FAQ’s: Electric Outboards

It does depend on the type of boat that you’re on and the load, as weight is obviously a factor.

In general, pottering along at around 3 knots is the most economical speed in terms of range and endurance. The Electric Outboard website has some performance data for the U2 on three different tenders which might be useful to take a look at.

If you’re interested in the likely lifespan of the battery, Momentum claim >1500 cycles to 80% capacity.

Using the standard charger supplied in the box, it’ll take around 2 1/2 hours to charge the U2 battery from flat.

There is a silver button on the side of the battery at the top, next to the charging port.

Simply press and hold that for about 4 seconds.

The screen will come to life – but nothing will actually happen until you connect the kill cord. The kill cord basically is the communicator between the motor and the battery, checking everything is ok. After a couple of seconds the full screen display comes up showing battery life and giving you speed info once you’re underway.

The minute you remove the kill cord – whether purposefully or if you’ve fallen overboard, the motor stops.

Once you’re done using the motor, you simply remove the kill cord and switch the battery off using the same silver button that you did to turn it on.

We always suggest checking the display screen before you switch things off so you know how much battery you’ve used and how much is left so you know if you need to recharge it or not before your next trip out.

You can install the battery on to the motor in either its vertical or horizontal position – but whether vertical or horizontal, we suggest that you use the steering lock function to lock the motor in to place and to stop it moving from side to side while you’re installing the battery. It makes it easier in our view.

Take hold of the carry handle at the top of the battery at the back – or grab it however you feel comfortable – and line up the battery with the two black nubs on the back of the outboard motor. Firmly slide the battery down until it has clicked into place. If you haven’t heard it click or the two blue buttons on either side of the motor at the top by the battery haven’t popped fully out, then the battery isn’t secure. Pull it out a little way and then be a little firmer as you slide it into place.

&list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=10″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>This video from the Momentum team shows how easy it is to install the battery on to the motor.

The U2 is suitable for many boats including tenders, sailboats, small workboats, fishing boats or as an auxiliary motor.

However, you really need to consider your use case before buying an electric outboard, whether you’re a first-time boater or making the switch from petrol.

We’ll go into a bit more detail about the key questions to ask yourself shortly.

There is the obvious environmental answer – electric outboard motors like the U2 produce zero direct emissions. There are no harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide or particulate matter being pumped into the air or water.

With no need for petrol or oil in the motor, there’s no risk of any spills into the aquatic environment. Plus there’s the added benefit of no nasty smells or fuel spills in your boat or car!

Think about how noisy petrol outboards are – electric outboards deliver a completely different experience. With no engine noise or loud exhaust, the U2’s noise pollution is reduced to almost zero making boating much more peaceful and relaxing.

Then there’s the cost benefit. Yes, the upfront spend is more than buying a new or second-hand petrol outboard – but there’s no maintenance and running costs are way less. Electricity is often far cheaper on a per mile basis. You’re looking at pence not pounds to recharge and if you have access to solar power, then charging can potentially be completely free.

Momentum is a privately owned company based in Singapore, founded by a team of naval architects, engineers and designers with experience of building everything from warships to UAVs and a lot in between.

The Momentum company and design team are based in Singapore. They wholly own and control a factory in China where some parts are manufactured, and they have a team on the ground there so quality control is all in-house.

the motors have gained an enviable reputation for their engineering and build quality as well as their unrivalled performance in this user space.

Because the GPS receiver determines your speed over ground, it will accurately track and display your speed, distance and range regardless of whether you’re sailing or motoring – or both!

We’ll come back to you shortly on this one.

The custom-designed 2-blade propeller is made of a plastic composite – it’s incredibly robust!

The U2 motor and battery are both fully water proof and completely safe to use in the marine environment. Even if one or the other have been fully submerged in water – fresh or salt, you can pop the battery onto the motor, switch it on, attach the kill cord and head off.

The reason for this is that the team at Momentum designed both the motor and battery with self-cleaning connectors. When they marry up, they clean each other. A little rubber grommet cleans them, making sure there’s no water on the two connecting surfaces and then it sends a signal to the system saying everything is ok.

Yes – the both the battery and motor are waterproof and IP67 rated.

&list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>This short video by the Momentum team shows how safe it is to install the battery to the motor and switch on even after the battery has been submerged in salt water.

You’ll be able to travel greater distance and run the battery for longer by keeping your speed to around 3 knots.

On a super light tender such as the EZraft Q360, the Momentum team got just over 18 hours of run time and travelled 55 nautical miles in a test with one person on board motoring at a steady 3 knots in calm coastal waters. Increasing the speed by just one knot, endurance dropped to 3 hours and distance to 13 nautical miles. Gunning the motor at full speed (an incredible 9 knots!), they recorded 0.6 hours and 6 nautical miles.

Carrying out the same tests on a Takacat T300LX and a Highfield Classic 310 delivered a similar picture.

3 knots appears to be the most economical speed on all these different tenders and our own experience using the U2 to date reflects this.

