ePropulsion eLite vs Honda 2.3HP: Is a Gas Outboard Actually Cheaper than an Electric Outboard?

The upfront price of an electric outboard is higher than a gas outboard. That's just true. But if you're only looking at the sticker price, you're missing most of the story.

We get this question constantly: "Why would I pay $1,325 for an ePropulsion eLite when I can get a Honda BF2.3 for $1,036?" It's a fair question. And honestly, if you're only going to use the motor for a season or two, gas might win on pure cost. But for most boaters, that's not the situation. They're buying a motor and expecting to use it for years.

So we built out the real numbers. Here's what owning each of these motors actually costs over 12 years.

The Two Motors

ePropulsion eLite ($1,325) — 1.5hp / 500W electric outboard with an integrated 378Wh lithium battery. Weighs under 15 pounds. No oil, no winterization, no pull start. Charges from a standard wall outlet in about 3 hours.

Honda BF2.3 ($1,036) — 2.3hp four-stroke gas outboard. Air-cooled, which eliminates water pump issues, but it's still a gas engine — and all the maintenance that comes with one.

These are the two most common motors we see people choosing between in this size class. They're genuinely comparable in terms of what they're used for: dinghy tenders, small inflatables, kayaks, and lightweight fishing boats.

What We're Counting

We're not doing back-of-the-envelope math here. We built out every cost line by line, year by year, over a 12-year period. Here's what went into each side.

Assumptions for both motors:

• 25 hours of use per year at full throttle
• National average gas price: $3.10/gallon (2025 EIA average)
• National average electricity rate: $0.18/kWh (2026 EIA data)

Honda BF2.3 annual costs:

• Fuel: ~$23/year (0.3 GPH × 25 hours × $3.10)
• Winterization: $150/year — this is the one people always underestimate. Every fall, you're either paying a shop or spending a couple of hours doing it yourself. We're counting the shop cost.
• Miscellaneous repairs: $50/year — small things add up on a gas engine. Fuel lines degrade, especially with ethanol. Props get dinged. Things stop working after sitting all winter. $50/year is actually conservative.
• Scheduled service (oil, spark plugs, gear oil, shop labor): $250 every 4 years

ePropulsion eLite costs:

• Electricity: ~$2/year (378Wh per charge × ~33 charges per year × $0.18)
• Maintenance: $0/year — no oil, no spark plugs, no winterization
• Prop replacements: $59 at years 5 and 12
• Unit replacement at year 7: $1,325 — this is the big one, and we want to be upfront about it. The eLite's battery is integrated and not user-replaceable. At some point, you're going to need a new unit. We've modeled this at year 7, which is a reasonable estimate for battery useful life under light seasonal use.

The Numbers

Here's what jumps out: by year 6, before the eLite ever needs a unit replacement, the Honda has already cost you over $1,000 more. Winterization alone — $150 every single year — is the quiet killer that makes gas outboards much more expensive than people expect.

Then the eLite takes a hit at year 7 with the unit replacement. You can see it clearly in the chart — the green line jumps. But even with that, the eLite is still well ahead. And from year 8 onward, the gap just keeps growing.

The Honest Caveats

We're not going to cherry-pick numbers to make electric look better than it is. Here's what could change the picture.

The Honda is more powerful. The BF2.3 puts out 2.3hp compared to the eLite's 1.5hp. That's a real difference, and we want to be upfront about it. We're using these two as the comparison point because there simply aren't many gas outboards smaller than the BF2.3 on the market — it's about as small as gas goes in the four-stroke world. If you need the extra power, that matters. If you're using the motor for typical dinghy and tender work, most people find 1.5hp more than adequate.

The eLite battery might last longer than 7 years. Under light seasonal use — 25 hours a year, proper off-season storage at 50-60% charge — it's realistic that the battery could hold up well past year 7. If it makes it to year 10 or 11, the eLite's 12-year cost advantage gets significantly larger. We modeled year 7 to be conservative.

Your winterization cost might be lower if you DIY. If you know your way around a small outboard and do your own winterization, you can bring that cost down considerably. It doesn't change the overall story much — the Honda is still more expensive over time — but it narrows the gap.

Gas prices fluctuate. We used the 2025 national average of $3.10/gallon. If gas prices rise, the Honda gets more expensive faster. If they drop significantly, the gap narrows slightly. Either way, fuel is a small portion of the Honda's total cost — winterization and maintenance are the bigger drivers.

The eLite has limited range. At full throttle, you're getting about 45 minutes per charge. That's plenty for most dinghy and tender use, but if you need more range, the eLite isn't the right motor for you — and no cost analysis changes that.

What This Tells You

The purchase price difference between these two motors is $289. The Honda is cheaper upfront.

But over 12 years, owning a Honda BF2.3 costs an estimated $1,817 more than owning an ePropulsion eLite. That's not a rounding error — that's a meaningful amount of money.

The reason is simple: gas engines require ongoing care. Winterization, fuel, maintenance, and the occasional repair add up year after year. Electric motors don't have those costs. The eLite's electricity bill is essentially zero — about $2 a year. And apart from an occasional prop replacement and eventually a unit swap, there's very little else to spend.

If you're buying a small outboard expecting to use it for years, the math on electric is better than most people expect. The higher sticker price is real. But so is the savings.

Questions?

If you're trying to figure out whether the eLite is the right motor for your boat, we're happy to help. Give us a call at 631-204-8188 or shoot us an email at luke@emoelectric.co. We'll give you a straight answer.

Methodology: Cost projections assume 25 hours of use per year at full throttle. Gas priced at $3.10/gallon (2025 EIA national average). Electricity priced at $0.18/kWh (2026 EIA national average). Honda costs include $150/year winterization, $50/year miscellaneous repairs, and $250 scheduled service every 4 years. ePropulsion eLite costs include electricity at $0.18/kWh, two prop replacements at $59 each (years 5 and 12), and a full unit replacement at year 7. Prices are not inflation-adjusted.