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Read an edited version of the transcript below:
Hi, I'm Luke from Emo Electric. Today, we're here to discuss the ePropulsion eLite. The eLite is ePropulsion’s new 1.5 horsepower electric outboard. We're really excited about it. It's the smallest and most competitively priced electric outboard on the market today that has an integrated battery.
The ePropulsion eLite retails for just $999. It boasts a 500-watt direct-drive motor, which is equivalent to about a 1.5 horsepower gas outboard. The eLite battery is integrated right into the shaft, so there are no separate batteries or wires to plug in. The ePropulsion eLite weighs only 15 pounds, making it super easy to transport. Grabbing the tiller is a breeze. The tiller is adjustable, swinging from all the way down to all the way up, and locks at several positions in between. The shaft length is also adjustable; you can move where this bracket is. The ePropulsion eLite also has adjustable trim angles, allowing it to be positioned all the way down, all the way up, or partially down for shallow water.
Let's take a closer look. When you open your box, you'll find the eLite itself. The eLite battery is built into the shaft. This is your tiller; it's built-in and not removable. You also have your eLite transom bracket, which you'll attach to the stern of your boat or motor mount. Then, the eLite will slide right onto that part. If you need to adjust your shaft length, you'll use this Allen key. Additionally, you've got two safety lanyards for kill switches, your user manual, and a regular 110v charger that plugs into a normal wall outlet. It takes about six and a half hours to charge. Solar chargers and 12-volt chargers are available for purchase separately. You also have a carrying bag for the ePropulsion eLite.
The only additional items people typically buy with the eLite are an extra prop or an extra transom bracket. Unlike the ePropulsion Spirit Battery, neither the eLite nor its transom bracket floats, so you need to be a little careful with it. Some people opt to purchase an extra transom bracket just in case. The other common purchase is a spare prop. Just like the ePropulsion Spirit, the prop is made from plastic and has a shear pin inside. It's made from plastic so that in the event of grounding, either the shear pin or the prop breaks before the eLite’s motor is damaged. So, having an extra prop and shear pin on hand can get you back on the water in just a couple of minutes in the event of a grounding.
Before you use your ePropulsion eLite for the first time, there are two things you need to do: charge it up to 100% and register your eLite with ePropulsion. You can do this on their website; all you need is your receipt from us. Registering the product with ePropulsion ensures you'll receive updates about the ePropulsion eLite and also enters you into a prize drawing from ePropulsion. You get two years of warranty whether you register your product or not, but we do recommend registering.
One of the things we love about the ePropulsion eLite is how easy it is to attach and detach from your boat. To attach it, first, mount your transom bracket to either the stern of your boat or your motor bracket. Tighten the bolts. Once that's done, grab your eLite, and it pops right onto the bracket. When it's all the way down, you'll hear it click in. If you've turned it to the side, it might not lock down immediately. The tiller can be adjusted from all the way up to all the way down. You can't do this while it's in the water, but to adjust it, pull the blue knob out. If you twist it, it stays unlocked; twist it back, and the tiller locks in different positions. The tiller itself is adjustable; press the button to extend or retract it, and it locks in place.
The trim and tilt angle of the ePropulsion eLite is also adjustable. There are three positions for the pin that adjusts the angle of the motor when it's all the way down. Depending on the angle of your transom or motor bracket, you may need to adjust this. The goal is to have the ePropulsion eLite sitting straight down. To raise and lower the eLite, lift up the pin, and the motor can move. One of the best features is the ability to leave it halfway up or down in shallow water.
If you want to raise the ePropulsion eLite all the way, continue lifting it. Now it's fully out of the water. When you're ready to lower the eLite, push the tab back up, and it lowers back down. Right now, the eLite is locked down, so if you were to hit ground, your motor wouldn't come up. If you're in shallow water, you can enter shallow water mode by pulling the tab up and then pushing the blue button back. You'll notice it doesn't go all the way down. Now the eLite is unlocked, so if you were to hit ground, it would pop up. Just be careful because if you go into reverse, the eLite will also raise up. To exit shallow water mode, push the blue tab, and now we're locked again.
The display for your eLite electric outboard is right here. If you want to check the state of charge, press the button, and the screen will light up. Hold the button for a couple of seconds to power it on. You'll need to attach your safety lanyard here; it's magnetic and functions as a wristband. To operate your electric outboard, twist the tiller to go into forward or reverse. Unlike many gas outboards, you don't have to spin this all the way around to use reverse. The screen displays your power output in watts. Right now, it reads zero or one because there's no water drag on the prop, but once you're in the water, it'll give a more accurate reading. For example, full speed should be around 500 watts, half speed around 250 watts. It also displays the state of charge of your electric outboard; tap the button once to check it.
One other feature we like are the adjustable shaft length. You'll see screws here and two more at the bottom. You have to pop this off to adjust it. This isn't something you'd do often, but there are four positions to adjust the shaft length of your eLite. Most people prefer the longest shaft length possible because the shaft is relatively short out of the box. If you have the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus with an extra-short shaft, the eLite has the same size shaft out of the box. However, if you have the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus or ePropulsion Spirit Evo in the short or long shaft, the eLite will not work; the shaft isn't long enough.
Here, you have your charging port. This tab is on a spring, so it'll pop back down to keep it sealed. Above it, there's the USB-C output, allowing you to charge your phone or other electronics. Then, there's a ring to lock the ePropulsion eLite or attach a line to it in case you drop it in the water.
One of the most common questions we receive about the eLite is about the battery life, or runtime. Tests by ePropulsion on an 8-foot aluminum dinghy found that at full power, you get about 45 minutes of runtime, and at half power, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. Of course, these times can vary based on the size and weight of your boat, how many people are in it, and the conditions you're operating in. For example, if you're in calm water and running the eLite at slower speeds, you'll get more runtime.
We've taken you through all the features of the ePropulsion eLite. We hope you found this information helpful. Let us know if you have any questions or if there's anything else we can help with. Thanks for watching!