Panbo

The Marine Electronics Hub

Category: Electrical & Engines

18

LiFePO4 / Electrical & Engines

Blue Heron Extreme series battery, feature rich and high performance

Blue Heron is a relatively small battery brand. So, you may not have heard of them as they have less marketing power than the bigger battery brands I’ve reviewed. But, that doesn’t stop them from offering a premium battery with impressive features and customer service. Perhaps in part because of their smaller size, Blue Heron provides services not typical of similar batteries, like testing and balancing the batteries prior to shipping. Let’s take a look at the battery, the service, and the value that Blue Heron offers.

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Press Releases / Electrical & Engines / Green Boating

ePropulsion Expands Award-Winning Line-Up With The New Spirit 2 Electric Outboard

ePropulsion Americas, a global leader in marine electric propulsion systems and services, announced today the launch of Spirit 2, the latest addition to its acclaimed Spirit series. Celebrating ten years of innovation in electric mobility on the water, Spirit 2 delivers an exceptional combination of power and portability, redefining what boaters can expect from a compact electric outboard. Designed to offer powerful performance without sacrificing portability, Spirit 2 blends high-efficiency engineering with intelligent, user-friendly design to set a new benchmark for small electric outboards…

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LiFePO4 / Editors' Blog / Electrical & Engines

Testing LiFePO4 cycle ratings, are they accurate?

One of the biggest advantages of lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) batteries is their cycle life. A LiFePO4 battery is likely to last thousands of cycles compared to hundreds of cycles for most lead-acid chemistries. While shopping for batteries, you are likely to see cycle ratings ranging from 2,000 to more than 6,000 cycles. Traditional wisdom also holds that LiFePO4 batteries last ten years or longer. Based on the way batteries are cycled on boats, it is relatively unlikely batteries will ever see 2,000 cycles in ten years, let alone 6,000. So, you may not make a purchasing decision based on cycle ratings, but, they indicate the quality of the cells in the battery and how the battery will perform over its lifespan. So, armed with an understanding of what cycle ratings mean, I set out to measure the life and capacity of a battery over many cycles.

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Press Releases / Electrical & Engines / The future / Green Boating

Molabo launches 48 V serial hybrid with Fischer Panda

Molabo, the German manufacturer of safe, high-performance 48-volt electric propulsion systems, will unveil its new 48 V serial hybrid system at METSTRADE 2025. The innovation integrates Molabo’s proven low-voltage ARIES drive with Fischer Panda’s lightweight and compact AGT-series generators, extending range and power while maintaining Molabo’s signature safe-to-touch simplicity and efficiency…

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LiFePO4 / Press Releases / Electrical & Engines

HikoTerra redefines marine and mobile power systems with the H4 Hybrid Power System

HikoTerra, innovator in mobile integrated power solutions, officially ushers in the next generation of marine power with the introduction of the H4 Hybrid Power System. HikoTerra has been quietly working on the project for some time and is now set for a phase of rapid expansion, introducing its innovative, world-class technology to the market with the support of experienced founders, investors and leaders with a history of success. Offering an unparalleled level of efficiency, scalability, integration and ease of installation for marine and mobile power requirements, the H4 product line is designed as a battery-first system flexible enough to deliver a home-like user experience. Fully integrated, more compact and easier to maintain than traditional onboard power systems centered around a generator, the H4 sets the new standard for onboard energy storage and supply.

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LiFePO4 / How-to / Electrical & Engines

Don’t murder your batteries, tips for winter storage of LFP batteries

In recent years LiFePO4 (LFP) batteries in boats have morphed from a slightly mysterious luxury to commonplace. The perception has gone from an expensive and risky modification to a widely accepted, game-changing, and comfort enhancing upgrade. As such there is great excitement when it’s “your turn” to upgrade your boat. Marinas and boating forums are full of stories from the recently converted about their newly installed LFP system and the resulting improved and simplified boating. Those still using legacy lead for house power may be feeling left behind.  At the same time the prices of converting to LFP have dropped significantly.

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LiFePO4 / Electrical & Engines / The Trade

ABYC publishes updated battery and electrical standards

ABYC published updates to their E-11 and E-13 standards. E-11 covers the basic requirements for AC and DC systems on a boat. E-11 is a mature standard and the revisions reflect that maturity. This is the first revision of ABYC’s E-13 lithium ion battery standards. The first publication of E-13 incorporated most of ABYC’s technical note TE-13 that previously provided recommendations for the installation of lithium batteries on a boat. Hence, the updates to E-13 are more extensive.

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LiFePO4 / Electrical & Engines

Victron NG Smart LiFePO4 batteries, ultimate power flexibility

If you made a list of all the features you require and prefer in your boat’s batteries, I would bet that Victron’s NG Smart batteries would check just about every item on your list. In a field where it sometimes feels like we are all field testing products, Victron’s batteries, BMSes, and software evidence maturity and integration most other manufacturers can only dream of achieving. About the harshest thing I can say about Smart NG batteries is that they’re more expensive than some of the other batteries out there. But, stick with me and we’ll take a careful look at what you get for that extra expense.

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LiFePO4 / Safety & SAR / Electrical & Engines / The Trade

ABYC Examines the 48-volt boat

The past several years at IBEX, Metstrade and other trade shows, we’ve seen the introduction of electric devices — grills, bow thrusters, trolling motors, air conditioners and such — powered at 48 volts DC. In 2018, Integrel Solutions won a DAME Design Award for its 48-volt alternator. In 2022, Mercury Marine won a Consumer Electronics Show innovation award for its Verado V-12 outboards incorporating a 48-volt alternator. At the 2024 Annapolis Sailboat Show, six of the 16 new boats entered in Cruising World’s Boat of the Year contest had 48-volt house systems.