Not everything that happens at the Cannes Film Festival is related to the big screen or the red carpet. The port of the southern French city has also experienced a world premiere, in this case, of high-end sustainable mobility. This is The Icon, a luxury boat created by the boat manufacturer Tyde in collaboration with BMW, which has not only provided the batteries but also other technical knowledge.
The yacht, which measures 13.5 meters in length and reaches a maximum speed of 30 knots (equivalent to about 55 km/h), is interesting for the performance it offers. And it is that to date the majority of electric maritime proposals correspond to smaller vessels, less performance and with a lower range of autonomy.
The Icon is equipped with six batteries from the BMW i3 electric car with a total capacity of 240 kWh. In addition, it incorporates technology based on hydrofoils (foiling) that saves up to 80% of energy and, therefore, increases the distance traveled with a charge. So you can navigate over 50 nautical miles (about 100 km).
This system causes the curvature of the upper face to create a negative pressure and generate a lift force. The vehicle rises above the water and drag is kept to a minimum – the boat literally floats on the water. Two propellers integrated into the rear foil provide propulsion. From the time the yacht starts until it begins to plan on the water, between 10 and 12 seconds pass. The passengers fly more or less a meter above the water, without noticing the waves.
As it is an electric unit, it hardly makes noise or vibrations. On a mechanical level, it mounts two 100 kW electric motors. Most of the boat’s functions can be controlled from a large 32-inch touch screen with 6K technology and an interface inspired by the latest operating system from the German house, the BMW Operating System 8. This system also incorporates voice control to access to range information or weather reports.
In addition, to add an even more exclusive component, the navigation experience is accompanied by a soundtrack composed exclusively for the boat by the well-known and award-winning composer, Hans Zimmer.
The Icon’s interior design allows passengers to enjoy views of the water through large glass surfaces, the elegance of which is accentuated by a series of LED lighting strips and a lounge area with designer furniture placed on a luxurious carpet. which creates a kaleidoscope effect.
The boat incorporates 360° rotating seats that combine both the possibility of focusing on the audiovisual offer that can be enjoyed through tablets or also on social interaction.
In short, The Icon is not only a new means of luxury transportation, but also means the development of a new technology for both private and commercial use.
