BMW's i3 is getting wet. Or at least its battery packs are. Electric and hybrid boat engine maker Torqueedo is using the packs to power their Deep Blue motors.
Torqueedo builds electric and hybrid powertrains for boats ranging in size from small sailboats to commercial ferries. The BMW batteries will be used in propulsion systems ranging from 1 to 160 hp for sailing yachts and commercial marine vehicles like ferries and water taxies.
Dr Alexander Koutoc, head of product management for BMW's i group said that "this successful transfer of the latest automotive technology to the water is testament to the value of the integrated approach that underpins BMW i."
The lithium-ion packs are BMW's latest technology. They are the same size and weight as the last-generation packs but have 50 percent more capacity. The new packs have 94 amp-hours or 33 kWh.
The packs are designed to be modular and plug-and-play. It's that feature that makes them ideal for Torqueedo to adapt to marine use. The idea doesn't just apply to new batteries. Batteries that have finished their service life in a car or boat are still suited for reuse in applications like home energy storage.
Cristoph Ballin, CEO of Torqueedo called the packs "a model of extraordinary reliability and performance for electric mobility."
One of the company's 80 hp equivalent outboards equipped with two Deep Blue battery packs has a range of up to 120 km and 16 hours running time, depending on the hull, speed, and throttle opening.
