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Sleipner · tunnel thruster · bow or stern
Sleipner E420 eVision: specs, price and the boats it fits
It gives 926 lb (420 kgf) of push. Sleipner sells it for boats of 69 to 113 ft. It runs on 48 V.
- Haul-out to install
- DIY 2 of 5: wiring prep only
- 2-year warranty
Not sold in the US right now. No US store or distributor lists the Sleipner E420 eVision: we checked Imtra’s US catalog (the Sleipner distributor), Defender and Fisheries Supply on 15 October 2026. Its specs and parts stay here for owners of boats built or bought abroad. For one to buy here, see the models on the Sleipner (Side-Power) review that have a US price.
Quick stats
- Thrust 926 lb 420 kgf, Sleipner's rating
- Boat length 69 to 113 ft Sleipner's own range
- Price per lb of thrust Not worked out It needs a price and a thrust figure
- Voltage 48 V As sold
- Battery at 48 V 1,035 CCA Four batteries, near the thruster
- Run limit Not published Ask the maker before long use
- To install it Haul-out The boat comes out of the water
- Mounts Tunnel Fixed mount, bow or stern
About the Sleipner E420 eVision
The E420 is the largest tunnel thruster on this site: 926 lb of push from counter-rotating twin propellers in a 386 mm tube, for yachts of about 69 to 113 ft. It is a 48 V eVision unit with speed control built in.
Neither Sleipner nor a US dealer publishes a price; it is quoted through Sleipner’s dealers, Imtra in the US. Plan on about $1,189 to $2,130 for the tube, a joystick panel, a main switch and a fuse. Its 48 V bank of four large batteries, with cable and charging, comes to about $2,245 to $2,815 on our figures. See every part.
Read more
A tube this wide is a new-build or major refit decision, made with the yard and the designer. The motor follows the rest of the eVision line: no carbon brushes, active air cooling and full thrust rated continuous at 22 C, limited by battery capacity. Warranty: two years for leisure use, transferable.
Installers will find the wiring figures and dimensions further down. For the rest of Sleipner’s line, read the Sleipner (Side-Power) review.
Sleipner sold its thrusters under the Side-Power name until 2021, and many dealers and owners still call them that. It is the same company and the same thrusters.
Where this summary comes from (5 sources, read 12 October 2026)
- Sleipner product page
- Sleipner E420 eVision installation manual, document 8075 rev 4
- Imtra, Sleipner’s US distributor: SE60 12 V listing
- Imtra, "Sleipner’s eVision Thrusters: Setting the Standard in Performance & Efficiency" (brushless, no carbon brushes; run time limited by the batteries; less heat; proportional as standard)
- Sleipner warranty statement, effective 1 April 2022
Will the Sleipner E420 eVision steer your boat?
80 FT TRAWLER · BOW · 15 KT WIND
Every knot figure here is wind speed, not boat speed or current.
On a 80 ft trawler the Sleipner E420 eVision (926 lb) steers her in a 22 knot breeze. Her bow needs about 428 lb from a tunnel to steer her in a 15 knot breeze.
The finder leaves it off her list. We found no US store that sells it, and the finder lists only units you can buy here.
The Sleipner E420 eVision on a trawler, by length
- 25 ft70 kt
- 30 ft59 kt
- 35 ft50 kt
- 40 ft45 kt
- 45 ft39 kt
- 50 ft35 kt
- 55 ft32 kt
- 60 ft29 kt
- 65 ft27 kt
- 70 ft25 kt
- 75 ft24 kt
- 80 ft22 kt
Outlined: the finder does not list it at that length (under 13 kt, far more than she needs, or outside Sleipner’s own length range).
- Under 10 kt
- 10 to 15 kt
- 15 to 20 kt: the sweet spot
- Over 20 kt: more than she needs
Prices are the low end of the installed total, from our estimate. For your own boat, drive and installer, the finder prices each unit.
Is it right for your boat?
Every kind of boat it fits, by length
| Boat | Full thrust at 15 knots | Still a fit, in lighter wind |
|---|---|---|
| Pontoon & tritoon | Not listed. A pontoon has no hull body between the logs to bore a tunnel through, and nobody sells one for these boats. | |
| Sailboat | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Houseboat | 63 to 80 ft | None |
| Catamaran | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Trawler | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Motor yacht | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Bass & flats | Not listed. Nobody sells a tunnel kit for these hulls, and a bass boat’s shallow planing bow has almost no depth to hold one. | |
| Wake & ski boats | Not listed. Nobody sells a tunnel kit for these hulls. | |
| Express cruiser | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
| Center console | No length. More thrust than the boat needs. | |
The Sleipner E420 eVision against each kind of boat, in a 15 knot wind. Our sizing, from the finder’s own rules.
The first column is where one unit gives all the thrust the boat needs in 15 knots. The second is where the finder still lists it: the unit steers her in a 13 or 14 knot wind, within 15 percent of the 15 knot breeze this site sizes for. On a boat shorter than the first column’s shortest length, the unit is more than the boat needs.
