Together with Designworks and professional wingsuit pilot Peter Salzmann, BMW i has developed an electric-powered wingsuit, which has been successfully flown over mountains in Austria. Erica Jamieson reports
After jumping from a helicopter 3,000 metres up, air sportsman and professional base jumper Peter Salzmann completed the world’s first human flight powered by electric wingsuit in November.
The suit, propelled by two 13cm carbon impellers with an overall output of 15kw, allowed Salzmann to gain altitude and soar above the “Three Brothers” mountain peak in Austria.
Mid-flight, the suit reached a top speed of 186 mph. For a sport that typically celebrates top horizontal speeds of about 60 mph, the “electrified wingsuit” will create incredible new opportunities in daredevil airsports – and “Pay for Peril” adventure tourism.
Salzmann brought the concept to BMW and, in 2017, they got to work, creating a suit agile enough for easy maneuverability, with the power to climb mountains.
“In my opinion, Peter Salzmann perfectly embodies the attitude of the BMW i brand with his unique vision, his passion and his courage. I was also very impressed by his physical effort, combined with in-depth technical knowledge and a very clear understanding of the brand,” Ponikva adds.
“Sustainability is very important to me, and something I try to live my everyday life by. I enjoy nature from the air and on the ground – that’s why I aim to consistently follow the path of sustainability even when it comes to mobility,” Salzmann tells BMW.
The electric wingsuit was originally slated to debut in South Korea in spring 2020, a plan delayed by the pandemic. The Drei Brüder, or “Three Brothers”, peaks in the Hohe Tauern Austrian mountain range, close to Salzmann’s childhood home, were selected as a replacement location.
The maiden voyage marked the first edition of BMW’s #NEXTGen 2020 series, showcasing new technologies and vehicles that envision next-generation mobility.
“Flying is freedom. It’s the ultimate expression of striving for the unknown and discovering new horizons,” says Salzmann.