Yamaha Rightwaters joined forces with Davidson College to sponsor a student-led sustainable marine project focused on repowering and redesigning a pontoon vessel with a Torqeedo^® Cruise 6.0 R electric outboard motor. The project aimed to convert a gas-powered pontoon into a fully solar-powered vessel with minimal environment impact, aligning with Yamaha Rightwaters’ initiative to support academic marine research.

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Yamaha Rightwaters joined forces with Davidson College to sponsor a student-led sustainable marine project which converted a gas-powered pontoon into a fully solar-powered vessel with minimal environment impact. The project aligns with Yamaha Rightwaters’ initiative to support academic marine research.

Davidson College, a private liberal arts school in Davidson, North Carolina, ranks among the nation’s most selective institutions with a 17 percent acceptance rate. It recently placed number 10 on Forbes’^® 2025 list of top liberal arts universities and number 48 among all U.S. colleges.

“This project was a natural fit for Yamaha Rightwaters and a perfect use-case for Torqeedo and electric boating. It also reflects the importance of exploring multiple technology solutions to reduce environmental impact on the water,” said Joshua Grier, Sustainability Manager, Yamaha Rightwaters. “Supporting students who are actively applying engineering and sustainability principles to real-world marine challenges helps us all learn more about how we improve the way we boat. It’s exciting to see the next generation so engaged in innovative, low-impact boating solutions, and we look forward to seeing what they do next.”

After almost a year of planning, the students set out to create a fully sustainable marine system by combining a solar charging array with a custom electric drive, resulting in a closed-loop, solar-powered boat with zero operational emissions. Starting with just a hull, the students also prioritized rebuilding the structure with renewable materials. John Yukich, Associate Professor of Physics and Pre-Engineering Advisor, Davidson College oversaw the physics independent study project, led by students Henry Russell and Phillip Mann, who are both pursuing a Bachelor of Science in physics on a pre-engineering pathway.

The students built the vessel with two Torqeedo Power 48-5000 batteries on board, connected in parallel to the motor, powered by three solar panels. An additional rechargeable 12-volt battery is used for the lights, speakers and horn powered by one solar panel.

“Partnering with Yamaha Rightwaters made this project possible,” said Russell. “Their support and the Torqeedo electric outboard were instrumental to our success. This experience has taught me so much about engineering, sustainability and collaboration, and it’s truly strengthened my passion for innovative marine design.”

After the students finished building and repowering the boat, they field tested it to ensure the boat met design goals for safety, efficiency and user experience. The 9.9 horsepower Torqeedo electric outboard propelled the boat to approximately nine miles per hour with one person on board.

“What’s most impressive is that this project was entirely student driven,” said Yukich. “Henry and Phillip chose to take on a sustainability-focused challenge purely out of passion and curiosity. It’s inspiring to see students take initiative like this and even more so when they’re tackling real-world environmental issues with innovative solutions.”

Yamaha Rightwaters is a national sustainability program encompassing all of Yamaha Marine's conservation and water quality efforts. Program initiatives include habitat restoration, support for scientific research, mitigation of invasive species, reduction of marine debris, and environmental stewardship education. Yamaha Rightwaters reinforces Yamaha's long-standing history of natural resource conservation, support of sustainable recreational fishing and water resources, and the Angler Code of Ethics, which requires pro anglers to adhere to principles of stewardship for all marine resources.

Yamaha’s U.S. Marine Business Unit, based in Kennesaw, Ga., is responsible for the sales, marketing, and distribution of Yamaha Marine products in the U.S. including Yamaha Outboards, Yamaha WaveRunners^®, Yamaha Boats, G3^® Boats and Skeeter^® Boats. Supporting 2,400 dealers and boat builders nationwide, Yamaha is the industry leader in reliability, performance, technology and customer service.

REMEMBER to always observe all applicable boating laws. Never drink and drive. Dress properly with a USCG-approved personal floatation device and protective gear.

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