simply plug the boat in overnight, and it will be 100% ready for a cruise in the morning. Using a fast charger can cut this time in half.

LiFePO4 technology batteries (like the G102 series) last for about 3000 full charge cycles before their capacity drops to 80%. With typical recreational cruising, this translates to a lifespan of 10–15 years. Importantly, the battery still works after this time, it just offers a slightly shorter range.

No. Although the batteries themselves are quite heavy (the G102-100 is approx. 100 kg), the entire system with the motor weighs very similarly to its combustion counterpart if we include a full fuel tank (e.g., 70 liters) and a starter battery. The advantage of the "electric" setup is that the batteries are placed low in the bilge, which greatly improves the boat's stability.

Yes. Using a suitable charge controller (MPPT), you can connect solar panels and recharge the batteries during your cruise. If you are cruising leisurely using 1 kW, and the roof panels generate just 0.4 kW (400 W), you extend your running time by almost 40%.

The golden rule is not to winterize lithium batteries charged to 100% or discharged to zero - the optimal level is 45-60%. This topic is so important that we have prepared a separate, comprehensive post about it. How to prepare an electric motor and batteries for winter?

Need help choosing a battery for your boat?

At Globtechnic, we offer comprehensive support in selecting the right system. If you are interested in our offer or would like to get more information, we invite you to have a chat.

Contact us - our experts will help you choose the optimal system tailored to your needs and budget.

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