Combi was founded in 1979 in the beautiful Giethoorn (also known as the Dutch Venice) to supply rental boats with clean electric power. 40 years later there are hundreds of Combi electric motors in use, carrying thousands of tourists and locals around the town every day. Remaining close to our roots, we are now located a few kilometers away from Giethoorn in a modern production and maintenance facility in Vollenhove (The Netherlands).And we are building a new production facility in Giethoorn to be completed in 2019.
Combi is one of the leading international suppliers of advanced, high-performance propulsion solutions for the maritime market. We are an innovative company specializing in the development and production of high-quality electric drive systems. The focus is on the combination of engine, battery pack, control and monitoring that are made to the needs of the customer. This allows us to guarantee maximum efficiency and reliability for our first class quality products. Our systems have proven themselves worldwide in many different areas.
We serve both the private and business markets at home and abroad. In Vollenhove we have an extensive showroom and workshop where we can serve you from A to Z. You can contact us for electric drives up to 60 KW for each type of vessel.
In addition to sales, you can of course contact us for advice, installation work, service and all kinds of products concerning electric boating
Durability and efficiency is what Combi stands for. We are constantly working on the development and optimization of our products. We are happy to be the pioneer in the market of electric propulsion. In addition to a standard line of in-and outboard electric motors, we can also offer custom build solutions. We are here to give you advice and support for new builds or existing situations, start-ups or long-standing companies.
What is special is that all our electric motors are built entirely under our own management. We can proudly say that we sell a genuine Dutch product and with this stamp comes a guarantee of quality and performance.
We are constantly working on the optimization of our products in order to achieve the highest possible output. We want to get the most out of technology and design.
Our first motors were installed in private and commercial fleets in 1981 and are still in service today.
Combi has a rich history as a pioneer in the Netherlands in the field of electric propulsion since 1979. Because of this we have gained a lot of experience and we can proudly say that we are specialists in the field of electric propulsion.
Jitze Prinzen founded Combi Outboard in a place called Giethoorn that is also known as “The Dutch Venice”. Combi was way ahead of it’s time and is the pioneer of electric boating for the (B2B) market in the Netherlands.
In 1981, a complete line of electric outboard motors was developed, which were marketed under the name "Combi". Respectively 500, 700, 1200 and 2000 watts. The motors consist entirely of aluminum cast parts, making them indestructible.
There is a lot of media attention for Combi. There are TV shows and radio broadcast with Dutch celebrities.
Electric boating wasn’t common in the 80’s. When in 1985 we wanted to present our Combi engines at the water sport fair Hiswa, we were not admitted to the outboard engine department but we had to do it with a place in the accessories department.
Members from the royal family accompanied by some Dutch celebrities are sailing with a Combi electro motor.
In 1989 the company moved to the Bonte brothers. They have made great progress for Combi regarding (inter) national sales and name recognition of the Combi electric motors.
In 1990, the County of Brederwiede, in cooperation with the province of Overijssel, decided that the entire rental fleet of 500 boats in this area had to be switched to electric power in 1993. This was a big change for that time which had a lot of difficulties to overcome.
Amsterdam is also taking an example from Giethoorn. In 1993 a few representatives from the government came to Giethoorn to get more information on the project.
The Combi brand is getting more and more recognition, national and international. And are sold in various countries through distributors including in England, Germany, Austria, Finland, but also in South Australia. Furthermore, the water attractions sail in many known amusement parks with our combi electric motors. A good example is Legoland UK.
The combi electric motors are not only used in rental but also in attractions in various amusement parks in the Netherlands and abroad.
In 2002 we came on the market with the first brushless permanent magnet motors. The big difference with the DC motors was that the efficiency of the engines was much higher, they were economical, maintenance-free and easily adjustable. These motors were also sensorless and were controlled by our own dedicated motor controller. Again we came on the market with a technique that was completely new and unknown for that time. Another whole line was set up, 900, 1500, 2500 and 3500 watt, respectively.
In 2003, combi started with aluminum boat construction The Hanzepunter and the Hanzeschouw came onto the market.
From December 2013, Combi moved to Vollenhove in a new building in a beautiful central location in the Netherlands.
From December 2013, Combi moved to Vollenhove in a new building in a beautiful central location in the Netherlands.
In collaboration with HE-PE Alubouw we have developed a new sloop especially for electric sailing. The boats are equipped with a steerable POD engine and have an excellent efficiency and a range of no less than 10 hours.
In 2016/2017 we wil present our complete line of inboard engines, the development of which has been under way for the past 2 years.
The silent power behind electrical boating
