When you think of an outboard motor, you imagine the outboard motor with its vertical axis to act on the steering and a propeller that pushes parallel to the water surface. This engine, whether thermal (petrol) or electric, remains heavy, cumbersome and not easy to install on a small dinghy. Alexandre Seux believes that it is possible to imagine a totally different solution to power the annexes. He imagines and develops Temo.
It is by observing the development of electro-portable electric equipment such as vacuum cleaners, scooters, DIY equipment... that he came up with Temo's idea. It is neither an oar nor an outboard, but rather a kind of sculling that is placed on the transom in a simple swimming lady.
Temo has the advantage of being very thin, very long. This makes it easier to store in the boat. The battery of the electric motor is integrated in the handle. This handle is telescopic to reduce the length of the device and fits all annexes (1.20 to 1.80 m long). The electric motor, in the axis, drives a propeller, itself protected by a cage to avoid the risk of injury.
By integrating all components into the handle, this manufacturer ensures a perfect seal. The motor is IP67. If it does not float, the air that is enclosed inside keeps it between two waters for a while. The manufacturer imagines a buoyancy kit to be added later.
How does it work?
It's very simple, the Temo engine does not require any special installation since it can even be held by hand at the back of an annex. For more comfort, we will install a swimming lady. The handle features a trigger with a dimmer to accelerate. A reversing switch (as on a screwdriver) is used to reverse. LEDs indicate the battery's charge level.
The integrated 300 W/h (22.6 V) lithium battery recharges to 220 V (or 12 V with a converter). It offers an autonomy of 40 minutes to 1h30 depending on the power used. The maximum power of this motor is 1000 W, equivalent to a 1.5 hp internal combustion engine. A power more than enough for a tender, but too low for a small boat.
The entire interest of the product lies in its weight: 4.4 kg. That's 10 kg lighter than an internal combustion engine. Not to mention the space requirement in a trunk, much less than any engine. Installing the engine on the transom of the tender will no longer be a risky manoeuvre!
A fixed battery
Among the (small) criticisms, it may be noted that the battery is not removable. It is therefore impossible to have several of them on board to ensure the autonomy of the vehicle. This choice is technically explained in order to preserve the waterproofness, without having any connection problems which always remain weak points in our saline environments.
Available for summer 2020
The Temo is in the development phase. If the prototype works, this young company will establish manufacturing partnerships. This engine will be manufactured in France, in the Nantes region (Pays de Loire). If the product will be presented at the Nautic (December 20019), production will not start until early 2020 for first deliveries scheduled for the summer.
As a introductory price, the Temo is offered as a pre-order at 1000 euros. A really interesting price since the final price of the product should be around 1500 euros...
