Image: The new EP Carry Gen2 is easily installed on any small boat in just a few minutes. Photo credit: EP Carry
Just in time for peak summer season, local electric-motor maker EP Carry has released its new Gen2 portable outboard for dinghies, tenders, kayaks, RIBs, and other small boats.
Based in North Bend, WA, EP Carry debuted the first Gen1 model in 2017 but has refined some design elements in this second generation. While the Gen2 is the same ultralight weight as its predecessor, at about 14 pounds, the improved, whisper-quiet motor purportedly produces about 22% more power and can last more than an hour at full throttle on a single charge of its lithium iron phosphate battery.
For vessel sizes ranging from small kayaks to 19’ boats weighing up to 1,000 pounds, the Gen2 has a range of about 20 miles per charge, reaching speeds between 3 and 5 knots, said Joe Grez, co-founder of EP Carry. The battery pack (12V, 24V, or 36V) includes a snap-lock, watertight connection to the motor for easy installation and removal. Customers also asked for a longer tiller for larger boats, he said, so the latest version has an extension bar to increase the tiller length up to 31”.
One of the simplest innovations in the latest model is an easier procedure to use when beaching boats in shallow water. “You used to have to stop the boat and manually adjust the transom angle of the motor,” Grez said. “But with the Gen2, there’s a quick-release latch to give you free range of motion. So, you can head to the beach like you mean it, release the latch, and tilt the motor up in one motion.”
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of the Gen2, in today’s hyper-inflated economy, is that the price has not changed. EP Carry still offers a motor-only Gen2 for $1,489 and a complete integrated package with a customized, 6.4-pound battery pack for $1,999.
Since the “soft launch” of the Gen2 earlier this year, Grez said sales have been brisk, with a current backlog of about three weeks for custom orders. “We’re trying to fill our coffers as fast as we can to meet the summer inventory demand,” he added.
