One of the limiting factors of the ePropulsion eLite is that you can't use an external battery to power it directly. We often get asked how quickly the eLite charges with its 12v charger and if it's possible to charge the ePropulsion eLite while using it. We did some tests to find out!
How does the eLite 12v charger work?
It's simple! The 12v eLite charger plugs into the eLite on one end. The other end plugs into a 12v outlet. But also included with the 12v charger is an adapter that plugs into the 12v plug on one side and has alligator clips coming out of the other side. This allows you to charge the eLite with a 12v battery.
How long does it take to charge the ePropulsion eLite with the 12v eLite charger?
We tested this by hooking up the 1.5hp electric outboard to a group 27 12v lead acid battery. With one end of the charger hooked up to the 12v battery and the other end plugged into the eLite, we found that the eLite charges at a rate of about 13% per hour. This means that it takes about 7-8 hours to charge the eLite with a 12v battery.
Can you charge the ePropulsion eLite while you're using it?
In order to test this, we put the eLite in our testing tank and filled it up with water. For each test, we ran the ePropulsion eLite at 100W, or 20% of max power output, for 30 minutes. We ran one test with the eLite 12v charger hooked up to the motor. In this test, the state of charge (SOC) decreased from 48% to 40% after 30 minutes. Then we ran two more tests with the eLite running as usual, not hooked up to the 12v charger. In the first test, SOC decreased from 40% to 24% over 30 minutes. In the second test, the SOC decreased from 48% to to 33% over 30 minutes.
So with the 12v eLite charger hooked up, the SOC decreased by 8% over 30 minutes with the motor running at 100W. Without the charger, the SOC decreased by 15-16% over the same amount of time and at the same power output.
With that data in mind, you can see that it is possible to charge the ePropulsion eLite with a 12v charger while you're using the motor.
By how much can you extend your range with the 12v eLite charger?
It all depends how you use your eLite! If you are running the ePropulsion eLite at full power for 45 minutes, you won't see much of a difference with the 12v battery hooked up; it would only add about 10% SOC. On the other hand, if you're using the eLite intermittently over the course of a few hours, the 12v eLite Charger can significantly extend your range. For instance, if you're out fishing for 3 hours, the 12v charger would add about 49% to your battery capacity over that period of time.
Where can I buy the 12v eLite Charger?
You can buy the 12v eLite DC Charger here, from our online store!