BMW & Boat Maker TYDE Present Battery-Powered Marine Craft at Cannes Film Festival

BMW and boat maker TYDE have unveiled THE ICON, a battery-powered marine craft. It was officially unveiled at the 76th Cannes Film Festival.

At 13.15 metres in length and with a top speed of 30 knots, THE ICON is a new breed of watercraft with battery-electric drive.

Up to now, marine electric mobility has been restricted to smaller, slower craft with comparatively little range.

A pair of 100 kW electric motors convert the 240 kWh of energy supplied by six batteries from the BMW i3 into a range of more than 50 nautical miles (approx. 100 km).

The craft can deliver an operating speed of 24 knots, while its maximum speed is 30 knots (55 km/h).

Responsible for the design of THE ICON are the creatives at innovation hub Designworks, a BMW Group subsidiary with studios in Los Angeles, Munich and Shanghai.

The development and realisation of the concept was entrusted to boat maker TYDE.

In a press release, BMW says:  'As the pioneering force behind THE ICON, BMW is once again demonstrating a holistic commitment to sustainable mobility that encompasses not only road transportation but also travel on water. Pooling technological expertise from various fields creates ground-breaking solutions that have people at their heart'.

It adds: 'THE ICON also encapsulates a future-facing form of luxury. The innovative craft appeals with its unique design, and it also offers passengers a totally new experience of mobility. Here, amid an exclusive on-board ambience, exquisite comfort converges with a significantly reduced environmental impact'.

The marine travel experience created by BMW and TYDE is accompanied by an exclusive soundtrack composed by award-winning film score luminary Hans Zimmer.