If you want a small electric outboard that’s light, quiet, easy to stow and simple to use, the ePropulsion eLite is well worth investigating.

That was my conclusion when I first saw it and I reckoned it would be ideal for use on the tender to a yacht that a friend and I were planning to charter.

On previous charters we’d rowed the dinghy when we wanted to explore or go ashore. That was rather limiting, because flat-bottomed inflatables are notoriously slow and awkward to row two-up.

Of course we could have used a petrol outboard. The trouble is they’re more of a challenge to carry and stow.

They can drip petrol, they’re heavier and they’re bulkier. What’s more, however quiet they are, they do make a noise.

ePropulsion eLite is an easy carry

We decided to try the ePropulsion eLite. It’s easy to carry because it weighs just 6.7kg (14.7lb) and comes in a bag with a shoulder strap.

It’s extremely slim, too: it stowed on the shelf of the cockpit locker on a 25-footer.

Putting it on the dinghy and reversing the process later was quick and simple, made even easier by the fact the mounting bracket can stay clamped to the tender’s transom and the eLite just clips on and off.

During our week’s charter we used the eLite almost every day. As we weren’t staying in marinas, our biggest concern was how to charge it.

We tried via an inverter from the boat’s 12V supply when the engine was running, but that didn’t work, perhaps because the alternator wasn’t up to it.

The sensible solution for us would have been a solar charger, available for about £90.

In its absence, we took the eLite ashore with us when we were near civilisation and asked friendly locals if we could plug it into the mains for an hour or two. Doing that a couple of times kept us going for the week.

The motor’s light weight makes it easy to clip on to the ready-mounted transom bracket. Photo by David Harding

Workable range

How quickly we depleted the charge depended on how throttle-happy we were.

One evening we explored for an hour and 45 minutes, but still used only 70% of the battery despite having to push on to beat the tide on the way back.

At full chat, using 500W, you would have about 45 minutes’ running and cover three miles or so. Most of the time, in relatively sheltered water, we ran at 70-90W.

A digital display shows the power being used or the percentage of battery capacity remaining. Photo David Bazabal/ePropulsion

If you’re fighting a strong wind or tide, you can use the 750W ‘Sport’ mode for a short boost.

We never needed it, making up to about 4 knots in normal mode – not bad for the equivalent of less than 1hp.

To skim over the shallows with the eLite, you can use the shallow-drive position or tilt it right up. It’s silent when you close the throttle, and even at full chat it makes just the quietest of hums.

We only had two minor gripes. One was that the bracket wouldn’t tighten enough for the inflatable’s thin transom, so we used a paperback book to pad the transom out.

The other was that the magnetic kill-cord popped out too easily.

That apart, we loved it. How well it will last, we can’t say – the battery is built into the aluminium leg and can’t be changed – but it was exactly what we needed.

ePropulsion eLite electric outboard Specifications

• Nominal power: 500W
• Maximum power (in Sport mode): 750W
• Battery: Integrated 378Wh 25.2V lithium-ion
• Charger: 220V AC charger included, 12V charger optional
• Cooling system: Natural water cooling
• Dimensions (L x W x H): 297 x 75 x 890 mm (11.7 x 3 x 35in)
• Motor weight (excluding bracket): 6.7kg / 14.7lb
• Adjustable shaft length: 401 / 362.5 / 322 / 282.5mm (15.8 / 14.27 / 12.7 / 11.1in)