From motor scooters to outboards
The manufacturer of temo electric motors made a remarkable entrance on the market with its Temo 450, a small 450 W electric propeller, a sort of small electric motogodilla, which has since been sold in large numbers. But to move up a gear, the French manufacturer had to change its design. The 1 kW Temo 1000 looks more like a classic outboard, even if it does away with the upper block housing the internal combustion engine in traditional versions, which is retained by some competitors as a mimicry. Temo has a distinctive design.
Easy to install and transport
But originality isn't limited to looks. Temo has opted for a versatile mounting system that allows you to move from a transom chair on a sailboat to the stern of a dinghy without unscrewing anything. During our test run, we carried the motor, with its battery, for a total of 15 kg, without any problem, thanks to the good balance around the handle. The weight is comparable to, or even slightly lighter than, comparable motors on the market. Once installed in the boat, the motor, facing inwards, slides and locks onto an accessory screwed onto the transom. All that's needed is a simple handle, a slide and some solid-looking stainless steel parts. It can then be rotated through 180° without risk of falling into the water.
If you want to make the operation even easier, you can do it before inserting the battery, to make the motor lighter.
Simple control
To get started, we install the magnetic key and take out the telescopic tiller. The tiller can be stored in the motor barrel for transport, but also if you wish to use the TEMO 1000 only for propulsion, leaving steering to a rudder, as on small sailboats. The throttle, identical to that of a conventional outboard, remains accessible.
On our little dinghy, with 2 people on board, it's very easy to get out of the nook and cranny we're in in the port of Les Minimes. With the kilowatt of power, we can easily reach a speed more than acceptable for a dinghy. We don't have time to test the range, but the 949 Wh of the battery is the market standard. It will take 5h30 to recharge.
The Temo 1000, available in early 2024, is priced at ?2,900 (incl. VAT), which puts it at a fairly high end of the market, justified by its innovations, compactness and ease of transfer from one boat to another.
