BMW and boat builder Tyde have unveiled a sustainable, battery-electric boat named the Icon at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in France. Designed by the German vehicle manufacturer, the environmentally friendly watercraft features two 100kW electric motors that convert 240kWh of energy supplied by six batteries normally found in the BMW i3 – supplied by BMW i.
The vessel is 13.15m long and features hydrofoils to reduce energy requirements by up to 80% compared with vessels with traditionally designed hulls. As a result, the Icon can deliver a top speed of 30kts – 24kts during normal operations – and a range of over 50 nautical miles. Additional advantages of the hydrofoiling design include almost silent, wakeless operation and a significant reduction in vibrations due to the hull floating above the waterline.
Control of the Icon is delivered through a fresh interpretation of conventional nautical components and consists of a 32in touchscreen display with 6k resolution and BMW Operating System 8 to provide a BMW iDrive-like look and control to reflect the OEM’s design aesthetic.
BMW states that the Icon is not a concept but is instead a fully production-ready version of the vessel.
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