At current estimates, around one million new outboards take to the world’s oceans every year. The vast majority of them are still gasoline-fuelled. They negatively impact the sensitive marine environment in several ways.

Southern Power is spearheading the move to a more sustainable boating industry in Southern Africa, both within our own operations and initiatives, and by partnering with equally-minded original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), whose propulsion and ancillary products we distribute.

These forward-thinking OEMs include Torqeedo, which leads the way in sustainable marine propulsion with their electric propulsion systems. Volvo Penta, meanwhile, have embarked on their “Towards electromobility” journey, with their engineers exploring various sustainable marine propulsion solutions across electric, hybrid, diesel and gasoline engines. Both companies are working to actualise a global boating industry free of petroleum outboard engines.

Sharing their quest is Sweden-based OXE Marine, which launched its first diesel engine, the OXE 200, in 2016. Diesel engines are largely better for the environment, because their improved fuel efficiency leads to reduced emissions – but they are still not the end solution.

OXE Marine, having replaced gasoline for diesel, is now continuing the push, from the use of diesel to biodegradable biofuels, and from totally fuel-driven propulsion systems to hybrid biofuel/electric. Ultimately the goal is all-electric – and their outboards do not sacrifice performance for sustainability:

In a recent test, OXE Marine pitted their twin OXE 300 dual outboards against comparable twin gasoline 300 HP* outboards, on a Nimbus T11 powerboat.

The OXEs were fuelled by HVO 100, a hydrogenated vegetable oil that reduces net CO₂ emissions by up to 94% (since October 2022, OXE Marine have used only HVO 100 in engine tests). Here’s what the technical results showed.

Fuel emissions (at a cruise speed of 35 kn, 4 hours on the water): The OXE 300s produced CO₂ emissions of 119kg vs the gasoline 300s’ emissions of 1 446kg – a 92% reduction (the same OXEs, if powered by diesel, would still reduce emissions by 32%).

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Consumption: The OXE 300s consumed 99 l/H vs the gasoline 300s’ 130 l/H, just slightly more than the 95 l/H the OXEs would consume in diesel.

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Performance: Lower consumption, lower emissions and yet, the OXEs still outperformed the gasoline 300s on speed, reaching 43.8 knots at 4 370 RPM, while the gasoline 300s maxed out at 41.7 knots, at 6 500 RPM.

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Following the test, pilot Christian Bernström commented, “It was an extraordinary feeling comparing the OXE 300s on this boat against the equivalent gasoline 300 HP outboards. It feels as if the boat ‘wants to go even further’ even quicker. With all that torque on the transom, I thought it was fabulous.”

OXE Marine defines what it does as “transition tech” – taking the best technology that it has now and making it widely available, while working towards what’s beyond the horizon.

Cresting that horizon now is OXE Marine’s state-of-the-art 450 diesel (or biofuel) electric hybrid.

It has a turbocharged and efficient 300 HP (680 nm torque) diesel engine, augmented by an ultra-clean, ultra-lightweight 400V electric motor, providing an additional 150 HP (240 nm torque).

Having had its February 2023 global premiere at the Miami International Boat Show, the OXE 450 hybrid makes its African debut at Southern Power’s Boatica Cape Town stand in October. The engine is likely to have its first commercial launch globally around the same time, and Southern Power is taking orders from Southern African customers for Q1 of 2024.

Both the OXE 300 and OXE 450 can run completely on HV0 biofuel, which Southern Power supplies across Africa. While it is more expensive than diesel, the most meaningful comparison of HV0 is rather against the other options available to eco-conscious boatowners for reducing greenhouses gas emissions, over the near to medium term. What’s more, boatowners can simply blend it into conventional diesel at any ratio they are comfortable with – read more in this article.

View the full OXE Marine range carried by Southern Power.

 The team at Southern Power is constantly inspired by the new innovations unveiled by our OEMs, beneficial to both people and planet, and is committed to distributing them from Dakar to Mombasa. Look out for future OEM Partner Spotlights on Volvo Penta, Torqeedo and more.

 *Equivalent gasoline engine data sourced from boattest.com.