Electric inboard conversion: what does it cost? VETUS and Bellmarine compared

An electric inboard motor costs from £4,598.50 in the UK and €5,201.50 in Germany (VETUS E-Line 6 kW, list prices including VAT). On top of that come the battery, charger, cooling and installation. None of the manufacturers, and no dealer we found, quotes a complete price for a conversion. VETUS is the cheaper way in with fixed retail prices; Bellmarine offers more power levels and leaves the choice of battery to you.

When does an electric inboard make sense?

An inboard sits inside the boat and drives the propeller through a shaft, just like the old diesel. It makes most sense when you want to replace a diesel in a displacement boat, such as a sailing yacht, a sloep or a narrowboat. Shaft and rudder stay; only engine, tank and exhaust make way for battery and electronics. For small boats and inflatables an electric outboard is usually simpler and cheaper.

VETUS and Bellmarine compared

\* VETUS states the maximum input power but does not explicitly call it continuous power.

Sources: VETUS configuration 2026, VETUS E-Line, VETUS price list UK 2026, VETUS price list Germany 2026, Bellmarine catalogue 2026, Bellmarine shop.

VETUS: fixed prices, everything from one source

VETUS builds the E-Line in five steps from 6 to 22 kW, all at 48 V, plus the air-cooled E-Line Air and the 10 kW E-Pod. Prices are published in the 2026 price lists for the UK and Germany, with and without VAT (UK, Germany). Dealers charge almost the same: German chandler SVB lists the E-Line 6 kW at €5,201.50 too (SVB), Greenboatsolutions in Berlin at €5,049 (Greenboat). In the UK, the narrowboat builder Oakums fits the VETUS E-Line 11 kW as its standard electric drive (Oakums).

VETUS supplies matching lithium iron phosphate battery sets: 9.6 kWh usable for motors up to 10 kW and 19.2 kWh up to 20 kW (configuration). The liquid-cooled E-Line motors need a cooling kit, which comes separately. According to a press release, VETUS gives a 3-year warranty on its boat equipment (VETUS).

Bellmarine: more power levels, free choice of battery

Bellmarine belongs to the Italian manufacturer Transfluid. The DriveMaster range for shaft drives and the SailMaster range as a saildrive for sailing yachts come in many power levels, air- or liquid-cooled, at 48 V or 96 V. Bellmarine clearly separates nominal and peak power: the motor may only hold its peak briefly, 1 minute in 10 (catalogue). Bellmarine leaves the batteries up to you; chemistry and brand are free.

Prices in the manufacturer's shop are for businesses only and, according to its terms, exclude VAT: the DriveMaster 10A costs €9,700 there, the SailMaster 10A €16,750 (shop). A retail price comes from Greenboatsolutions in Germany: €13,999 including VAT for a "DriveMaster 10.0" (Greenboat). Whether that is exactly the 10A from the catalogue is not clear from the dealer's page.

What does an electric inboard conversion cost?

None of the manufacturers quotes a complete price for motor, battery and installation, and we found none from dealers in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands or the UK either. These offers come closest:

• DIY packages: the Dutch company E-Werf sells packages of motor, battery, charger and cables without installation from €2,950, aimed at small sloeps and sailing boats (E-Werf).
• Complete kits: EmsVolt offers kits with motor, battery, controller and wiring from €9,990 including VAT (EmsVolt).
• Large systems: the 30 kW MOLABO ARIES i30 costs €48,599 including VAT as a complete system at Greenboatsolutions (Greenboat).

So add at least the battery to the motor price. Which batteries are suitable and what they cost is covered in Lithium boat battery: Victron and ECTIVE compared. Then come cooling, charger, cables and the yard's labour. Always ask for a written quote for the finished conversion of your boat.

Do you need a licence after the conversion?

In the UK, every boat on Canal & River Trust waterways needs a licence, with or without a motor (CRT). A conversion can lower the bill: boats whose sole means of propulsion is an electric motor get a 25% discount from the CRT and pay 75% of the charge on Environment Agency waters. If the diesel goes completely, a converted boat should qualify in our reading; a hybrid with a diesel generator for propulsion does not. Details and sources are in Electric narrowboats: Ortomarine and Mothership compared.

On German federal waterways, a recreational boat with an electric motor up to 7.5 kW continuous power needs no boating licence (§ 5 SpFV). In our reading the VETUS E-Line 6 kW stays below that, as even its peak is 7.3 kW. From the E-Line 8 kW and with the Bellmarine DriveMaster 10A at 8 kW nominal power you need a licence there. The limits in the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and on Lake Constance are in Electric boat without a licence.