"I do have problems understanding why an electric
motor for a boat<br> should cost MORE than a diesel
replacement!"<br><br>Not a bad question, Kirsti. It doesnt have to. Mine
cost about 45% of the cost of a similarly sized
diesel.<br><br>Its easy to define your "needs" so that only very
expensive, limited production components can meet them.
Youve self-defined a very expensive system. If you can
define your "needs" to suit an already existing,
mass-produced technology you can save lots. <br>Are some of the
products and systems discussed on this list "better"? I
dont know for sure, but I certainly suspect so. But I
also believe the law of diminishing returns kicks in
pretty rapidly: 10% "better" may cost 100% more, 30%
"better" may cost 1000% more and that last little
increment of "best" maybe only the government can afford.
If you really NEED the little bit better, then you
will simply have to pay the hefty premium. But often
people confuse "desirable" with "necessary". <br><br>I
just bought a 38lb thrust (I think that works out to
about hp electricright?) electric outboard at Costco
for $134.95. How can they do that? Answer: thousands
of fishermen use these things and they are
mass-produced.<br><br>36V golf cart components are quite cheap up into the
6-10 hp. range. So are the batteries and accessories
that go with them. How come? Same reasonlots of
people wanting to use the same product.<br><br>So my
advice is to look hard at the existing, off-the-shelf
technology and look hard at what you realistically demand
from the system. A great many of us, I think, could
function quite happily with systems that are a fraction of
the cost of some of the more esoteric technologies
and those systems are more easily serviced, more
easily repaired and more easily replaced when the time
comes.<br>Larry
