The first installation of Torqeedo’s Deep Blue 40-hp electric outboard motor was completed on a newly redesigned Calypso Classic skiff. The Calypso Classic hull, built and used in the Caribbean for generations, is now paired with Torqeedo’s electric propulsion. The 80-hp Deep Blue requires two high-voltage batteries, but the new 40-hp option requires just one, the company announced. This saves money, weight and space in the boat while allowing the motor to be upgraded to 80 hp by adding a second battery and updating the software. The zero-emission electric drive insulates the consumer from gasoline costs.
The redesigned Calypso hull has a slightly wider beam. At full throttle, the Calypso can reach speeds of more than 20 mph and it achieves 12 mph on a slow plane for one hour. A 6 mph no-wake speed provides four hours of run time. A complete recharge can be obtained in four hours with common 120V AC/30-amp shore power service and uses about $1.50 of electricity.
The list price of a Calypso Classic packaged with a Torqeedo 40-hp Deep Blue is $64,900.