{"id":7187,"date":"2025-04-05T10:02:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-05T10:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=7187"},"modified":"2025-04-05T10:02:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-05T10:02:10","slug":"solid-state-batteries-for-boaters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/?p=7187","title":{"rendered":"Solid-State Batteries for Boaters"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>    Solid-State Batteries for Boaters<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    <!-- no image --><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><\/p>\n<div>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-1-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Solid State Marine battery\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-1-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-1.jpg 1257w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Solid-state batteries from Solid State Marine feature a thin, solid lithium electrolyte coating that saves weight and boosts capacity. <\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Solid State Marine<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<p><iframe id=\"wxuzj5efbz\" src=\"https:\/\/boatingmag.dragonforms.com\/wxuzj5efbz\" scrolling=\"no\" style=\"width:100%;height:165px;border:none;overflow:hidden;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>As recently as this past winter, solid-state batteries were touted as future tech poised to move electric propulsion rapidly forward. Jumping ahead a year, Honda \u00adannounced limited production of these new-generation batteries sometime early in 2025. But, <em>Boating<\/em> had already tested solid-state batteries in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/boats\/2025-lancer-craft-elco-electric-legacy-boat-test\/\">Electric Legacy<\/a>, a classic runabout replica collaboration between Elco and Lancer Craft. So, what did we discover about this technology and how it might benefit you?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is a Solid-State Battery?<\/h2>\n<p>In most batteries, be they lead-acid or lithium, liquid electrolyte facilitates energy transfer between cathode, anode, and electrical equipment. \u00adSolid-state \u00adbatteries still employ lithium, but the electrolyte is an ultra-thin solid coating. \u201cThe US government has been using solid state for 20 years,\u201d says Tom Calef, founder and CEO of <a href=\"https:\/\/solidstatemarine.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Solid State Marine<\/a>. \u201cThe issue has been manufacturing. If that nano-thickness coating isn\u2019t the same every time, you\u2019ll have one cell that stores 100 watt-hours, and the next has only 10.\u201d With those challenges overcome, Calef says his company now offers solid-state marine batteries at competitive prices in voltages and sizes common for marine applications.<\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"467\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-5-1024x598.jpg?resize=800%2C467&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Lithium versus solid-state battery for boaters\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-5-1024x598.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-5-300x175.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-5-768x448.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-5-1536x896.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-5-2048x1195.jpg 2048w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">The construction of solid-state batteries offers several advantages.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">AllahFoto \/ Adobe Stock<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s Better About Solid State?<\/h2>\n<p>Solid electrolyte coatings make solid-state batteries about half the weight of today\u2019s lithium-iron-phosphate (<a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01j8r2rj47t9dtywn76ny7bkg8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">LiFePO4<\/a>) batteries for the same stored power. There is a bigger advantage though. \u201cIt takes a lot less energy to push through a solid material than it does a liquid,\u201d Calef says. That reduced electrical resistance pushes power \u00adconsiderably faster from solid-state batteries into electric motors, while generating less heat in the exchange.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s a game-changer: It gives electric-boat motors\u2014and other high-draw marine electrical accessories\u2014all the amps they need. This is especially critical when an electric-powered boat is climbing on plane. An analogy might be running your gas-powered boat with undersize lines or clogged fuel filters. Switching to solid-state batteries is like refitting the entire fuel system and tripling the flow. By starting with much lower resistance, solid-state batteries also continue to provide required amps through their entire capacity even as battery voltage drops and resistance climbs, Calef says, increasing usable watt-hours. Another fuel analogy? It\u2019s like having a pickup tube 20 percent too short on your fuel tank but then getting a new one that goes all the way to the bottom.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Electric Propulsion Benefits<\/h2>\n<p>I assumed that an electric Lancer Craft might barely top 25 mph. Replacing gas-powered batteries with wet lithium \u00adbatteries adds some 800 pounds to the original designed weight. That\u2019s hard for a 20-foot runabout to overcome. Instead, the eight solid-state batteries\u2014at 103 pounds each, plus Elco\u2019s 205-pound motor and equipment\u2014weigh 10\u00a0percent less than the GM small block, transmission, and full fuel tank. Less weight and more watts result in impressive hole shots and 35\u00a0mph top speed, albeit with less range than gas.