Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36 electric repower: motor, battery and cable sizing

The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36 is a 11 m monohull with a 9.19 m waterline and 5,700 kg displacement. From those figures, the configurator's sizing model puts an electric conversion at 6 kW and 19 kWh on a 48 V system.

Boat data: sailboatdata.com — Sun Odyssey 36 (Jeanneau), checked 23 October 2026

Motor power

6 kW

5.6 kW needed at 5.5 kn

Battery pack

19 kWh

2 h at full rating, with reserve

DC design current

208 A @ 48 V

cabling burden: moderate

Range on that pack

11 nm

at 5.5 kn

Open the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36 in the configurator Compare motors for 6 kW

The boat

Length: 11 m
Waterline length: 9.19 m
Beam: 3.81 m
Displacement: 5,700 kg
Hull: Fin keel, spade rudder
Designer: J&J Design / D. Andrieu
Builder: Jeanneau (France)
Built: 1990–1992
Original engine: Yanmar 3GM — 30 hp

Power needed by speed

Speed	Shaft power
3 kn	1.2 kW
4 kn	2.4 kW
5 kn	4.3 kW
5.5 kncruise target	5.6 kW
6 kn	7.2 kW
7 kn	11.9 kW
7.4 knhull speed	14.4 kW

The configurator's power-per-tonne heuristic, not a tank test — real boats vary by about ±25% with hull form, fouling, sea state and propeller. Near hull speed the power climbs steeply.

48 V or 96 V

48 V systemconfigurator's choice

208 A

design DC current · cabling burden moderate · 70 mm² for a short run

96 V system

116 A

design DC current · cabling burden easy · 35 mm² for a short run

Motor lines that cover 6 kW at 48 V

Oceanvolt

SD saildrives (SD6 – SD15)

Saildrive · 6–12 kW continuous · 48 V

Oceanvolt

AXC shaft drives (AXC12 – AXC36)

Shaft drive · 12–36 kW continuous · 48 V modules

Torqeedo

Cruise 12.0 FP (fixed pod)

Pod drive · 12 kW · 48 V

From our motor comparison, matched by power and system voltage only — check drive type and fit with the maker.

What these numbers assume

The published displacement. Your boat loaded for cruising is heavier — use your own figure in the configurator.
Cruise target of 5.5 kn, which is 75% of the 7.4 kn hull speed.
A shaft drive (assumed — the source doesn't say; a saildrive adds about 4%).
A pack sized for 2 hours at the motor's full rating, 15% reserve and 80% usable depth of discharge.
This is the 1990–1992 Sun Odyssey 36. Later Jeanneau boats with similar names (such as the Sun Odyssey 36i) are different designs.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36

Common questions

How many kW does a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36 need for electric propulsion?+

About 5.6 kW to hold 5.5 knots — 75% of its 7.4-knot hull speed — so the configurator suggests a 6 kW motor. Power rises steeply above that: about 14.4 kW at hull speed. These are estimates from the boat's published waterline length and displacement; real boats vary by roughly ±25%.

What size battery does a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36 need?+

The configurator sizes about 19 kWh of LiFePO4 for 2 hours at the motor's full 6 kW rating, with a 15% reserve and 80% usable depth of discharge — about 11 nautical miles at 5.5 knots. Cruising below full power stretches that.

Should a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 36 use 48 V or 96 V?+

At 6 kW the design DC current is about 208 A at 48 V (cabling burden: moderate) and about 116 A at 96 V (easy). The configurator picks 48 V for this boat: it stays on 48 V unless the 48 V current reaches its "very heavy" level.