RAD 40
Sources : https://radpropulsion.com/rad-40-electric-outboard-motor/

For decades, the unmistakable roar of a petrol outboard has been the soundtrack of the marina. To environmentalists and residents alike, its a sound that represents a cocktail of noise pollution and carbon emissions. RAD Propulsion, a British marine-tech startup founded by the engineers behind some of the world’s most advanced autonomous vessels, is looking to pull the plug on the internal combustion engine. By treating the boat motor as a high-performance digital device rather than a mechanical relic, the firm is betting that the future of the waves is silent, electric, and connected.

The maritime industry is notoriously late to the electrification party. While Tesla transformed the driveway, the dock has remained dominated by heavy, oily fossil-fuel engines that are as difficult to maneuver as they are to maintain. RAD Propulsion’s founders, Dan Hook and Richard Daltry, saw this gap through the lens of marine robotics. Their insight? Marine electrification isn’t just about swapping a fuel tank for a battery; it’s about reimagining the user experience.

The company’s flagship, the RAD 40, is a 40kW electric outboard that packs the punch of a 60hp petrol engine into a footprint that virtually disappears behind the transom. Unlike traditional motors that pivot awkwardly, the RAD 40 features built-in 180-degree steering and drive-by-wire controls, allowing for the kind of surgical precision in tight harbors that seasoned sailors usually only dream of. The “smarts” extend to the RADBus architecture, a digital nervous system that links the motor, modular battery packs, and the helm via Wi-Fi and GSM.

Investors have validated this “robotics-first” approach. In 2024, the Southampton-based firm closed a £4.27 million ($5.4 million) funding round, significantly overshooting its initial target. Led by One Planet Capital and the marine robotics giant Ocean Infinity, the capital injection is being used to scale mass production of the RAD 40 and accelerate the rollout of its bigger brother: the RAD 120. This 120kW drive is aimed squarely at the commercial and defense sectors, industries where reliability and thrust are non-negotiable, but where the operational savings of electric power are increasingly hard to ignore.

Final Thought: The “Tesla Moment” for the Marina

As we move towards the 2030’s, the maritime world is reaching a regulatory and social inflection point. From zero-emission zones in European lakes to the skyrocketing cost of marine diesel, the pressure to go electric is no longer just a hobby for the eco-conscious; it is a commercial mandate. By delivering a product that is not just “cleaner” but objectively smarter and easier to drive, RAD Propulsion is moving electric boating from a niche experiment to the new standard for leisure and commercial fleets.

References
Marine Business. (2024, June 6). RAD Propulsion closes £4 million funding round. MarineBusiness.News. https://marinebusiness.news/news/rad-propulsion-closes-4-million-funding-round/ 

Blake Morgan. (2024, June 28). Blake Morgan advise on RAD Propulsion growth. https://www.blakemorgan.co.uk/press/blake-morgan-advise-on-rad-propulsion-growth/ 

RAD Propulsion. (2024). RAD Propulsion accelerates with £4.3m investment round [Press release]. https://radpropulsion.com/media-release/ 

OnePlanetCapital. (2024). OnePlanetCapital Climate Change EIS Fund leads investment round into RAD Propulsion. https://www.oneplanet.capital/insights/oneplanetcapital-climate-change-eis-fund-leads-investment-round-into-rad-propulsion 

Marine Business. (2024, February 6). £1 million funding secured by RAD Propulsion. https://marinebusiness.news/news/1-million-funding-secured-by-rad-propulsion/ 

Marine Business World. (2024, April 18). RAD propulsion leads the charge in electric marine propulsion. https://www.marinebusinessworld.com/news/273743/RAD-propulsion-leads-the-charge 

Insider Media. (2024, June 7). Southampton’s RAD Propulsion brings in £4.27m to capitalise on growing demand. https://www.insidermedia.com/news/south-east/southamptons-rad-propulsion-brings-in-4-27m-to-capitalise-on-growing-demand 

Blake Morgan. (2024, June 28). Blake Morgan advise on RAD Propulsion growth. https://www.blakemorgan.co.uk/press/blake-morgan-advise-on-rad-propulsion-growth/

Insider Media. (2024, June 7). Southampton’s RAD Propulsion brings in £4.27m to capitalise on growing demand. https://www.insidermedia.com/news/south-east/southamptons-rad-propulsion-brings-in-4-27m-to-capitalise-on-growing-demand

Marine Business News. (2024, June 6). RAD Propulsion closes £4 million funding round. https://marinebusiness.news/news/rad-propulsion-closes-4-million-funding-round/

One Planet Capital. (2024). OnePlanetCapital Climate Change EIS Fund leads investment round into RAD Propulsion. https://www.oneplanet.capital/insights/oneplanetcapital-climate-change-eis-fund-leads-investment-round-into-rad-propulsion

RAD Propulsion. (2024). RAD Propulsion accelerates with £4.3m investment round [Press release]. https://radpropulsion.com/media-release/

Contributor : Dyah Ayuning Tyas

Reviewer     : Imam Buchari