BradK wrote:
Hi Pro10is
Thanks for the detail in the article. It has really encouraged me to go this way rather than a petrol outboard once the time comes.
If you were going to buy a single battery without a spare, would you go with the standard 11Ah battery or the larger 18Ah battery?
Cheers
Brad
When you purchase the 403 it comes with the 320 Watt, 11 AH battery (smallest available) so you don't get a choice there. Your choice is whether to buy a spare or not. This, of course, depends on how much and how hard you intended to use the motor. If you're primarily sailing/pedaling the boat and using the motor only occasionally, or need to use the motor for only about 5-15 miles (speed dependent), then this battery alone will be fine.
If you intend to use the motor longer and/or faster and want a longer range, then you'll want a spare. Your choices are the 320 Watt, 11 AH battery ($524), the 533 Watt, 18 AH battery ($612), or the newest 915 Watt, 31 AH battery ($787). The 320 Watt battery will give you another 5-15 mile range, the 533 Watt will give you another 8 to 25 mile range, and the 915 Watt battery will give you another 14 to 42 mile range.
What I've found from experience is that having a motor turns you into a range junkie. When I first purchased my TI and it had no motor I was content to travel just a few miles a day. After I installed the motor I would go around 10 miles a day. When I purchased a spare battery I would travel 15-20 miles or more a day trying to reach further and further distances. So your choice on batteries will depend greatly on how far and fast you wish to go in between charges.
One final note. If you intend to use the motor in heavy or harsh conditions, i.e. offshore use, heavy wind/waves/currents, then definitely get a spare, the larger the better. These conditions require a great deal of continuous power.
I hope this answers your question.