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This BMW 'The Icon' marine craft is powered by batteries from the i3

This BMW 'The Icon' marine craft is powered by batteries from the i3
PHOTO: BMW

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BMW, together with boat manufacturer Tyde, have unveiled 'The Icon', a battery-powered marine craft designed to deliver luxurious locally emission-free travel over the water.

The craft is said to measure 13.15m long and 4.5m wide, and adopts a prism-like form. Large glass surfaces form the side sections of the craft, so as to give passengers an extraordinary view while they glide above the water.

However, if they so wish, the craft also comes complete with seats that rotate, to facilitate social interaction. They will also be offered access to a tablet-based infotainment system, making the craft an excellent location for meetings at any home or harbour.

BMW's touches abroad the craft include its use of a 32-inch touchscreen display as an alternative to the traditional array of nautical instruments, designed to deliver the look and feel of the BMW iDrive control/operation system.

The craft also comes powered by two 134bhp electric motors, which convert a total of 240kWh of stored energy from six batteries from the BMW i3. This pairs with the use of hydrofoils — wing structures below the water level that allow the hull of the craft to float above the surface and reduce its overall drag — to enable the craft to reach a top speed of 50kn and a range of more than 50 nautical miles.

Just like BMW's other electric vehicles, the soundscape for this craft is also delivered thanks to Composer Hans Zimmer, here played through a Dolby Atmos system.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycTL6fK97FA&t=6s[/embed]

ALSO READ: Land Rover Range Rover Plug-in Hybrid 3.0 is an all-round SUV with high levels of refinement

This article was first published in sgCarMart.

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