How we size it
Our figure is the longest boat one unit can steer in a 15 knot wind. It is a range because each kind of boat catches the wind differently. The maker gives one range for every boat.
The table tries the Sleipner E420 eVision on each kind of boat, at every length that kind of boat is built in. The wind is 15 knots and the rules are the finder’s own. A length counts as a fit when the unit gives the thrust that boat needs at the bow and the maker lists it for that length.
A boat up to 10 percent past the maker’s range still counts here, as it does in the finder. So the table runs down to 63 ft, just past Sleipner’s own range (69 to 113 ft).
It is sized for one kind of boat here. For your own boat, the finder gives an answer that also counts your drive and who does the installing. The compare page sets this unit beside others.
What it costs installed
No US dollar price is published for the Sleipner E420 eVision, so we build no total for it. The yard’s share of the job is on the cost page.
The sizing and the costs on this page are estimates, for guidance only and without warranty. They are no quote, and nobody has inspected your boat. Check them against the maker’s manual and your yard before you rely on them. Terms of use.
DIY breakdown
DIY levels
- Level 5: Owner install. No yard, no electrician.
- Level 4: You install it, electrician connects. You mount and wire it; a marine electrician makes the final connections.
- Level 3: Split with the yard. The yard does the below-waterline part; you do the wiring.
- Level 2: Wiring prep only. The yard installs the unit and does the hull work; you do the wiring prep.
- Level 1: Yard job. A qualified professional does all of it.
You Yard Electrician. The bar is labor hours; a haul-out is a note.
How we rate DIYYou: 4 to 16 hours Yard: 32 to 70 hours Electrician: 2 to 4 hours Plus a haul-out.
Your part needs:Heavy battery cableCrimping big lugs
Every step, and who does it
- Cut, bond and fair the tunnel; fit the gear leg, motor and propeller Yard 32 to 70 hours The low end is two crew over two days, the job as owners describe it on the forums. The high end rises with boat length between two real billed figures: 32 hours at 35 ft, and the largest invoice we hold, 70 hours at 47 ft.
- Mount the battery box, switch and fuse holder; run and secure the cables You 4 to 16 hours Our estimate. No maker times this step, and a first-time owner is slower than a yard, so the range is wide.
- Final connections at the battery and the motor, load test Electrician 2 to 4 hours Our estimate. Nobody publishes a time for the final connections and test on their own.
A qualified marine electrician should make the final connections and test them before first use. Hours are labor only.
Related videos
Two from Sleipner’s own channel and one from other channels. Each one is labeled. They play from YouTube only when you tap. Take any claim in a video back to the figures on this page, which are the ones we checked.
Know before you buy
What sets this model apart, what it costs to keep, and what to weigh.
Price per pound of thrust
There is no US price to divide by its thrust.
Controls
A brushless eVision motor on S-Link control. The panel, fuse and main switch are bought.
Service and warranty
Sleipner gives 2 years for leisure use and 1 for commercial use. It transfers to the next owner, and it starts no later than 18 months after the boat's first launch.
See Sleipner’s warranty Sleipner's warranty statement, effective 1 April 2022.Special mentions
Battery: at 48 V it wants four batteries of 1,035 CCA or more, Sleipner's figure. The cheapest that meets it is the Dyno Group 8D heavy duty marine starting (flooded), $443.02. A sealed one is the Lifeline GPL-3100HC Group 31 AGM starting, $551.95. Check your own bank.
Charger: a NOCO GEN5X2 two-bank shore charger, $146.41. It is the one our estimate prices.
Sleipner sells it for either end, so it can go at the bow or the stern.
Dealer prices at Fisheries Supply, read 26 October 2026.What to weigh
The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs a tunnel bore below the waterline.
No US dollar price is published for it, so we can work out no installed cost.
Parts for the Sleipner E420 eVision
See the Sleipner E420 eVision manualSearch for the number as printed here, with no spaces. Prices are each dealer’s on the day shown, before shipping and tax. Check the plate on your motor before you order: some parts change with the tunnel size, the voltage or the year.
For the install what the box leaves you to buy
The manual button above opens it on the maker's product page. It has the hull, wiring and fuse figures for this model.
From Sleipner’s E420 eVision installation guide, document 8075 rev 4, 2026, read 25 October 2026.
- In the box
- The guide prints no box list. It has you install the unit with the gasket and the bolts provided.
- Bought separately
- The ANL fuse and a main switch ("must include"), an S-Link control panel with its own guide, the S-Link cables, the tunnel and the battery cable. Imtra, Sleipner's US distributor, lists the same items to buy with a new thruster.
- Charging
- The word "charging" is not in any of the Sleipner guides we read. The battery is sized by cold cranking amps, and a battery near the thruster is suggested. How it gets charged is left to you and your installer.
