Where the outboard industry is heading??

Being a part time "dinosaur" machinist, [manual machines] I have 2 I/O boats with electronic injection and electronic ignition mostly used on lakes with rescue services nearby. But I have a "junkyard special". Flat bottom old military jet boat with points ignition, carburetor, and mechanical fuel pump. Simple, easy to diagnose and repair. And spare parts do not cost a fortune and kept on the boat. KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid. I trust that old boat more, when we run the Green and Colorado rivers with limited rescue available, than the 2 more modern versions. Guess I'm just stuck in the stone ages, but I always make it home.
 
It's all about international economics. The oil companies and our leaders, bless their hearts, will not allow electricity to take over the automotive power source of oil! Try to imagine the oil companies going bankrupt and the fallout from that! I believe we've got oil for a long long time.
 
About a year ago, Chevrolet was after me to replace my 1/2 ton truck with a battery powered truck. One of my questions to them was regarding the weight of the battery rack. Per their technical guy it was 9,000 pounds. No wonder they don't want EV's on the upper levels of parking structures. Needless to say, I kepy my gas burner
 
Actually the big O&G players have been investing in alternative energies both for their own needs & to diversify income for many years now.
 
About a year ago, Chevrolet was after me to replace my 1/2 ton truck with a battery powered truck. One of my questions to them was regarding the weight of the battery rack. Per their technical guy it was 9,000 pounds. No wonder they don't want EV's on the upper levels of parking structures. Needless to say, I kepy my gas burner
Excellent point, Bill.

As a side note, the extra battery weight is wearing out tires on EVs MUCH faster, costing owners mucho more $$....AND the extra rubber worn off is of course going into the environment.

If, as Marina Bum points out, we're poised for breakthru battery upgrades (or hopefully zero point technology....🤞) THAT changes our world. Getting/towing to our lake, and recreating on it.

;)
 
At this time we are still charging batteries primarily with fossil fuels . When you generate power then store it to be used later there is a lot “lost” in the process. Trains , subs and the previous mentioned coast guard ship, are hybrids of sorts using fossil fuels or nuclear to generate the power to run electric engines .
Batteries currently are very heavy and lack the range to become more mainstream, and a fair amount of power is used to just haul the batteries along. Battery technology improvements are the key to making electric vehicles more effective and more versatile.
Weight, down time in charging, short life span of the batteries, much lower efficiency in colder temps, manufacturing them with less negative impacts from mining rare earths etc. and needing much longer range per charge are significant hurdles that must be overcome. Running out of power in the middle of nowhere is an issue with battery electrics, can’t just run out with a can of electricity to get you back to where you can recharge. Hybrids have a big advantage there. Right now batteries will still be primarily charged with fossil fuels. So those saying they are cleaner, really it’s just polluting somewhere else. Currently even making batteries is not very clean or planet friendly.
The way technology is rapidly improving I imagine these issues will be solved at some point it’s just a matter of how long it will take.
Not sure it will happen in my lifetime?
Everything you just said about electric propulsion for cars or boats is true. This new technology though is just mind numbing, I hope everyone is really ready to see amazing things, they are going to happen fast especially if AI and Supercomputers mate. What will that mean for the boat market, outboard motors and Powell? The question is will all of it be for better or worse for people? This kinda blew me away:

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Will actors and musicians be a thing of the past soon? Will I soon be able to buy a robot who can dig anchor holes? Could I soon be able to replace my generator with a fuel cell that runs on lake water and baking soda? Could we all soon have our own drone helicopters so we can fly to and from our campsites? At the very least hopefully outboard engines will get better and cheaper.

For an aging boater born in 1967 who grew up with a tubed TV with 6 channel's and with a corded rotary dial phone hanging on the wall all the possibilities seem like science fiction. I thought my cell phone was amazing.
 
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Everything you just said about electric propulsion for cars or boats is true. This new technology though is just mind numbing, I hope everyone is really ready to see amazing things, they are going to happen fast especially if AI and Supercomputers mate. What will that mean for the boat market, outboard motors and Powell? The question is will all of it be for better or worse for people? This kinda blew me away:

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Will actors and musicians be a thing of the past soon? Will I soon be able to buy a robot who can dig anchor holes? Could I soon be able to replace my generator with a fuel cell that runs on lake water and baking soda? Could we all soon have our own drone helicopters so we can fly to and from our campsites? At the very least hopefully outboard engines will get better and cheaper.

For an aging boater born in 1967 who grew up with a tube TV and with a corded phone hanging on the wall all the possibilities seem like science fiction. I thought my cell phone was amazing.
My son dabbles in writing for Hollywood. AI is taking over that part of the industry. I am also seeing more famous actors doing commercials, as their work seems to be drying up.
 
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