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Torqeedo vs ePropulsion: Overview
"Which is better, Torqeedo or ePropulsion?" is probably the most common questions we get at EMO Electric. The short answer? There is none. ePropulsion and Torqeedo both make high quality electric outboards. Most of their products are very similar to each other, and both of their motors are a major upgrade from a gas outboard. Which manufacturer we recommend often comes down to horsepower preferences and the individual use case. We'll break it down here and go step by step through the most important features so that you can choose the best electric outboard for you and your boat! Keep in mind that we're only comparing small, portable electric outboards here, or motors that are 5hp and small and have a battery that's integrated into the design of the motor, not an external battery. We'll be comparing the ePropulsion eLite, ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus, ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo, Torqeedo Travel S, and Torqeedo Travel XP.
Where are Torqeedo and ePropulsion electric outboards manufactured?
Torqeedo electric outboards are made in Germany, and ePropulsion motors are made in China.
Where can I get a Torqeedo or ePropulsion motor serviced?
Every ePropulsion dealer is also a service center and can service ePropulsion electric outboards. Not every Torqeedo dealer is a service center, most just sell Torqeedo motors. There are specific Torqeedo Service centers throughout the country that can service Torqeedo electric outboards.
Whose products are less expensive?
ePropulsion electric outboards have typically been cheaper than Torqeedo electric outboards, but given the tariff situation in the United States, ePropulsion and Torqeedo electric outboards are at a similar price point. That being said, ePropulsion parts and accessories are generally still less expensive than Torqeedo.
Are ePropulsion electric outboards quieter than Torqeedo's?
In our experience, yes, ePropulsion electric outboards are a little quieter than Torqeedo's, but the difference in minimal. You can hear a slight difference when running the motors on land, but when they're running in the water, you can't hear either.
Do Torqeedo electric outboards last longer than ePropulsion's?
In our experience, there's no clear winner in who makes a more durable and long lasting electric outboard.
ePropulsion vs Torqeedo: Horsepower / Power Output
The power that you need is a great place to start as it will quickly narrow down the best electric outboard. ePropulsion and Torqeedo both make 3hp electric outboards that have a very similar power rating (1kW for the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus and Spirit 1.0 Evo, 1.1kW for the Torqeedo Travel S). If you're looking for a small electric outboard that's less than 3hp / 1kW, the ePropulsion eLite is the right choice for you; it is light weight, portable, and about one third of the price of a 3hp electric outboard. Torqeedo does not make a 1.5hp electric outboard. They used to make a 2hp version of the Torqeedo Travel, but they eliminated it from their offerings in 2024.
You can learn more about the ePropulsion eLite by watching our on the water test and product review video and by reading our blog posts that talk about an overview of the eLite, the eLite Long Shaft, and comparison between the ePropulsion eLite and ePropulsion Spirit.
ePropulsion eLite 500W / 1.5hp Electric Outboard Motor
On the other hand, if you're looking for an electric outboard more powerful than 3hp / 1.1kW, but still want a motor with a battery that fits right on top of the cowling, the Torqeedo Travel XP is the way to go. It is a 1.6kW / 5hp electric outboard and is very similar in size and weight to the Torqeedo Travel S. ePropulsion does not make a 5hp electric outboard; the closest you'll get from them is the ePropulsion Navy 3 Evo, which has an external battery that does not sit on top of the motor, but instead lives somewhere in your boat. To learn more about the Torqeedo Travel XP, watch our product overview YouTube video, where we test it out on a 19' Flying Scot Sailboat, and read our blog post.
Torqeedo Travel XP 1.6kW / 5hp Electric Outboard
In short, it's an easy choice if you know you need more or less than a 1kW / 3hp electric outboard. The ePropulsion eLite is the way to go for a small, light weight and highly portable electric outboard and the Torqeedo Travel XP is the way to go for those who want a 5hp electric outboard. The more difficult decision is between 3hp electric outboards: the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus, ePropulsion Spirit Evo, and the Torqeedo Travel S. Each motor has its advantages and disadvantages, which we'll discuss below.
ePropulsion Spirit vs Torqeedo Travel S
Now we get into the details! First off, it's helpful to have an understanding of the differences between the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus and ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo. We'd encourage you to read our blog post that compares the two electric outboards and watch the video below.
Once you're familiar with the differences between the two 3hp ePropulsion electric outboards, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the Torqeedo Travel and ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus by watching the two videos below. The Torqeedo video is on the Travel XP, but keep in mind that the Travel S and Travel XP are exactly the same except for their weight, battery capacity, and size of their motors; all of their other features are identical.
Torqeedo Travel & ePropulsion Spirit Videos
Subscribe on YouTubeePropulsion Spirit & Torqeedo Travel Comparison- Overview
Price
At the time of this writing, the Torqeedo Travel S price is $2998 for the short shaft version and $3048 for the long shaft version. The ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus price is $2999 and the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo price is $3606.50 with the tiller or top mount throttle and $3800.85 with the side mount throttle. Unlike the Torqeedo Travel motors, the ePropulsion Spirit price does not vary by shaft length. These prices are for standard packages, which include the electric outboard itself, battery, AC charger, tiller/control, propeller, kill switch and anodes.
