One of the most recognizable outboard motor brands across the globe has entered the world of electric outboard motors.

Mercury Marine proudly unveiled its first electric outboard motor model Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 in Las Vegas. The all-new Mercury Avator 7.5e, a fully electric outboard motor, is the first of its kind from Mercury and first in a series to be introduced in 2023.

The Mercury Avator 7.5e is scheduled to be on the market, available to consumers, later this year, according to a prepared statement released Wednesday. It’s the outboard manufacturing company’s formal entry into electric propulsion.

On Feb. 28, 2021, this column touched on the world of green energy, also known as green power, and its pending debut and impact in the marine industry. Electric outboard motors would be an option to internal combustion gas-powered outboard motors, industry experts said.

While the current line of electric outboard motors are generally for small boats, the column pointed out boat builders such as Gary Clous, a Bassmaster Elite Series bass pro who owns Phoenix Boats, believe advances are underway for electric propulsion in the future for bigger boats such as high-performance bass boats.

In April 2020, Clous wrote “One sure bet is that technological advancements will continue to drive the boat market. For example, I think the day will come when we will do away with gas engines and utilize power electric outboards once we see improvements in battery technology.”

There are other major players in the electric outboard motor industry, including Yamaha, Elco Motor Yachts, Pure Watercraft, E-Propulsion, Stealth Motors and Bellmarine. According to recent reports, the highest horsepower rating in the field so far is 50.

Insiders claim ePropulsion motors are dependable and have fail-safe features to prolong the life of the motor. However, outboard motors will remain reliant on petro for at least the next two decades, which means boaters will have to use their crafts more effectively to minimize fuel costs and maximize time on the water.

Word about Mercury’ Marine’s entry into the electronic outboard motor market for pleasure craft first surfaced in July 2021 at the Miami International Boat Show. Following right behind the Mercury Avatar 7.5e later this year will be more powerful Avator 20e and Avator 35e outboard motors currently being developed but also displayed at CES 2023.

“What an exciting moment for Mercury. We have an incredible history as the leader in outboard technology, and the Avatar family builds on our legacy,” Jim Hergert, senior category manager for small outboards, said in the news release.

The Mercury Avator 7.5e features an industry-first transverse flux motor technology that delivers reliable, quiet power, according to Hergert. The motor generates high torque with little effort, maximizing battery life and range while contributing to faster acceleration and more efficient overall performance that includes 750W of power at the prop shaft.

It will be offered with tiller or remote controls. It produces similar speed and acceleration as the Mercury 5.5hp FourStroke outboard motor, according to a prepared statement.

Speaking of batteries, the Mercury Avator 7.5e and others to follow are powered by interchangeable lithium-ion battery pack developed in partnership with battery experts at Mastervolt.

“By developing interchangeable batteries, we were able to give boaters the ability to outfit themselves with enough power to enjoy more fun adventures,” Hergert said.

The motor was designed with the environment in mind, according to Andrew Przybyl, Avatar Program technical manager who was at this past week’s CES.

“We do a lot of things within the company for sustainability. It’s obviously one of our core values and one that we take very seriously,” Przybyl said, noting the new product delivers clean, quiet power and boasts innovative features to make it easier to operate. It has a quick connect mounting system and a full-color display that tracks battery power and range.

The future has arrived, quietly, whether we approve or disapprove.

DON SHOOPMAN is outdoors editor of The Daily Iberian.