BMW sails the seas and oceans

Imagine an all-electric BMW over 13 meters long that, instead of tearing up the asphalt, cuts through waves. actually? Well, congratulations! You just imagined The Icon – the first electric marine boat from … BMW.

A review of strength

Of course, BMW The Icon does not live alone. The Bavarian motor manufacturer lacks experience in building watercraft, which is why it chose a partner. The Icon is a collaboration between BMW and boat manufacturer Tyde. However, the creator of the project was not this company, but BMW. a reason? As usual: bragging. On the one hand, a comprehensive approach to mobility is widely understood, on the other – the skills of its engineers. And not only batteries and electric motors, but also design specialists. Designworks, a subsidiary of the BMW Group, is responsible for designing the boat. Tyde specialists were responsible for the development and implementation of the large, luxurious, electrically limited electric boat concept. what does that mean?

Manufacturers ensure that the propulsion, power reserve, and unique design will allow the boat to travel 50 nautical miles (about 100 kilometers) on a single charge. It’s a great result. First of all, because marine electric mobility has so far been limited to smaller, slower units with a relatively short range. How was it achieved? Energy storage is provided by six BMW i3 traction batteries. Total 240 kWh. Driving: two electric motors of 100 kW each. And this leads to the second distinguishing feature of The Icon – speed. The electric marine boats available on the market are usually pontoons or monohull boats that develop a walking pace of several to several kilometers per hour. The icon is really fast with them. The working speed is 24 knots (about 44.5 km / h). The maximum speed is 30 knots (over 55 km / h). This performance is ensured not only by the propulsion, but also by the hull structure and technology taken from the regatta: underwater lift wings. These are the so-called water stabilizers. According to Parents of The Icon, using them reduces the need for energy by up to 80 percent. compared to a traditional structure. The thwarting technique, in which the boat rests on bearing surfaces below the surface of the water, while the hull floats above the surface of the water, also provides more comfort, as well as the higher speed mentioned above.

Glass sides

The Icon isn’t just an electric speedboat. It is also a vision of luxury. The unit is not noiseless. Users are not accompanied by the rumble of a V8 or even a V6, but that does not mean that they are not accompanied by acoustic impressions. Hans Zimmer, composer of film music, took care of that. And if someone does not like his concept of drive sound, he can listen to what is playing in his soul using the Dolby Atmos system.

The body of the unit is very flat. The deck plan has a prismatic shape with a stern of 4.5 metres. The traditional sides have been replaced with glass sides, so that passengers can experience the feeling of floating above the water more. In addition to the slanted glass doors, decorative furniture and … carpets. Something like a floating modern living room. The steering position is maintained in the pattern known from… BMW road models. Instead of multiple navigation devices, the interface combines all essential functions into a single digital console. This interface is a 32-inch 6000-dot touch screen. Pixel with BMW iDrive operating system. Key functions such as range information and weather forecasts can be called up using voice commands.

Will the boat be for sale? It seems to be true. The unit shown at the recent Cannes Film Festival is – as the manufacturers assure – neither a design study nor a concept vehicle, but a product completely ready for mass production. Most importantly, the stylistic solutions presented in The Icon are just one of the proposals and visions for the use of an all-electric floating platform, which is what this boat is in reality. The platform can be customized to suit your needs. Therefore, it is envisaged that ships based on this platform will be used in the future as luxury private vessels and in the commercial sector as a means of maritime transport. In other words: BMW has officially become a floating equipment manufacturer. the prices? As with boats: the sky’s the limit.

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