GILCHING, Germany, June 14, 2019 — Torqeedo GmbH, Gilching, has determined a possible safety risk in connection with the batteries of the outboard motors “Travel” and “Ultralight”: There is a possible leak in the battery housing, therefore it cannot be ruled out that water may penetrate into the battery housing.

There is a corresponding risk in particular if a leaky battery becomes completely or partially submerged underwater, so that more water can penetrate into the battery housing.

As a responsible manufacturer, Torqeedo wants to exclude the risk of injury and inform its customers.

We will perform an inspection for the following models and serial numbers and – if necessary – repair of the batteries:

Torqeedo is asking owners of models with these serial numbers to register via the website: www.torqeedo.com/safety.

After registration, customers are informed promptly which service centre will be used to check the battery. The batteries are checked there and – if necessary – repaired.

“We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and thank them in advance for their understanding of the implementation of this safety measure. This approach is very important to us because we are committed to providing our customers with products of the highest quality and safety,” explains Christoph Ballin, Managing Director of Torqeedo.

More Information From Torqeedo

Hat Tip to Ben Ellison for posting this over on Panbo and on Facebook. One should read his comment on this press release, which is quoted below:

Please don’t freak out, fellow Torqeedo outboard owners! My sense is that ultra safety conscious Torqeedo is reacting to a very small number of unusual battery failures in the most proactive way possible. I’m into year 8 with a Travel 1003 battery, see them in use on other small boats nearly every day, and have written about them for years… but I’ve never once heard of a Travel or Ultralite battery catching on fire.
Also, I did check my old Travel battery today, it does fall within the serial code band, and after going to the http://www.torqeedo.com/safety site linked to above, I got a quick and nice response. They’re even willing to ship a hazmat box so I can return the battery properly, and apparently they will call with a special upgrade offer. But I’m not in a hurry as I deeply doubt I have much to worry about with the motor I use almost every day kat this time of year.
However, I am curious about this and other Lithium-Ion boat battery safety issues, and I hope to speak with Torqeedo CEO Christof Ballin tomorrow. Don’t hestitate with questions you think I should ask. – Ben Ellison, Panbo