Mercury’s Avator 7.5e powers competitive angler

August 10, 2023

Mercury’s next step forward in electric propulsion, the Avator 7.5e electric outboard offers an alternative to traditional petrol-powered engines, delivering clean quiet power that’s as simple to use as it is fun to drive.

Testing out the outboard recently at the Rapala Bass Australian Open, competitive angler Beau Everleigh showed that an electric engine can still compete with much larger horsepower outboards.

The Avator has the equivalent power of a 3.5hp four-stroke petrol motor, yet the performance it gave in comparison to other electric engines is what stood out to Beau.

“The limited range of my other electric motor meant I would have struggled to get to the fishing spots I wanted to go to, so the Avator really played its part over the weekend,” Beau said.

“I saw a top speed of 12km/h in the Alloycraft, which is the fastest that thing has ever gone and that was without any wind or tide assistance.

“The turning was impressive – if I wanted to go left, I went left straight away, while with other electric motors, I find that you almost have to do a 20m circle to turn around.”

Using a demonstration model of the Avator 7.5e to power his Alloycraft boat up and down the Clarence River, Beau had the smallest and slowest boat in the field.

However, he certainly got the most out of the motor – finishing a respectable thirteenth out of 45 anglers.

The Avator is powered by a 1kWh lithium-ion battery, which easily slides into place under the flip-up top cowl, saving valuable space.

The batteries are designed to last an hour at full speed and travel 8km, while it can deliver a maximum run time of 26km if the engine is running at 50 percent.

For longer distance journeys, the battery can be easily swapped out for a new fully charged one within seconds.

Over the two-day event, Beau was given three batteries and averaged a cruising speed of 9km/h – travelling 13km on the first day using one and a half batteries and 15km on day two using one and a quarter batteries.

“I had people on land, on the water, kayakers coming up to me asking what engine I was using,” Beau said.

“People were really blown away, especially with what I was telling them about the distance and speed I was going.

“That motor is definitely bang for its buck.”

Despite the small size, the Avator can generate high torque with little effort, maximising battery life and range while providing quick efficient performance – a feature Beau was surprised to discover.

“The torque surprised me – I thought I would be able to stand up like I would with my normal electric motor, but I soon sat down very quickly,” Beau said.

“If I wasn’t prepared, I would have gone overboard.

“For a little motor, it does have some grunt behind it.”

With no fuel and no fumes, the Avator is convenient to store at home or on a larger boat, with a quick connect bracket that enhances portability and allows for the outboard to be installed in a snap.

In total, the Avator weighs slightly north of 27kg – its lightweight design and ease of transport being Beau’s favourite feature.

“My favourite feature is the ability to be able to lift it on and off, leave the mount on and take the motor off and then store it away nice and safe,” he said.

“The motor is so light – they say it’s light, but until you pick one up, you don’t realise how light it actually is.

“One of the cool things I found with it is that the Avator makes the same beeping sound on ignition as the 200hp outboards, which many of the other anglers were using.”

Head to mercurymarine.com to learn more about the latest in electric propulsion and check out the Avator 7.5e.