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

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

This is one of the most common questions anyone considering an electric motor hears:
"How long will the battery last?"
"How many kilometers can I travel?"

And these are very good questions, because with electric propulsion, we're not talking about fuel consumption in liters, but about energy consumption in kW and operating time. Fortunately, this can be predicted very accurately—much more precisely than fuel consumption in an internal combustion engine.

In this article, I will show real-world tests on boats with ePropulsion motors and G102-100 and G102-230 batteries, so you can see how it looks in practice, not just in the catalog.

ePropulsion Logo – manufacturer of modern electric motors

How far can I cruise on a G102-100 battery?

The G102-100 battery has approximately 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 as follows:

Power Consumption Cruising 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 very clearly show one important thing:

The range of an electric motor depends mainly on speed, not just the battery itself.

Real-Life Examples

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

Maxima 630 (2024)
Maxima 630 electric boat

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

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

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

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

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

Length:
5.55 m
Width:
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? Example: Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695

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

Click to see details:

Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695 (2025)
Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695 electric boat

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

Length:
6.55 m
Width:
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 many people don't know:
Increasing power in a heavy displacement boat does not significantly increase speed, but it drastically shortens cruising time.

See:
  • we increase power from 1 kW to 5 kW (5 times more power),
  • speed only increases from 7.4 km/h to 10.1 km/h,
  • but cruising time drops from 10 hours to 2 hours.
Meaning:
  • +2.7 km/h speed
  • -8 hours cruising time

This perfectly illustrates why displacement and recreational boats are most often cruised at economic speeds, not maximum speeds.

Conclusion for the user

Based on this boat's example, it is very clear:
  • a heavy boat doesn't need a very large motor for recreational cruising,
  • you can cruise 8-10 km/h for several hours even on a single battery,
  • increasing power beyond a certain point yields a small increase in speed but very high energy consumption.
Therefore, in electric propulsion, the most important question is not "how big is the motor", but:
  • how heavy the boat is,
  • what is the waterline length,
  • at what speed do you want to cruise,
  • how long do you want to cruise for.

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

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

Does a larger G102-230 battery change much?

Yes - very much so.

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

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

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

Because speed is the most important factor.

Power demand increases very rapidly with speed. This can be simplified:

Cruising Style Power Consumption Cruising Time
Very slowly 1-2 kW 10-20 h
Recreationally 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 Calm 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 values are close to real-world usage, not just catalog data.

Most important conclusion

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

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

And that's why a well-chosen 96V system with G102 batteries can be tailored so that the boat operates exactly as the owner needs - whether it's for 2 hours of fast cruising or a full day of calm recreation.

FAQ - frequently asked questions

A full charge of a G102-100 battery (10.2 kWh) from a standard 230V shore power outlet takes approximately 5 to 8 hours. Simply plug in the boat overnight, and it will be 100% ready for cruising in the morning. Using a fast charger can halve this time.
LiFePO4 technology batteries (like the G102 series) can withstand approximately 3000 full charging cycles before their capacity drops to 80%. With typical recreational cruising, this means a lifespan of 10-15 years. Importantly, after this period, the battery still functions, it just offers a slightly shorter range.
No. Although the batteries themselves weigh a lot (G102-100 is approx. 100 kg), the entire system with the motor weighs very similarly to its internal combustion counterpart, if you add a full fuel tank (e.g., 70 liters) and a starter battery. The advantage of an "electric" system is that the batteries are placed low in the bilge, which greatly improves the boat's stability.
Yes. Using an appropriate controller (MPPT), you can connect photovoltaic panels and recharge the batteries while cruising. If you are cruising leisurely, consuming 1 kW, and roof-mounted panels generate only 0.4 kW (400 W), you extend your cruising time by almost 40%.
The golden rule is not to winterize lithium batteries charged to 100% or completely discharged – the optimal level is 45-60%. This topic is so important that we have prepared a separate, extensive article about it. How to prepare electric motor and batteries for winter?

Need help choosing the right battery for your boat?

As Globtechnic, we offer comprehensive support in selecting the appropriate system. If you are interested in our offer or would like additional information, please feel free to contact us.

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

About the author

Dominik Kolka

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