There’s data from Momentum that shows the U2 lasted just over 18 hours and travelled 55 nautical miles (102km!) on one charge when travelling at 3 knots with one person on board an EZraft Q360 in calm coastal waters.

That’s pretty impressive – but the EZraft is an exceptionally light tender and, of course, how far you can go and how long a battery lasts will always depend on how fast you’re travelling on average, the type of boat you’re driving and how many people or how much kit you’re carrying.

In general, if you stick to around 3 knots, you should be able to get a full day’s motoring out of your U2 but as soon as you start increasing your speed – even by one knot – the battery endurance will rapidly decrease.

The U2 got up to 9 knots on the EZraft Q360 with one person on board in calm coastal conditions.

We’ll soon be uploading some tables showing more performance data on the EZraft as well as a Takacat T300LX and a Highfield Classic 310.

However speed clearly depends on the type of boat, the overall load – ie how many people on board and weight of kit being carried – and water/weather conditions.

You can absolutely get on the plane using the U2 on small lightweight boats such as the EZraft Q360, the Takacat T300LX and the Highfield Classic 310.

We’ll soon be uploading some tables showing performance with one person on board all of these boats.

We’ll be including links to independent reviews as they become available but in the meantime we suggest that you check out the Electric Outboard Instagram and/or Facebook feeds as they often post videos and reviews from customers.

We’re checking and if one is available, we will upload here very soon.

We’re checking and will upload one very soon if it is available.

We will be uploading a copy of the manufacturer’s manual very shortly.

We’ll be providing a detailed comparison of the U2 to other competing motors very soon.

There is a small slot built into the back of the motor, the slot acting as the carry handle on the battery and the spreader bar on the back of the transom mount. You can take a locking wire – so similar to a bike lock – and thread it through all those parts and secure with a padlock.

&list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=2″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>This short video from the Momentum team takes you through this in a little more detail.

There is a two year warranty on the U2 package.

All warranty claims are managed by the UK distributor – Adventure Marine Ltd, trading as Electric Outboard.

Your first port of call should be the dealer who you bought your U2 from.

If they can’t help then they’ll refer you to Adventure Marine Ltd (trading as Electric Outboard) who are the sole UK distributors of the Momentum range of electric outboard motors

A full range of spares is held in their UK warehouse and they manage all warranty claims.

The battery capacity is 1.4kWh and at the time of writing (May 2026), a kWh costs around 25p so to charge it fully from dead flat will only cost around 35p at current rates – although this of course will vary over time depending on where Ofgem sets the price cap and the tariff charged by your energy provider.

If you have a cheap overnight rate, then the cost to charge the battery can reduce further and if you have solar power, then charging can be potentially completely free!

As the motor has few moving parts than a traditional combustion engine, and no fuel systems to worry about, there are no real maintenance or servicing costs.

The U2 has an anti-grounding feature built into it.

This essentially allows you to run into an obstruction in the water – say a log – or run up on to a beach without damaging your propeller or scratching the motor.

The way to engage the anti-ground feature is to go to the back of the transom mount and locate the blue tab that allows you to raise and lower the motor. Depress that and on the side, you’ll see a little wing. If you turn that 90^o into place, that will allow the motor to tip up on its own if you do run aground.

If you want to return the motor to a more rigid tilt position, simply repeat the process – so turn the wing back 90^o and press the blue tab forward and the motor is locked back in position.

&list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=3″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>This short video from Momentum explains what it does and how to use it.

With fewer moving parts than a traditional combustion engine and no fuel systems, there is no real ongoing maintenance required and servicing is a thing of the past.

The simple answer is no! But we’ll go into more detail about why not shortly.

With no internal impellers, oil changes or pull cords to worry about, there is no real ongoing maintenance required!

We do recommend rinsing your U2 off with fresh water after every use in salt water and it’s always a good idea to check the propeller for any damage or debris – but that’s about it!

It’s easy to tweak or tune the U2 to just the way you like it.

At the bottom of the motor bracket that attaches the motor to the transom mount, there is an Allen key screw. Using the Allen key provided in the box that your U2 came in, you can tighten up or loosen the steering resistance to where you want it to be.

The team at Momentum have put together &list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=4″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>a short video demonstrating just how simple it is to adjust the steering to be as loose or as stiff as you prefer it – or conditions demand!

Once the motor is switched on, you can cycle through the display modes on the display by simply pressing the white circle touch sensitive button on the motor display.

You can choose from km, knots or miles per hour.

&list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=8″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>This short video from the Momentum team demonstrates how easy it is to change the units of measurement to your preferred setting.

The U2 has 4 trim positions that do not require removing any pin – the simple built in lever makes finding the best angle of tilt for your boat a breeze.

Position 0 is the lowest and Position 4 is the highest and it’s also possible to tilt the motor to be fully horizontal.

For most boats we suggest the trim position 2 or 3 with a single person on board and position 1 or 2 with two or more people on board – but do have a play as the best angle of tilt can often depend on the type of boat and water conditions as well as load.

The U2 has 4 trim positions that do not require removing any pin – the simple built in lever makes this a breeze.

