Electric bass boat from Kimple and ExploMar has 45mph (70 kph) top speed

Chinese electric outboard manufacturer ExploMar is joining forces with Kimple Boats on a high performance electric bass boat, the E498, that will use the ExploMar WAVE 70+ electric outboard (70 horsepower / 50 kiloWatts) with a 60 kWh battery pack.

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Founded in 2021, ExploMar first came to attention in the electric boat world at the 2022 METSTRADE show when it displayed its highest powered outboard, the WAVE 300+ (300 hp / 220 kW). The company now has three models, with the the WAVE 150+ (110 kW) sitting between the 300+ and the WAVE 70+.

Last year two of the 300+ units were paired with an 11 metre (36 ft) RIB (rigid inflatable boat) that proceeded to hit speeds of of 38 knots (44 mph / 70 kmh) with 6 people aboard. That is now available as the WAVE 600 Twin.

Read about the Italian RIB with twin ExploMar 300+ 

They also partnered with Tideman Boats of The Netherlands on a 9m / 30 ft workboat. Owner Bruno Tideman said “Their 125 kiloWatthour battery pack gives 20 hours at displacement speed and if we go on the plane we can use the boat for at least an hour. For this kind of workboat application that’s pretty good, running one hour at full throttle.”

Schematic of ExploMar WAVE 70+ system used in electric bass boat

ExploMar’s newest partner is Kimple, the Taiwanese maker of aluminum bass, jon and general fishing boats. Kimples are available in over 50 countries and are widely recognized for the quality of build and the combination of strength, durability and light weight that aluminum provides. The E498 is the first electric option in their lineup of over 50 models.

Electric bass boat draws attention from pro anglers

Kimple introduced the 4.98 meter / 16 foot 4 inch boat at the 2025 Shanghai International Boat Show in March, where the well known brand immediately drew attention from fishing pros and recreational anglers alike for the electric outboard / bass boat combination.

The company says the 60 kWh battery pack is roughly equivalent to a 40L / 10 gal tank of gas, giving a range of 100 km / 60 miles at cruising speed. Bass boats also need to get to the fishing spots quickly, and the E498 has a tested top speed of 70 kmh (45 mph). Testing under real world mixed-speed conditions give a runtime of 5 to 8 hours and it can be charged in an hour using the fast charge option.

Kimple’s extensive sales network will make electric bass boating available in Europe, North and South America, Africa and Oceania. A full list of countries is at the bottom of this page. Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price is €49,900.

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