ePropulsion opens new R&D centre in Shanghai

Chinese-Hong Kong electric outboard manufacturer ePropulsion has opened a new research and development centre in Shanghai.

The new facility will focus on the research of boat energy systems and electric propulsion systems based on the company’s portfolio of products, which are all developed in-house.

“The establishment of the new R&D centre in Shanghai is another exciting milestone in our ambition to be at the forefront of the industry, driving change through continuous innovation,” says Danny Tao, co-founder, and CEO of ePropulsion. “The R&D centre in Shanghai plugs the gap in our research and development capabilities for high-power energy systems and electric propulsion systems. It will enhance our expertise in system research and development, design and integration, which will be key to unlocking the potential of the high-power boat market and the market for hybrid solutions.”

The systems developed in the Shanghai R&D centre will be designed to connect to and integrate with the Internet of Boats (IoB) and assistive technology for boat autonomous driving solutions that are currently being developed at the company’s Hong Kong and Shenzhen centres.

Heading up the new facility in Shanghai is R&D Director, Mingwei Shi, a new appointment at ePropulsion. An experienced engineer with more than 10 years of work experience in many companies such as ABB, Shi has a background a solid technical background in the fields of marine electric propulsion systems, variable frequency drive systems, lithium battery energy storage systems and networking. He also brings a wealth of experience in product application research and development and multi-cultural team management.

“I’m delighted to join ePropulsion at what is an exciting and transformational time for the marine sector,” said Shi. “In line with our vision to lead the way to a more sustainable, climate-friendly and intelligent marine industry, we will continue to launch innovative and competitive system solutions to support the development of the company’s system integration business – another area that is undergoing rapid growth. Our centre in Shanghai will be an important hub to facilitate our business in East China and other regions of the country and overseas markets as we look to capitalise on the growing appetite for electric propulsion solutions.”

ePropulsion announced record sales revenue growth in 2021 and forecasts a strong outlook for 2022. Earlier this year, ePropulsion became the majority shareholder of ePropulsion UK, its distributor for electric marine products across the United Kingdom.