Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/231507
{ IT'S ELECTRIC! } manufacturers see that as being a boost to the boating industry as well. It's expected that the younger generation, which is more accustomed to electric-powered transportation, will drive the push toward electric propulsion in the boating industry. "I think it's somewhat of a generational thing that we're facing, not just we but the industry, and there's an awful lot of people that grew up with entrenched knowledge, they grew up with gasoline or diesel engines in their boats, and their daddy had a boat with a gas or a diesel engine, and that's sort of entrenched thinking," Flemming said. "And then if you're a boat builder or you're refurbishing a boat, there's people like Yanmar or Volvo who are entrenched suppliers and so you're sort of cracking, opening the door into their territory, but, I believe, the younger generation of boaters coming along, I think they see it." Like the electric boat segment, the electric motor market is benefitting from lakes "going green." In Europe, many lakes already have www.BoatingIndustry.com P40x43-BI14JAN-MarketFocus.indd 43 MARKET FOCUS SECTION horsepower or pollution restrictions, making electric propulsion more popular overseas, but with many popular recreational lakes in the U.S. serving as drinking water reservoirs, Trkla expects environmental regulations to be enforced more widely across the country in the coming years. "There is going to be more pressure that is going to be put on state and local governments to protect drinking water as the populations continue to grow and the demand on water continues to expand, so we do see that as a big driving force going forward," Trkla said. With his solar-powered pontoon, Gisborne is already seeing new customers approach the industry because of zero emissions, quiet, slow and environmentally friendly products available. "A lot of our customers are first-time buyers. They've never owned a boat before; they've never been on a privately owned boat before," he said. For everyone in the electric boats and motors segments, education has become key, so The solar panel atop Tamarack Lake's Loon pontoon helps power its electric motor. teaching boaters about the alternative propulsion options available and exposing them to the technology is crucial to the segments' success. In turn, customers are responding, now seeking out electric boat and motor suppliers at boat shows, asking about specific applications, rather than just visiting out of curiosity of the technology. "When I first joined Torqeedo seven years ago, I used to say, 'This is the future,' but it's really here now," Trkla said. "The technologies are here now, and it's being driven now." January 2014 | Boating Industry | 43 12/18/13 10:07 AM