In Sleipner’s words, from its SE80 to SE150 installation guide, document 2687 rev 30, page 19: “For installations on large vessels with bow and stern thrusters or catamarans a dedicated battery for each thruster should be considered.”
A yard job adds these parts on top of the unit: $1,189 to $2,130 for the priced ones, at Fisheries Supply’s prices on 30 September 2026 and 26 October 2026, plus the batteries, cable and charger. The cost page has what every maker says about each part.
Outside the hull replacement parts in the water
Propeller, left hand (386 mm tunnel)
The propeller on the drive. Sleipner calls it “Propeller, Q-Prop™ LH”.
Listed in the retract mechanical section of this model's page.
Propeller, right hand (386 mm tunnel)
The propeller on the drive. Sleipner calls it “Propeller, Q-Prop™ RH”.
Listed in the retract mechanical section of this model's page.
Inside the boat replacement parts on board
Main fuse (500 A)
The main fuse at the battery, in the rating the maker gives. Sleipner calls it “Recommended fuse A”.
The rating on Sleipner's product page for this model. Sleipner prints the rating as 500 A with no fuse type.
No part matches. Try the number without spaces, or the part’s name.
Spare part numbers come from Sleipner’s parts pages and manuals. A dealer may sell a part we have not priced. Search for the number.
Other sizes and close alternatives
- Size down Sleipner E340 eVision 750 lb · $15,250
- Size up Sleipner SAC450 992 lb · $28,500
- Other maker Max Power CT325 (24 V) 717 lb · $6,510
The other makers listed are the nearest match each makes, of the same style and for the same end, within a quarter of its thrust. The compare page lists every model, and the thruster index lists every model with a page here.
For the yard and the installer
Every published figure, with its source.
Full spec sheet
| Thrust and motor | |
|---|---|
| Thrust | 926 lb (420 kgf) As printed: 420 kg / 926 lbs |
| Motor | 24.5 kW |
| Voltage | 48 V |
| Run limit | Not published |
| Installation | |
| Type | Tunnel, fixed mount |
| End of the boat | Bow or stern |
| Tunnel diameter | 386 mm |
| What it does to the hull | Tunnel bore below the waterline |
| Haul-out to install it | Yes |
| Maker’s boat length | 69 to 113 ft |
| Price and ordering | |
| Price | No US price published |
| Part number | E420/386TC-48V48 V, 48 V DC (nominal 42 V DC) |
| Documents | |
| Manual | Installation manualon the maker's product page |
| The site’s review | Sleipner (Side-Power) review |
Every published figure the site holds for the Sleipner E420 eVision, with where each came from.
Draw, cable, fuse and battery at each voltage
These are the maker’s own figures, at each voltage it is sold at. The cable is the size for the shortest run in the maker’s table. A longer run may need heavier cable, and the wiring calculator works that out for your own boat.
| Voltage | Draw | Maker’s cable | Fuse | Battery | Run limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 V | 545 Anominal draw | 3/0 AWG for up to 22 ft of cable counted out and back. Longer runs take heavier cableinstallation guide | ANL 500installation guide | 545 CCA DIN minimumSleipner installation guide, E420 eVision, document 8075 rev 4 (2026) | Not published |
The Sleipner E420 eVision’s draw, cable, fuse, battery and run limit, as the maker publishes them.
- At 48 V: size the cable for your run, or check the battery you have.
The tunnel: length and depth rules
Tunnel length. Avoid a tunnel longer than four times its diameter. Friction inside a long tube slows the water and cuts thrust. Too short, and the flow reaches the propeller before it has straightened, which the manual says causes cavitation and noise. The propeller must sit entirely inside the tube. Sleipner’s installation manual.
Depth below the waterline. As deep as possible under the waterline, and as far forward as possible. The depth for a given model is in that model’s own measurements. Deeper prevents air being sucked in from the surface and raises the water pressure at the propeller. SE20 to SE40 installation guide, 5611 rev 25 (2025).
Our notes from the manual and listings
In the box: A brushless eVision motor on S-Link control. The panel, fuse and main switch are bought.
Our note
The brushless eVision motor comes from the series launched in 2022. The page rates it continuous at 22 C, limited only by the battery. The motor holds one thrust figure across the voltage range. The brushed series print a lower figure at the voltage a battery sags to. The largest tunnel unit on the site: twin counter-rotating props in a 386 mm tunnel, 24.5 kW, 48 V only.
The maker's page puts it on boats of 69 to 113 ft. Sleipner's FAQ wants the tunnel at least three quarters of its diameter below the surface, never less than half. There is no dealer price, and the maker publishes none.
Where each point above comes from
- Sleipner sells it for either end, so it can go at the bow or the stern.The maker's listing
- The boat comes out of the water to install it: it needs a tunnel bore below the waterline.The mounting: a bore through the hull, or a housing recessed into it
- No US dollar price is published for it, so we can work out no installed cost.The maker and the dealers the database reads
Not sure this is the one? The thruster finder asks about your boat and prices every unit that fits.