BMW'S NEW WATERCRAFT MAKES ITS CANNES FILM DEBUT

The recent 76th Cannes Film Festival saw one particularly spectacular world premiere - but it was in the port area of the southern French town rather than on a cinema screen. This was where the BMW brand and boat maker Tyde presented 'The Icon', a new kind of flagbearer for sustainable mobility on water. 'The Icon' is the first battery-powered marine craft of its kind and brings together locally emission-free travel with a vision of luxury that embraces pleasure. At 13.15 metres in length and with a top speed of 30 knots, this is a trailblazer for a new breed of watercraft with battery-electric drive. Innovations from yacht racing enable electrification and decarbonisation on the water. 'The Icon' uses a battery-electric drive system to set new standards in its sector in various ways. Up to now, marine electric mobility has been restricted to smaller, slower craft with comparatively little range. And the segment for faster boats with longer range is dominated by models with combustion engines. 'The Icon' redefines this relationship between the dimensions, top speed and range of an electrically powered watercraft. A pair of 100 kW electric motors convert the 240 kWh of energy supplied by six batteries from the BMW i3 into an eye-catching 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). Spurred on by its innovative drive system and foiling technology, THE ICON makes almost silent progress, without vibrations or shocks and without sending out waves.

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