BMW and Tyde, a high-tech German startup, just announced that they’ll unveil a new luxury electric-powered boat at the Cannes Film Festival on May 17.
The two companies said they have developed the new boat under “strict secrecy” and would not divulge any details, except to say that its name is Icon and that it would have zero emissions.
Icon, it turns out, was developed by BMW’s Designworks studio, and it will have a futuristic look. It also will take some cues from BMWs i car line, using BMW’s green technologies.
The new boat will be designed to the highest standards and aimed at a high-end segment. “The luxury market is an important point of reference for other yachting segments,” said Christoph Ballin, a Tyde cofounder. “In addition, complex and elaborate solutions can be applied here first before electric mobility becomes mainstream with large volumes in coming years.”
Ballin has considerable experience in the green marine marketplace; he previously founded Torqeedo. His Tyde cofounder, Tobias Hoffritz, is an entrepreneur who worked with BMW in the areas of high-tech and innovation. They started Tyde in 2021, with headquarters on Lake Starnberg near Munich.
BMW has some history with the marine industry. In fact, it started a marine division more than a century ago, in 1919, to build boat engines. The resulting BMW Marine was eventually sold to Mercury in 1987.
And BMW launched a lifestyle brand called Yachtsport in 2000, selling clothing and accessories as a sponsor of the America’s Cup. Designworks formed a partnership with Sea Ray last year to build a 26-foot, futuristic sport boat with a flowing S-shaped sheer line.
Now, with Tyde, BMW wants to stake out a future in zero-emissions boating. “In addition to climate-friendly propulsion, the Icon presents a wealth of pioneering innovations that are suitable for establishing sustainable mobility in the high-end segment and that create a new quality of experience,” Ballin said. Read more:
https://theworldofyachts.com/tyde-and-bmw-announce-zero-emission-luxury-yacht/
