Powerboat News continues to track the Chinese outboard motor manufacturers pushing into power brackets once held exclusively by Yamaha, Mercury and Suzuki. Previous instalments have covered Parsun’s 300hp F300, Hidea’s 200hp EF200, and Calon Gloria’s 60hp F60, the last of which PBN judged not yet a genuine rival at that power level. Hangzhou Seatan Machinery is the next name on the running tracker, and its range already reaches further than Calon Gloria’s did.
Seatan makes outboard motors across six product lines, from a 1hp electric trolling unit to an 85hp four-stroke sold through its official Vietnamese distributor.
A Six-Line Catalogue
The company is based in Xihu District, Hangzhou, and describes itself as a high-tech enterprise combining research and development, manufacturing, sales and marketing under one roof. According to Seatan’s own trade profile, the firm was founded in 2015 with a small team of five to ten staff. This detail has not appeared on any dated company announcement and should be treated as company-supplied rather than independently confirmed.
Seatan’s catalogue splits into two-stroke and four-stroke petrol outboards, an LPG range, an electric range, jet-drive outboards, and spare parts and inflatable boats sold alongside them. The petrol range runs from small portable units up to an 85hp four-stroke, according to Tadpole Boats Vietnam, Seatan’s official distributor in that market. Seatan’s own site confirms Enduro 40 and Enduro 60 models sit within the current line-up, putting genuine mid-power engines within reach rather than just entry-level portables.
LPG and Electric
The LPG range is smaller and less documented. Confirmed models include a 9.8hp and a 20hp four-stroke unit, both built on what Seatan calls patented propane-conversion technology. The company markets LPG and electric power as its environmental point of difference, aiming the pitch at buyers in regions tightening rules on petrol outboards rather than at outright performance.
Electric is the newest push. Seatan announced its full electric series on June 16, 2026, spanning 1hp to 18hp, and followed the announcement the same day with individual reviews of its 5hp, 8hp (48V) and 10hp (6kW) models. That places Seatan’s electric range below the ceiling claimed for some rival Chinese brands, but the June launch date makes it one of the more recent confirmed moves on the beat.
No Independent Reviews Yet
What Seatan lacks, so far, is scrutiny. No independent English or European-language review of a Seatan outboard turned up in research for this piece. Its online presence is built almost entirely on its own site, its own Alibaba storefront, and dealer network pages such as Tadpole Boats Vietnam. That is not unusual for a manufacturer at this scale, but it means every performance and reliability claim currently comes from Seatan or from businesses that sell its products.
Where that leaves Seatan on the wider threat picture is a genuine step up from some names already covered on this beat. Calon Gloria’s F60 topped out at 60hp and was flagged as not yet a real power-bracket rival to Yamaha, Mercury and Suzuki. Seatan already builds and sells, through an official distributor, an engine 25hp beyond that, alongside a working LPG line and an electric range with a confirmed 2026 launch date. It still sits well short of the premium brands on reputation and independent testing, but on paper range alone, it is no longer the smallest name on the tracker.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
