At the 76th Cannes Film Festival this week, the BMW brand and boat startup Tyde GmbH are showing their vision of sustainable water mobility. They say that the Icon is the first battery-powered marine craft of its kind that brings together “locally emission-free travel with a vision of luxury that embraces pleasure.”

BMW came up with the idea, developed the concept, and led the project, bringing together experts from many branches of mobility. The design is by Designworks, a BMW Group subsidiary with studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Shanghai. The development and realization of the concept were entrusted to Tyde using an electric drive system sourcing its energy from high-voltage BMW i3 batteries.

Tyde was co-founded in 2021 by its Managing Directors Dr. Christoph Ballin and Tobias Hoffritz. Ballin is the co-founder of several companies including electric-boat-motor pioneer Torqeedo GmbH, with other roles at robot mower maker Gardena AG and McKinsey & Company. Hoffritz is a tech and innovation entrepreneur with roles at BMW AG, Designworks, former automaker Loremo AG, and electric wakeboard maker Second-Sphere GmbH.

As the pioneering force behind the boat, BMW aims to reinforce its commitment to sustainable mobility not only on the road but also travel on water. The Icon is intended as a future-facing form of luxury, offering passengers a totally new mobility experience combining “exquisite comfort” with a significantly reduced environmental impact.

As BMW explains it, 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 is meant to redefine the relationship of dimension, top speed, and range of an electrically powered watercraft.

Making this possible is an innovation “from yacht racing.” The foiling technology, wing structures below the water level, enable the hull to rise above the surface of the water.

The boat’s hydrofoils reduce its energy requirements by up to 80% compared with a conventional hull while also providing a higher level of rider comfort and higher speeds. The drive system and foiling technology enable the boat to make almost silent progress without vibrations, shocks, and wakes.

A pair of 100-kW electric motors convert the 240-kW·h energy supplied by six batteries from the BMW i3 into a range of more than 50 nmi (93 km). The craft can deliver an operating speed of 24 kt (44 km/h), while its maximum speed is 30 kt (55 km/h).

The Icon is 13.15 m (43.1 ft) long with a draft displacement of 1.87 m (6.1 ft) and draft foiling of 0.85 m (2.8 ft). Its body is made up of a flat hull and a central support element for the transparent architecture with a prism-like form. The hull’s origami lightweight structure has a rear width of 4.5 m (14.8 ft) for a spacious entrance into the luxurious lounge.

The designers replaced the conventional side sections of a watercraft with large glass surfaces, enabling passengers to enjoy the view while they glide above the water. Another key highlight is the use of modern LED light strips on the bow, stern, and charging connection points.

Angled glass doors provide access to a lounge area with its artistically designed furniture on a luxurious carpet. Sections of metal sheeting with granular surfaces are used to reflect the sunlight onto the floor “like waves on the sea.”

As with most BMW projects lately, the marine travel experience is accompanied by an exclusive soundtrack composed by award-winning film score composer Hans Zimmer. He developed the sound concept around the drive system and other functional tones. The acoustic creations conjured by the composer, combined with a Dolby Atmos audio system, are said to provide a new era in the enjoyment of sustainable travel on water.

The 360° rotating seats are at the core of the user-focused experience. They can be re-positioned to facilitate social interactions and create meeting hubs, with all essential controls including a tablet-based infotainment system within easy reach.

The command station is located centrally on the deck. Taking the place of the traditional nautical-instrument array is a fresh interpretation using a digital control unit. The human-machine interface is a 32-in touchscreen display with 6k resolution and the look and feel of a BMW iDrive control. Teamed with the automaker’s Operating System 8, key functions such as range information and weather reports can be called up using voice commands.

The watercraft revealed in Cannes is said to be fully production-ready. It is underpinned by a platform concept offering adaptability to individual wishes and needs. It is aimed at both private and commercial sectors, with its maker welcoming customization.