For the past several years, the outboard business has been on a tear. The demand for new outboards, even on traditional cruising boats, often outpaced supply. Yamaha couldn’t make its popular large outboards fast enough. Mercury upped its game and produced new outboards that became the power of choice even on such Down East boats at Hinckley and MJM. Suzuki stepped up its presence in the U.S.
Three years ago, Volvo Penta, the Swedish giant, bought Seven Marine, a U.S. startup, and it started production of the entire Seven Marine lineup (527-hp, 577-hp, and 627-hp models) last February in Tennessee. The 627 is the most powerful outboard ever made; see five of them the 65-foot HCB Estrella, below.
But times change. Last week, Volvo announced that it will stop making Seven Marine outboards in January, although it will support parts and warranty work for existing customers.
Volvo Penta is the marine arm of the umbrella Volvo Group, which announced last week it is working with Daimler Truck AG to develop a new fuel cell in an effort to become a net-zero emissions company. It is speeding up development of fossil-free, renewable, electric and hybrid technologies.
“We want to send a clear message,” says Heléne Mellquist. “Volvo Penta does foresee that the outboard segment will continue to be relevant for the marine leisure market, but we believe that the indisputable need to drive advancements in sustainable technology must be our main focus. This is why, for the time being, the exploration of new technology together with the development of our core business, such as Volvo Penta IPS and sterndrives, will be the center of our efforts.”
For his part, Martin Lundstedt, the president and CEO of the Volvo Group, said, “In the future the world will be powered by a combination of battery-electric and fuel-cell electric vehicles, along with other renewable fuels to some extent. The formation of our fuel-cell joint venture is an important step in shaping a world we want to live in.” Read more:
https://images.saymedia-content.com/.image/cs_srgb/MTc2NjI2Mzc3MzUxNTA1MTA1/2011-volvo-penta.pdf
