Published by MaineBiz on February 20, 2025.
Electric boat propulsion is gaining currency in Maine.
In recent years, Maine Electric Boat in Biddeford has installed more than a dozen electric propulsion systems on sailboats and powerboats; Maine Ocean Farms in Freeport commissioned a custom-built electric workboat; Pendleton Yacht Yard in Islesboro unveiled an electric boat; and Temo, a French manufacturer of electric outboard motors for boats, launched U.S. operations with a sales office in Portland and warehouse space in Scarborough.
Hylan & Brown in Brooklin has a number of electric boat projects in the pipeline, including a Nova Scotia fishing craft conceived with electric power in mind and a wooden launch that was restored and fitted with electric propulsion, according to its website.
Now the Island Institute, a Rockland nonprofit, is looking to charge up that current with the launch of an online electric boat toolkit to help marine business and coastal municipalities transition to electric marine propulsion and away from traditional diesel or gas motors.
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