Leisure marine engines are generally used so little that they tend to corrode out rather than wear out, so until recently there has been little incentive to retrofit a hybrid installation. Prices remain high and deep-cycle lithium batteries are equally expensive, so most boaters stick with what they’ve got.
But things are changing as more production boatbuilders begin fitting hybrids as options, and the manufacturers of the internal combustion engine see hybrid – or even full-electric – as the future. Economies of scale in the automotive sector are also bringing prices down, and increasing numbers of