BMW Icon luxury electric boat unveiled in concept form; gets 56kmph top speed

BMW has collaborated with boat maker TYDE to develop a concept electric watercraft that spells out supreme luxury. Slated to be unveiled at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, the water vehicle is the first battery-powered marine craft of its kind. The boat is 13.15 metres in length and gets a top speed of 30 knots or 56 kmph. Its electric drive system sources its energy from high-voltage batteries supplied by BMW i.

The boat has been designed by masterminds at Designworks, a BMW Group subsidiary with studios in Los Angeles, Munich and Shanghai. Its development and realization has been supported by TYDE.

The BMW Icon also offers exclusive luxury, complete with a lounge area, 360° rotating seats, and more.

The BMW Icon makes use of a pair of 100 kW electric motors that convert the 240 kWh of energy supplied by six BMW i3 batteries. It gets a range of 50 nautical miles, i.e., approximately 100 km. The water craft can deliver an operating speed of 24 knots, while its maximum speed is 30 knots or 56 km/h. Thanks to its electric drive system, the BMW Icon progresses silently on the water, without any vibrations or shocks or even sending out waves.

For music lovers, the boat gets a Dolby Atmos system, which gets an exclusive soundtrack composed by award-winning film score composer Hans Zimmer. The there's a 32-inch touchscreen display with 6,000 resolution which looks similar to a BMW iDrive control/operation system. The display provides key information such as range and weather reports. These can also be pulled up using voice commands.

The BMW Icon also offers exclusive luxury, complete with a lounge area, 360° rotating seats, and more. However, no amount of money can help an affluent sail this beauty home because it is in its concept form. If and when converted into production form, the boat will offer a complete package for luxury-conscious private customers as well as commercial sector.