Electric outboards are very different beasts from petrol ones. They’re lighter, quieter and cleaner but do have some drawbacks, such as top speed and cost. I first tried ePropulsion’s Spirit 1.0 while testing the Tuffy Tender (PBO October 2022). I was impressed by its simplicity. It had no problems powering the 3m GRP boat and achieved a top speed of 4 knots on full throttle (but with a battery life of just 1.5 hours) or 1.4 knots at 20% throttle (giving 7 hours battery life). As this was against 2 knots of tide, I felt it would be more than adequate for driving a little tender around the harbour.
If you want higher speeds, then it’s worth looking at the ePropulsion Navy 3.0 or 6.0, which have a longer range and separate batteries, achieving top speeds of 9 and 13 knots respectively at maximum power (3kW & 6kW). However, you’re then compromising on motor weight (22kg and 28kg), and you’re no longer talking
