Pure Pontoon Pontoon Boat Reviewed in 2025

A Workable Electric Pontoon Boat

Pure Watercraft has been innovating since 2011. Their Pure Outboard electric motor has been installed on a wide range of watercraft, particularly jon boats and inflatable RIBs. These have been electric outboards replacing conventional two- and four-stroke engines.

But the company also wants to present a ready-for-market alternative to gasoline power boats. First, they partnered with Highfield RIBs to produce the Pure Highfield. Now, they’ve gone one step further and created their own electric pontoon, built from the ground up with the help of auto-giant GM.

The Pure Pontoon combines their time-tested 50-horsepower-equivalent electric outboard, GM’s automotive battery packs, and an all-new pontoon boat hull built for maximum efficiency.

Electric Outboard Motors for Pontoons

Only one feature makes this pontoon boat stand out in a broad sea of pontoon boats—it’s electric. Thankfully, it does that one thing exceptionally well—probably better than anything else on the water now.

The heart of the Pure Pontoon is the Pure Outboard.

This sleek <electric outboard motor> is no simple electrification of old technology. It was built from the ground up as Pure Watercraft’s flagship product, making all the others possible. They designed everything, from the 25 kW motor to the 16-inch propeller, for maximum efficiency. To top it all off, the entire 112-pound unit is IPX7 waterproof rated.

The Pure Outboard was designed to replace anything between a 20 and 50-horsepower gas engine. You can outfit your pontoon with either one or two outboards.

Unlike traditional gas outboards, the Pure Outboard is completely sealed and needs no maintenance. There are no oil changes, tune-ups, winterization requirements, or anything else to worry about.

The Electric Battery: A GM Solution

The company has kept production and design in-house for all of Pure Watercraft’s previous projects. Their waterproof and modular battery packs are designed specifically for the marine environment. But the Pure Pontoon is different, and the company looked to their new partner, General Motors, for help finding another solution.

The battery is the thing that will make or break an electric boat. It’s the same challenge that has hindered the growth of electric jet skis too.

The motor is neat technology and well built, but if it isn’t coupled to a robust battery pack with sufficient capacity, you’re unlikely to get your fancy outboard to show its true potential.

The high-voltage automotive battery pack used for the Pure Pontoon is designed flat to fit under the vehicle’s floorboards. As it turns out, this is also a perfect shape for a pontoon boat.

The original Pure Battery Pack was a 350-volt, 9.6-kWh lithium-ion pack that could be connected to give the boat more range and endurance.

However, the GM battery pack used on this pontoon has a much larger capacity. The 65 kWh battery pack is the same used in the Chevy Bolt EV. That’s the equivalent of 6.7 Pure Battery Packs, so the pontoon has a significant range boost for a lower price than other Pure Outboard products.

Lowering the cost of production was a big goal for Pure Watercraft as they partnered with GM. In addition to accessing GM’s already designed and produced battery packs, the company gets to use other GM suppliers and production techniques. This should mean a better price for a better product as GM works to lower battery costs throughout its supply chain.

Still, it must be a consideration before purchase that the GM battery pack was not designed for marine application. While it’s sure to be robust enough to take some abuse, it’s not going to be as corrosion and vibration-resistant as a purpose-built marine unit. For example, besides the IPX7 waterproof rating, the original Pure Battery Packs had active thermal management systems to maximize battery life.

If the GM batteries are being marinized in any way, Pure Watercraft has yet to release any details about it. The simple solution to this presents itself, probably, by using battery boxes–the same that some superyachts we’ve been reviewing are starting to use.

It’s also worth noting that several lithium-ion battery options are available, each with strengths and weaknesses. Automakers tend to use the highest energy density and fastest charging cells available.

Those cells often come with considerable safety concerns, especially for watercraft use. And GM’s batteries have not been without problems—the company has had several recalls recently.

Collaboration with Pure Watercraft strengthens the marine battery integration, drawing on the company’s reputation and experience.

The battery options also determine range. Pure Watercraft’s website provides three scenarios to compare how much of your battery you’ll use on a typical outing.

• For a 1.5-hour sightseeing cruise on a lake, you’d go about 18 miles and use 50 percent of your battery. That’s an average speed of 12 miles per hour.
• For a 7-hour day on the water with 41 miles traveled, you’d be down to 10 percent remaining. That’s an average speed of 5.8 miles per hour.
• For a 7-hour day of cruising and tubing with the kids, you’d travel 30 miles and be down to 35 percent.

The good news for boat owners is that they’ll likely never worry about finding an electric boat charging station to top up. Pure Watercraft boats have multiple charging options, all working with conventional marina power pedestals.

Compared to Other Pontoons?

The technology is amazing, but let’s discuss the user experience and how it compares to other pontoon boats.

We haven’t driven this pontoon ourselves. We’re looking forward to catching it at a major boat show soon. We do know that it will hold up to 10 passengers, can be equipped with one or two outboards, and has a 12-volt, 10-amp power port for your electronics. Beyond that, the company has said that the hull of the new pontoon has been designed specifically to be electrically driven. Ed Ives, sales ambassador for the company, says the hull is over 20 percent more efficient than typical pontoon boats.

The hull is fiberglass, with molded-in side walls and furniture. To improve efficiency and help it get up on plane faster, the pontoon has a foil toward the rear of the boat.

Considering the company’s ambitious objectives, the Pure Pontoon will likely be a winner. It checks all the boxes—it can entertain a crowd, enjoy a full day of cruising, and tow the kids on a tube. Plus, you can spend time in nature with friends and hear those things, all while enjoying years of maintenance-free, worry-free boating. What’s not to like?

Price and Quality

The single-engine version of the Pure Pontoon is currently listed at $75,000, while the twin will set you back $95,000.

At that price, the Pure Pontoon is expensive compared to gas outboard boats of similar size and features. But it’s also not a sky-high asking price for cutting-edge technology that offers a more pleasant experience than most other boats. The experience of being out on the water without the noise, pollution, and upkeep of gas outboards is appealing to many people.

The quality of the boat, however, is yet to be seen. It looks like a great product built by a company looking to revolutionize boating while still keeping it accessible. Pure Watercraft has also recently announced a boat club with membership options in lieu of purchase. That could work in principle like a bike share program. We’ll see.

Do We Recommend the Pure Pontoon?

Pure Pontoon is worth careful research if you’re in the market for a new pontoon and are willing to put up with the inevitable risks of being an early adopter. It promises just the right combination of new technologies, outstanding ownership experience, and fun useability without being up-marketed to the hyper-luxury segment of the market.

In other words, while it’s expensive, they aren’t making it more expensive than it needs to be. With their partnership with GM and a new manufacturing plant being built in West Virginia, Pure Watercraft will hopefully be able to bring the price of this technology down soon.

If you want to compare the Pure Pontoon with conventional offerings, check out our guide to the best pontoon boats on the water.