Electric inboard motors for boats: Oceanvolt vs Torqeedo vs ePropulsion

The motor decides most of the system around it: its system voltage sets the battery and charger, and its drive type — saildrive, shaft or pod — decides how much of the old installation you keep.

These are the inboard and pod lines from three makers of complete electric drives for sailboats and displacement boats. The figures are the makers' own; where a maker doesn't state something, the table says so.

Manufacturer figures, checked 22 October 2026Sources & disclosure
What fits your boat?

Don't know your figures? Size your boat in the configurator — it works out power, voltage, pack size and phase current from your hull and target speed.

Side by side

 
Oceanvolt
SD saildrives (SD6 – SD15)
Oceanvolt
AXC shaft drives (AXC12 – AXC36)
Torqeedo
Cruise 12.0 FP (fixed pod)
ePropulsion
I-Series (I-10, I-20, I-40)
Torqeedo
Deep Blue 25i / 50i 1200
DriveSaildrive (folding propeller)Shaft driveFixed pod through the hullInboardInboard, shaft
Continuous power6, 8, 10, 12 kW (SD15: 15 kW peak)12, 24, 36 kW (peak 15, 30, 45 kW)12 kW input (6 kW on one battery)10, 20, 40 kW input27.6 kW (25i) · 55.1 kW (50i)
System voltage48 V48 V (modular 12 kW motors)48 V86–115 V DC (96 V class)348–352 V battery (high voltage)
CoolingAir (SD6, SD8) · liquid (SD10, SD15)LiquidNot statedAir (I-10) · water, air optional (I-20, I-40)Sea water
Regeneration under sailYes — hydrogeneration standardYes — hydrogeneration standardYes — charges while sailingYes — integrated hydrogenerationNot stated
Motor weight42.5–46.5 kg44, 88, 132 kg33.5 kg45, 49.5, 85 kg80 kg (without battery and electronics)
Maker's boat guidanceUp to 15 m / 12,000 kg (SD15)Up to 16 m / 30,000 kg (AXC36)Sailboats up to 12 tNot statedDisplacement boats; 40 / 80 hp comparable

Scroll sideways on a phone. “Not stated” means the manufacturer's page doesn't give the figure.

Which one for which boat

48 V saildrive sailboat
Oceanvolt SD saildrives (SD6 – SD15)

6–12 kW continuous with folding props and hydrogeneration, for boats up to 12 t.

48 V pod, single-brand system
Torqeedo Cruise 12.0 FP (fixed pod)

12 kW pod for sailboats up to 12 t, sold as a system with Torqeedo batteries.

48 V shaft drive above 12 kW
Oceanvolt AXC shaft drives (AXC12 – AXC36)

Modular 12–36 kW shaft drive for boats up to 16 m and 30 t.

96 V system, 10–40 kW
ePropulsion I-Series (I-10, I-20, I-40)

The only line here built for 96 V, with hydrogeneration on every model.

High power, high voltage
Torqeedo Deep Blue 25i / 50i 1200

27.6 or 55.1 kW continuous on a ~350 V battery system.

The products

Oceanvolt

SD saildrives (SD6 – SD15)

Saildrive · 6–12 kW continuous · 48 V
Good for

Saildrive sailboats on a 48 V system, roughly 4 to 12 tonnes.

Check before buying

48 V only, so above about 10 kW the DC current gets heavy — size cables and busbars for it.

Oceanvolt

AXC shaft drives (AXC12 – AXC36)

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

Shaft-drive boats on 48 V that need more than a saildrive offers — larger cruisers, catamarans, displacement motorboats.

Check before buying

At 24–36 kW on 48 V the battery current runs to many hundreds of amps; Oceanvolt limits its systems to 48 V by design.

Torqeedo

Cruise 12.0 FP (fixed pod)

Pod drive · 12 kW · 48 V
Good for

Sailboats up to 12 t that suit a pod — a self-contained Torqeedo system with its own batteries and display.

Check before buying

Designed around Torqeedo Power 48-5000 batteries (one or two; contact a dealer for more), so the battery choice is largely made for you.

ePropulsion

I-Series (I-10, I-20, I-40)

Inboard · 10–40 kW · 96 V class
Good for

96 V systems from about 10 to 40 kW, where the higher voltage roughly halves the current of a 48 V system.

Check before buying

A 96 V system sits in a higher DC hazard class than 48 V, with stricter installation, labelling and isolation requirements.

Torqeedo

Deep Blue 25i / 50i 1200

Inboard shaft · 27.6 / 55.1 kW · ~350 V
Good for

Heavy displacement boats and commercial use where 25–55 kW is needed and a high-voltage system is acceptable.

Check before buying

A ~350 V system needs high-voltage installation practice and a qualified installer — a different class of project from 48 V.

Reading the numbers

Questions

Common questions

Which electric motor is best for a 30-foot sailboat?+
In our configurator a typical 4.5-tonne, 30-foot sailboat needs about 8 kW to hold 5 knots, which puts it in the 48 V range of Oceanvolt's SD saildrives or Torqeedo's Cruise 12.0 FP pod. Use the configurator to size your own boat — waterline length, displacement and target speed change the answer.
Is a 48 V or 96 V motor better?+
At the same power, 96 V halves the battery current, which makes cables, fuses and busbars smaller. 48 V keeps installation simpler and has the widest component choice. Oceanvolt and Torqeedo's Cruise are 48 V; ePropulsion's I-Series is 96 V; Torqeedo's Deep Blue is around 350 V.
Do electric inboard motors regenerate under sail?+
Oceanvolt, ePropulsion's I-Series and Torqeedo's Cruise FP all state that they can charge the battery while sailing. Torqeedo's Deep Blue inboard page does not mention it. How much energy you recover depends on speed and propeller, and none of the makers publish a figure you can compare directly.
Background reading
Sources & disclosure

Figures checked on 22 October 2026 against these manufacturer documents. Makers change specifications; confirm against the current datasheet before you buy.

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