Mercury Marine has entered into an agreement with JJE, an electric propulsion leader in components, assemblies and systems for global automotive applications.
This partnership will allow Mercury to expand its portfolio of electric propulsion solutions, advancing to higher power electric systems.
The news comes shortly after the announcement that Mercury will be expanding its Avator outboard lineup by ramping up horsepower from the initial 3.5 hp with the Avator 7.5e, to 9.0 hp and 15 hp later in 2023. The new models will be the Avator 20e and 35e, respectively, with their model number and "e" denoting the number of watts produced by the electric motor. The 7.5e, for example, produces 750 watts of electric power, equaling roughly to 3.5 standard horsepower.
The rollout has been relatively smooth thus far, with the first Avator motors reaching dealers in mid-April.
The gradual rollout, and expansion, of the Avator lineup comes on the heels of Mercury's announcement in 2021 that they expected to have 5 different electric outboard options on the market by the end of 2023. The company is currently on schedule to fulfill that promise.
“We are excited to engage with JJE as we co-develop and produce the next evolution of high voltage propulsion systems for marine and broaden our ACES strategy globally,” said Perissa Bailey, Mercury Marine vice president of e-Solutions, in a company statement. “JJE has a rich history of working with established companies within the automotive industry globally, and we are looking forward to this new partnership that will continue to strengthen Mercury’s leadership position in electric propulsion.”
Established in 2008, JJE is produces electrified propulsion components, assemblies and systems for customers in the automotive and commercial vehicle industries. JJE has capabilities in developing mechanical, electrical and electronics content as well as control software. They have production facilities in Michigan, as well as Shandong and Shanghai, China. JJE is a publicly listed company at Shanghai Stock Exchange.
With the partnership, Mercury Marine will aim to utilize its capabilities in noise vibration and harshness (NVH), hydrodynamics, propellers, controls and more to deliver high performance, reliable electric products.
“We are very excited to collaborate with the global leader of the marine industry to jointly advance the electrification of marine propulsion,” added Scott Taylor, general manager of JJE North America. “This long-term partnership will establish both companies’ leading position in this new electric drive space. It is by combining our capabilities in motor systems, marine propulsion, and customer experience that we can set the standard for the industry.”
Currently, JJE works with companies like Stellantis, Allison Transmission and other leading brands, leveraging the company’s leadership and expertise in electric motor and inverter development in automotive and commercial vehicle industries.