Make sure the tiller is fully extended and apply a little weight to this with one hand while rotating the little blue tab on the transom mount with the other. This allows you to raise and lower the U2 to the desired position.

If you want to take the motor to 90⁰ -so fully horizontal – it’s the same process but we suggest you raise the tiller to its vertical position to do this.

&list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=7″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>This short video from the team at Momentum

Position 0 is the lowest and Position 4 is the highest before the motor is fully horizontal. For most boats we suggest the trim position 2 or 3 with a single person on board and position 1 or 2 with two or more people on board – but you’ll get a feel for the best trim for your boat the more you use the U2.

The large propeller on the U2 provides a lot of drag if it is not moving, so if you are coming to a halt from high speed, always try to reduce your speed gradually and try to take note of the wash build-up behind you to prevent a large wash coming straight into your boat over the transom.

To reset the throttle, simply release the clutch on the tiller and that will return the throttle to its original fully free setting.

&list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=6″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>This short video from the team at Momentum demonstrates how to use the throttle clutch so it might be useful to watch.

We’ll provide a more detailed response shortly but in the meantime why not &list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=6″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>check out this short video from the Momentum team demonstrating how to use the clutch mechanism on the tiller.

The U2 has been designed to only get to get to half power – so eco mode – when you first set off and twist the throttle as far as it will go.

To get full power, you need to press the red button at the end of the tiller and then continue to twist the throttle to achieve full speed.

&list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=5″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>This short video from the team at Momentum shows you how to use this feature.

Simply press the red button on the end of the tiller and twist the throttle towards you – so in the opposite direction to using the throttle when going forward.

&list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=5″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>This short video from the Momentum team showing you how to do this might be useful to watch.

No – the U2 is designed to be super portable. Remove the battery from the motor and then remove the motor from the transom mount giving you two components weighing roughly the same and easy to take back to your vehicle or stow in your main boat.

You can choose to leave the transom mount permanently attached to your boat if you want.

We’ll provide a detailed response shortly.

We’ll provide a detailed response shortly but in the meantime &list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=9″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>this video from the Momentum team should help.

We’ll be answering this soon.

We’ll be answering in more detail soon but in the meantime &list=PLpdhKTyL-WcLAw4eFfWYOToYcPP1Q5O6O&index=11″ target=”_blank” rel=”noopener”>check out this short video from the Momentum team.

Please note

The MB6 battery can only be charged from the original Momentum chargers due to the safety requirements of the integrated Canbus system.

This means that the charger and the battery perform a security handshake before any charging can begin to ensure that two compatible items are working togeher.

The standard charger is an 85v 18 amp charger and so it therefore charges at around 1,500 to 1,600 watts.

As the MB6 battery has 6.4kWh of capacity it means that the battery will generally charge from dead flat in well under 5 hours, but of course the battery is very rarely going to be completely empty.

The great thing about this charger is that it only draw around 7 amps from a normal 3 pin plug socket so it can be used at pretty well any standard harbour power bollard without fear of tripping it.

In summer 2026 a new faster charger will become available which will be an 85v 30 amp charger so capable of charging at up to 2,550 watts. The input power is limited to 11 amps so there is no problem with it potentially tripping a standard 3 pin 13 amp plug and this higher charging brings the time to charge from zero to hero to just over 2 1/2 hours.

This is still a very low charge speed for these very high quality batteries so you will not ned to worry about over charging them or them overheating as the powerful Battery Management System takes care of everything maintaining an active connection and dialogue between the charger and the battery.

Find out more about the Momentum M10 package here.

The tiller pulling to port if perfectly normal when using the Momentum M10 and it is due to the prop rotation and the prop being at the end of the motor bulb, giving rise to a mechanical force that casues the boat to turn to starboard.

This is because the rotational force of the prop is quite a long way behind the steering pivot point and when the tiller is locked, the twist (P-Factor) viewed from astern creates a side thrust that pushes the stern to port, causing the boat to turn to starboard. When instead the tiller is free to move, it has the same effect by pushing the motor to starboard, which pushes the stern to port and hence turns the boat to starboard.

It is especially noticeable when under higher power and when the steering damper is not very tight and it is nothing to worry about regardless.

Some users like to have a very free moving tiller that easily moves side to side for very fast and agile manoeuvering but users who are manily based in choppier waters while still wanting to go fast often like to tighten the steering up quite significantly to reduce the tiller slpapping around especially when taking off over waves as we do very often in the Solent!

The M10 can counter this effect very simply though if required by simply taking an Allen key and using it to evenly tighten up the 4 allen key bolts in the black steering damper found on the starboard side of the M10 motor:

Users can do exactly the same if they are using the M10 with the remote steering with some liking to loosen the dampers to make steering very light as the natural resistance of the cabling naturally reduces the turning to starbaord.

PLEASE NOTE

If you are using the throttle tensioner on a tight setting but the stering tensioner on a very loose setting, letting go of the tiller handle can cause a dramatic turn to starboard!

Find out more about the Momentum M10 package here.