Now you have the incentive if you buy an electric motor

Incentives are coming for the purchase of a marine electric motor. After years of vain waiting, bureaucratic delays and the feeling of being practically “invisible” in the eyes of the government in that much-ballyhooed race for “ecological transition,” a decisive step toward boat electrification is finally being taken for boaters as well. Incentives to buy an electric marine engine are now a reality.

Ecobonus for electric motors

Until now, so-called “ecobonuses” have in fact been provided for virtually any type of electric, hybrid and otherwise low-emission vehicle: from cars to commercial vehicles, from motorcycles to bicycles. Even for scooters. Only recreational boats strangely were cut off from government incentives, as if to say those who go out to sea and want to do so in an increasingly “green” key, well, make do out of your own pocket! This is a real paradox for an industry, the boating sector, where the demand for electric and hybrid solutions on boats and marine engines is very high, where ports and marinas are just waiting to install new electricity columns, and where enthusiasts in general feel even more than others the need to reduce pollution of the environment around us.

Reposted in full from a 2022 DDL that never went into effect

We at the Journal of Sailing, following in the footsteps of Confindustria Nautica (which has been working hard in this regard), had also pointed out the seriousness of this regulatory gap and clamored for an ad hoc solution that would also meet the needs of sea-goers. Today, fortunately, there is a change. Introducing the new boating incentives is an amendment, already approved in recent days by the Chamber’s Productive Activities Committee, which intervenes in Article 9 of the so-called “Made in Italy” Decree Law and establishes a fund for the scrapping of engines intended for boating and the purchase of electric propulsion units.

The amendment was filed by Commission Vice Chair Ilaria Cavo (We Moderates) and takes up in full the previous Decree Law June 16, 2022 no. 68 presented at the time by Senator Daniele Pesco (M5S) and unfortunately never entered into force because the relevant implementing decree had not been issued.

How much the new boating incentives amount to

The new legislation, which is also expected to be approved in the Senate by next week, provides for the establishment by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy of a sustainable boating incentive fund for the scrapping of combustion engines in favor of electric ones. The fund amounts to 1 million euros for 2024 and 2 million euros for 2025, which should be disbursed in the form of reimbursement of expenses incurred and documented by boaters.

For now, the maximum amount of expenditure under the incentives is not specified, which we recall applies to both electric motors and the battery pack (in the previous Decree it was 40 percent). But maximum ceilings, criteria and methods of grant disbursement will be determined by the implementing decree.

What to do to get a refund

To take advantage of the incentive for boaters who intend to replace their old heat engines with a new electric motor, all they need to do is proceed to purchase the motor and its battery pack, scrap the old engine, and send documentation detailing the expenditure incurred.

Currently, the marine market offers small 3-5 kW electric motors with battery included that run as low as 2,000 euros. For a more powerful electric motor, of at least 10 Kw, the price rises to 5,000 euros, and with the battery it goes up to 10,000 euros. While 20 to 30 kW thrusters can cost around 10,000 euros, to which must be added the cost of the battery pack. Therefore, the new “ecobonus” becomes essential to facilitate the purchase, get a major refund on the costs incurred, and push more and more enthusiasts to equip themselves with “green” solutions to sail in an increasingly clean and marine-friendly way.