EP Carry integrated packages come with a 5-hr smart charger. To charge, plug your smart charger into a standard wall outlet (120/240v AC 50/60 Hz) or inverter. You do not need a sine-wave inverter– any inverter rated at 200W or more will do and small inverters like these can be powered by the lighter socket in your boat. Attach the battery to the charger. Note the average charging power is 60W. If you are using an inverter, that average draw during a charge is 5 Amps from a 12V house bank. If your battery is completely discharged, you will use 25 Ah from your house bank to completely charge your EP Carry battery which is half of what it takes to charge the smallest Torqeedo® battery.
We have tested, and highly recommend, a US-made high efficiency 70-minute DC-DC smart charger from DIY Solar For U www.diysolarforu.com . This is actually a solar charge controller but it functions as a DC boosting charger from a 12V battery source as well as from solar panels. It draws up to 20 Amps so it must be wired to your electrical panel properly. Alternatively, you can request a version limited to 10A so you can connect a lighter plug instead. Look for model SÓl Buck Boost 20 Amp MPPT.
EP Carry's K2 Energy batteries will manage their own solar charging with a 24V solar panel rated at 100W or less. Any panel or small array can be connected directly to the screw terminals on your EP Carry battery if the power point (ppt) is between 23V and 30V. If it is lower than 23V, a full charge may take more time or never happen. Don't exceed a power point rating of 30V. The charger adapter included with your motor package can be used to connect to a line of 24V solar panels made by Duravolt (www.duravolt.net) . Their panels have the right power point for charging our battery efficiently. A 35W panel will provide at least one full charge per day when it is sunny out and their 60W panel is ˜2x faster.
Sunnyside is a 14 ft solar camp cruiser, based on a C-Lark sailboat hull. It was built to more comfortably test our motors over long distance travel in the Salish Sea. It has traveled around 500nm so far using only power from the sun. In the summer time I have traveled up to 38 nm in a 10-hr day (hence the need for comfort). Sunnyside's propulsion system is quite simple and affordable. A small 300W flex-panel array charges the EP Carry battery through a Victron solar controller (you could also use the DIY Solar For U controller). The EP Carry motor has been modified for remote steering and remote throttle, and uses our higher power firmware, available upon request. If you are interested in a long range solar setup like Sunnyside, get in touch at (425) 502-5232 and we can help.