Power Output
The power rating of the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Evo and ePropulsion 1.0 Plus is 1kW / 3hp. The Torqeedo Travel S power rating is slightly higher at 1.1kW, but it is still considered a 3hp equivalent. In our testing, the ePropulsion Spirit propellers the boat at higher speeds than the Torqeedo Travel S at the same percentage power output even though its motor is rated as 100 watts less powerful.
Weight
The weight of the Torqeedo Travel and ePropulsion Spirit is quite similar. Both of their batteries weigh 19 pounds. In short shaft, the shaft weight of the Travel XP is 28 pounds, the Travel S is 25.5 pounds, the Spirit 1.0 Plus is 23.4 pounds, and the Spirit Evo shaft weighs 24.9 pounds in the tiller version and 23.4 pounds in the remote version. The long shaft versions of these motors weigh a few pounds more.
ePropulsion Spirit & Torqeedo Travel Comparison- Battery & Range
Battery Capacity
The battery capacity of the Spirit Battery Plus, which is used for the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus and ePropulsion Spirit Evo is 1276Wh. The Torqeedo Travel battery capacity is 1080Wh, and the Travel XP battery capacity is 1425Wh. The ePropulsion eLite has a battery capacity of 378Wh.
Floating Battery
The ePropulsion Spirit Battery Plus floats if you drop it in the water! The ePropulsion eLite and Torqeedo Travel S and XP batteries do not float
Third Party Batteries & Range Extending
One of the advantages of the ePropulsion Spirit 1.0 Plus and Evo is that they are compatible with third party batteries and larger ePropulsion batteries including the E60 and E163. While we recommend using the ePropulsion Spirit Battery Plus with a Spirit electric outboard, third party options can help save on cost and the E Series batteries are a great option for boaters who need more range than what the Spirit Battery Plus can provide. If you're interested in using a third party battery with an ePropulsion Spirit, check out our blog post on using third party batteries with ePropulsion motors and our YouTube video on battery options for the ePropulsion Spirit.
The Torqeedo Travel S and Torqeedo Travel XP are not compatible with third party batteries or any other Torqeedo batteries besides the Travel Battery and Travel Battery XP. The Travel S can be used with the Travel XP battery, which will extend your range. The other option for extending your range is to purchase a second battery.
The ePropulsion eLite has a built in battery. There's no way to hook up an external battery source to the eLite, but it is possible to charge and discharge the ePropulsion eLite simultaneously with the AC charger or 12v charger.
EMO Electric's Real Run Time & Speed Data
We have tested all of the electric outboards that we sell on the water ourselves. We've also performed testing to see if the run time data provided by the manufacturers is accurate. The data below comes from testing we did with each of these electric outboards on a 19' Flying Scot Sailboat. The boat weighs about 1000 pounds and there were two adults in the boat during testing. Testing was done on a relatively calm day with little wind and no current. Please note that there is no run time data for the ePropulsion eLite as the motor does not provide real run time data.
EMO Electric's Real Run Time & Speed Data- Key Takeaways
We've learned a few key things from the data above
Torqeedo and ePropulsion provide accurate speed & run time data. The data from our testing was very similar to the numbers that ePropulsion and Torqeedo provide themselves.
The ePropulsion Spirit outperforms the Torqeedo Travel in speed and run time. This is our most "apples to apples" test that we did between the two 3hp electric outboards in this test. It is no surprising that the ePropulsion Spirit has longer run time compared to the Travel S as it has a higher capacity battery. But what is surprising to us is that the Spirit pushes the boat along at a faster speed at each power output that we tested even though it is rated as 100 watts less powerful than the Travel S. At lower output this is a significant difference (1/2 a knot) and at full power output it is not (1/10th of a knot). This might not be a dealbreaker for all boaters, but those who are looking for the highest performance may want to go with the ePropulsion Spirit.
The eLite is small but mighty. As expected the ePropulsion eLite had the lowest speed numbers; after all, it is only a 500W motor, about half as powerful as the ePropulsion Spirit and Travel S. But for a motor that retails for about 1/3 of the price of a 3hp electric outboard and only weighs 15 pounds, it still moved the sailboat along at 3.5 knots at full power output.
The Travel XP pushes the boat along the fastest, but not by a large margin. Given that the Travel XP is a 1.6kW motor, compared to 1.kW for the Spirit and 1.1kW for the Travel S, we aren't surprised that it moves the boat faster than the other motors. But what might surprise some boaters is that the difference here isn't terrible large, only about half a knot at full power compared to the Travel S and the Spirit. It's important to note that these tests were done in calm conditions; we'd expect a larger gap here if the conditions were margin. We recommend the Travel XP for customers who often have a fully loaded dinghy (3+ passengers), are operating in areas with significant current and wind, or have a large/heavy sailboat over 20' or about 2000 pounds. Customers who don't fit this criteria should have plenty of power with a 3 horsepower electric outboard.