There are currently 3 different manufacturers producing pod drives for recreational boat applications, Volvo Penta has IPS, Mercruiser has Zeus and ZF Marine has the ZF pod. In this article I will explain each in hopes that you will have a better understanding of them and their primary applications. Volvo Penta IPS Volvo Penta was the first company to come up with a pod drive system back in 2005, beating out the Cummins Zeus pod by over 2 years. Today there are more than 10,000 IPS units installed in more than 250 boat models worldwide...making it the most widely used pod drive system in the world by a long shot. This is largely due to the range of applications the IPS pods will work for, there are 9 different power packages available with 3 different pod sizes, and the ability to … [Read more...]
The Truth about Pod Drive Powered Boats and Yachts
This is a no BS assessment of my experience with Pod Drive powered yachts, from my personal experience as well as talking with numerous captains and owners. Mercruiser Zeus Pod Drive Volvo Penta IPS Pod Drive Since hitting the scene for the first time in 2006, Pod Drives have been a huge subject of discussion throughout the industry...are they truly the next evolution in propulsion technology that will knock out the ages old shaft drives? Let's take a look at the pods themselves without all the fancy computerized technology. They are basically based off the old sterndrive technology that came around in the 1960's and is still around today...a system that reduces drag and has a more direct line of thrust than traditional shaft drives, resulting in better fuel economy … [Read more...]