<\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"939\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-3-872x1024.jpg?resize=800%2C939&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Seakeeper 2 powered by a solid-state battery\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-3-872x1024.jpg 872w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-3-256x300.jpg 256w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-3-768x901.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-3-1309x1536.jpg 1309w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-3.jpg 1473w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">A single solid-state 210-amp-hour 12-volt battery can power a Seakeeper 2 gyrostablizer for a much longer time than three AGM batteries.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Courtesy Solid State Marine<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What About Other Applications?<\/h2>\n<p>In any application, solid-state batteries roughly double conventional LiFePO4 battery run time for the same weight. Both options\u2014solid-state and LiFePO4\u2014offer bigger gains when consolidating battery banks. In one example aboard a 32-foot SeaVee charter boat, Capt. Tristan Raynes replaced three 12-volt <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp82jdcwgecq7bzg97e3tz0v\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">AGM 31 series<\/a> batteries powering his Seakeeper 2. Just one fully charged 27 series battery from Solid State Marine rated at 210 amp-hours lasts an entire charter; in the past, with the three AGM batteries, he needed to run the SeaVee\u2019s twin 300 hp Mercury Verado outboards continuously to power the Seakeeper 2. The boat\u2019s aging LiFePO4 trolling-motor batteries were also ripe for upgrade. Raynes\u2019 Minn Kota 36-volt trolling motor required three conventional LiFePO4 batteries, which didn\u2019t always last all day. Now, just one 31-series solid-state battery increases run time by 20 percent. Today\u2019s newest LiFePO4 batteries offer similar consolidation. \u201cI replaced six batteries with just two and took 400 pounds off the boat and added capacity,\u201d Raynes says.<\/p>\n<section class=\"hydra-container\">\n<div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-4-1024x768.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Solid State Marine battery for a boat\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-4-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-4-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-4-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/uploads\/2025\/03\/BTG325-MHD-Solid-State-4.jpg 2000w\">                <\/div><figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">A solid-state battery possesses a similar lifespan to a conventional lithium battery, retaining 95 percent capacity after 1,500 cycles.<\/span><br \/>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Capt. Vincent Daniello<\/span><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/section>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Longevity and Charging<\/h2>\n<p>Calef expects similar lifespans for both solid-state and conventional lithium batteries, retaining 95 percent capacity after 1,500 cycles and 75 percent after 2,500 total cycles. That\u2019s a full discharge every day for seven years. Most \u00adoff-the-shelf lithium-battery AC chargers are compatible with Solid State Marine batteries; Calef mentions <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp82nhkg35p51f1s66fd8q6p\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">NOCO<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/outclick.co\/l\/01jp82s2njv6h7pxzvpe11pef7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Victron<\/a> as examples.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Calef also sees safety gains. Though today\u2019s conventional LiFePO4 marine batteries have enjoyed a remarkable safety record to date, it is conceivable that a pierced LiFePO4 battery could ooze electrolyte that could create shorts and overheat the cells, potentially causing a thermal chain reaction. The solid electrolyte in a solid-state battery won\u2019t leak, thus preventing a short if pierced. Of course, large power sources are problematic around seawater, and salt water contacting lithium directly in any battery type creates volatile hydrogen gas.<\/p>\n<p>Calef sees boat systems moving steadily toward lithium. \u201cIn so many applications, lithium technologies are dramatically better in storing electrical energy than lead,\u201d he says. \u201cWith solid-state batteries, we\u2019re bringing more of the benefit of lithium to the \u00adboating market.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/gear\/solid-state-batteries-for-boaters\/\">Solid-State Batteries for Boaters<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/\">Boating Mag<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><br \/>\n    Capt. Vincent Daniello<br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n<BR><\/BR><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.boatingmag.com\/gear\/solid-state-batteries-for-boaters\/\">Go to boatingmag<\/a><br \/>\n \t<BR><br \/>\n <BR><\/BR><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Solid-State Batteries for Boaters Solid-state batteries from Solid State Marine feature a thin, solid lithium electrolyte coating that saves weight and boosts capacity. Courtesy Solid State Marine As recently as this past winter, solid-state batteries were touted as future tech poised to move electric propulsion rapidly forward. Jumping ahead a year, Honda \u00adannounced limited production [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[176,2872,126,1758,404,2118,351],"tags":[127],"class_list":["post-7187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-affiliate","category-april-2025","category-boatingmag","category-electronics","category-gear","category-marine-batteries","category-nextmarine","tag-boatingmag"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7187\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7187"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7187"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/krogragg.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}