Electric propulsion is simply more efficient. And that has a motivating impact on a manufacturer's bottom line.
GPD has shown that electric propulsion can outperform combustion propulsion for propulsive power and range at the same weight for applications up to 6 hpe. But electric offers noticeable and relevant superiority for larger applications as well. If you are a yacht or workboat designer with clients interested in an electrically or solar propelled craft, GPD can pilot you through the early design phases to assure a match between your client or customer's expectations and what is delivered.
If this sounds interesting to you, contact us via email to set up a free consultation now.
Case Study:
GPD's unique mathematical modeling approach was used to determine propeller, gearing and motor and controller parameters for the international award winning EP Carry outboard. This effort produced a real-world 2x propulsion efficiency increase vs. any other production outboard including big brands like Mercury Marine, and Torqeedo.
For the same speed and range, EP Carry outboards require ½ the power, ½ the battery weight, and ½ the re-charge capacity vs best in class brands. And between 3x and 5x efficiency improvements vs even brushless trolling motors.
Higher efficiency granted new benefits to EP Carry customers producing an NPS measurement over 70%, and at the same time, provided a lower cost of goods vs other electrics in our space, even when manufactured in the USA.
With GPD, one-off-designs will be less expensive, and higher volume designs will see a sizeable boost in gross margins while motivating more customers to purchase.
Solar Propulsion modeling:
If you're a visionary boat designer or manufacturer, GPD's solar model is the missing link. Solar boating, like all redewable energy is early, but growing exponentially, comparable to growth rates for gas engines in the early 1900s. Right now, the key is to focus on innovators and some early adopters when positioning a new solar boat. Today, most boat manufacturers do not realize how effective solar propulsion can be in terms of performance, reliability, and solar provides a reserve capacity that liquid fuels can't.
Our solar propulsion model simply offers a link between design choices and performance. It also shows how a given solar design performs at different latitudes, sky conditions, seasons, and even at different times of day so that design can be iterated in a spreadsheet instead of hardware.
We think that this fast, low-cost preview is especially useful for discussions with clients that are considering electric or solar propulsion. Our model is also useful for navigation and planning purposes after the boat is built. The results are proven predictive for boats from 9 to 40 ft. and displacements from 400lb to 24000 lb.
Solar propulsion today is best applied to remote, and long-distance cruising applications. For these applications, the cost of a solar-battery solution can be 30% less expensive than a pure electric solution due to battery and charger size reductions.
Interest in solar boating is nearing that tipping point. GPD is here to help visionary boat builders and manufacturers get ahead of the mainstream.
