Interview with Steve Trkla, Torqeedo electric outboards

Steve Trikla

When Steve Trkla talks to consumers at boat shows about Torqeedo electric outboard motors he faces a common question: Are Torqeedo products just souped-up trolling motors, or is there more we need to know?

The answer is that Torqeedo’s range of electric propulsion products fall into the same category as small gasoline-powered outboards. And this fall the company will introduce a new 80-horsepower outboard that will be available to consumers early next year.

Trkla, the President of Torqeedo’s North American operations since 2009, is a boat owner who lives north of Chicago and has a high-tech background. I had the chance to interview Trkla for the August E-Newsletter Q&A for Southern Boating Magazine, and learned  about what Torqeedo has accomplished, and what’s planned for the future. Here’s the first question of the Q&A:

SB: Torqeedo has announced that it has developed a new 80-hp electric outboard. Can you update our readers on the project and when it will be released in the United States?

ST: Yes, this is probably the most exciting product the outboard industry will see this year or for the next several years in terms of technological, practical and environmental standpoints.

We will be introducing the 80-horsepower, 100-percent electric outboard motor in November and will be doing the boat show circuit through to the 2013 Miami International Boat Show. Serial production of the motor will be delivered to U.S. customers in February 2013, with several pre-production motors getting ready to ship now to various boat manufacturers across the U.S. for trialing, demos, and shows.

The read the entire interview, click here.