Temo 1000 Electric Outboard Hands-on test

The Temo 1000 has been a long time in waiting. Finally it's here and it was worth the wait. I used one as part of my daily commute to see what it was like to live with.

Temo 1000 Electric Outboard – A Compact Powerhouse with Surprising Finesse

I’ve had my fair share of encounters with outboards over the years—from temperamental two-strokes to whisper-quiet torquey electrics. So when I finally got my hands on the much anticipated Temo 1000, I was keen to put it through the standard paces on my trusty Zodiac cadet 230, going to and from my Rustler 31 on a mooring in Southampton to a club pontoon and around and about the houses, so to speak,  to see what it would be like to live with.  

Specifications

• Power: 1,000W (roughly equivalent to a 3HP petrol outboard)
  
• Weight: 15.5kg total (9.8kg for the shaft + 5.6kg for the battery)
  
• Battery: 1,040Wh removable lithium-ion, 48V
  
• Charging: 220V or 12V via inverter (approx. 5 hours from empty)
  
• Run time: Up to 60 mins at low speed / ~30 mins full power
  
• Top speed achieved: ~5 knots (solo in a Zodiac Cadet 230)
  
• Mounting: Clamp-on, “leave behind” bracket
  
• Throttle: Twist grip with forward/reverse and variable speed
  

Real-World Use: Quiet, Confident, Capable

The Temo 1000 feels fairly sturdy to mang handle. It’s relatively easy to carry, easy to mount, and the minimalist controls make it very beginner-friendly.  The balance of friction on the twist grip throttle and the steering. It’s stiff enough to hold its course if I let go briefly to adjust a line, sort out the dog tangled up round my feet or rummage in my bag for a phone to take pics. The motor doesn’t walk off to one side so that’s a nice point that I’ve not had with other outboards yet.

The removable 1kWh battery is handy. I can charge it inside the boat or van, and I don’t have to faff about lugging the whole outboard up the pontoon. I can just spin that round and stow it, still attached to the bracket, but facing into the dinghy rather than over hanging over the water. The battery slots in with a firm click, and I’ve had no issues with connections or water ingress so far, however, I do have a mild concern that the battery isn’t actually retained in anyway, so either it could get easily stolen or fall out if the dinghy and motor were accidentally inverted. (this has happened to me with a lightweight tender a couple of times in the past).

I found the transom bracket attachment to be veyr easy to mount and unmount the motor, infact, scarily too easy to unmount. In my un cafeinated state  in the early morning I very nearly flipped the wrong bit, trying to release the motor back into the water from it’s “up” position and very nearly released it IN to the water completely. I think if I lived with this, I’d put a lanyard across that to make sure I couldn’t accidentally pull the wrong bit.

The catch to hold the motor central and to stop it swinging about when lifted up feels a bit sub-par compared to the rest of the design. It does the job, but it is fiddly and hard to see if it has engaged properly in the dark.

How fast will it go mister?

We all have to give a motor the flat out test don’t we and see what’ll it do…  it pushed my Zodiac Cadet 230 and my meaty lump of a body up to 5 knots. That’s respectable. It won’t plane, of course, but it will get you off the anchorage or to shore without a sweat.

While 30 minutes at full chat is plenty for most dinghy trips, if you’re the sort who likes to cruise the whole bay, or wants to go 10 miles to the pub and back against the tide both ways, well it’s worth planning your range. At slower speeds you get much more out of it, in fact I motored about for a week going up and down Southampton water and only managed to deplete the battery by half when using half power. But if you’re in a hurry all the time going flat out everywhere, then keep an eye on that battery gauge.

It’s particularly well suited to inflatables and light tenders, boats that don’t need massive grunt but do benefit from smooth, silent power. The steering range is excellent, giving great manoeuvrability, especially in tight marina spaces. The blade style means you keep some steerage even when you’ve stopped running the motor. 

And let’s not forget the peace and quiet. You can talk while underway without shouting. The sound of water slapping the hull is louder than the motor.

If you’re after a lightweight, quiet outboard that doesn’t stink of petrol or grumble like a lawnmower, the Temo 1000 should be on your shortlist. And if it’s your first electric? You might never go back.

I’ve tested a fair few electric outboards and more are coming to me for testing as the seasons pass. If you want to see my other top choices of the best electric outboards then have a little look at my buyers guide