THE ICON
TYDE · Electric · ultra luxury
Price on request
Request a quoteCollaboration between BMW and German foiling startup TYDE — a reverse-bow, glass-hulled foiling trimaran aimed at B2B luxury ferry/shuttle use (resort transfers, airport-to-harbour) rather than private ownership. Lifts onto its hydrofoils at 18 knots. Twin 100kW Torqeedo motors, six BMW i3-derived battery modules totalling 240kWh. Interior styled by BMW with a 32-inch touchscreen (BMW Operating System 8) and a Hans Zimmer-composed onboard soundscape. Category set to 'other' rather than a standard day-boat/tender type given its unconventional foiling-ferry design and B2B commercial positioning.
Specifications
- Length
- 13.16 m
- Beam
- 4.5 m
- Battery
- 240 kWh
- Motor power
- 200 kW
- Top speed
- 30 knots
- Range
- 50 nm
Powertrain options
Torqeedo
- Motors
- 2x
- Power
- 200 kW
- Battery
- 240 kWh (BMW i3-derived)
- Top speed
- 30 kn
- Range
- 50 nm
Six BMW i3 battery modules (~530 lbs each) totalling 240kWh. Foils out of the water at 18 knots. Price not disclosed — positioned for B2B commercial buyers (resorts, luxury ferry operators) rather than retail sale.
What a buyer should know
Not a private boat, and does not pretend to be
THE ICON is a 13.16 m foiling trimaran built by TYDE and developed with BMW, and its target buyer is a business: resort transfers, harbour-to-airport shuttles, brand hospitality. Anyone shopping for a family cruiser should look elsewhere — the glass-hulled, reverse-bow architecture is a statement piece designed to be seen arriving.
What the numbers imply
The figures are unusually complete and worth reading together. Twin 100 kW Torqeedo motors draw on six BMW i3-derived modules totalling 240 kWh, for 30 knots and a claimed 50 nautical miles. Foiling from 18 knots is what makes that arithmetic work: lifting the hull clear of the water collapses drag, so the boat can hold high speed without the consumption a 13 m displacement craft would demand. Even so, 50 nm at speed is a shuttle range, not a cruising range — roughly a couple of hours' hard running before a charge. For fixed, repeatable routes with charging at one end, that is entirely workable; for touring it is not.
Caveats
No price is published, which for a low-volume, hand-finished collaboration usually signals a figure set per order. Foiling craft also carry real operational constraints — sea state, debris, draft when foils are deployed — and maintenance on a hydrofoil system is a specialist commitment. Budget for support access, not just purchase.
Written from the builder’s published specifications and the wider market, not from testing the boat ourselves. Always confirm figures with the manufacturer before committing.
Awards & nominations
- 2023Award finalistSource
Gustave Trouvé Awards
Production Boats Over 8m · Plugboats