Your Audi for the water
An Audi for the water? It’s possible! After several years of development, the time has finally come: the Audi e-tron foil by Aerofoils is ready to fundamentally change water sports and redefine driving fun.
How it all began
Eight years ago, the story of the two co-founders Christian Rössler and Franz Hofmann started while kitesurfing. At the time, kiteboards were often very heavy and, above all, expensive. So why not build something yourself? With Franz as a developer for hydrogen vehicles at Audi and Christian as a graduate engineer in aerospace technology, this idea did not seem unrealistic. So, the two started building hydrofoils for kitesurfing in Christian’s basement. When the first prototype was ready, they went out on the water. They found that they could now use a much smaller wings and ride completely new lines.
The excellent kitesurfing results sparked a desire for further development. Franz and Christian agreed that they could revolutionize water sports with their ideas and know-how. Knowing that Audi was in the process of developing its own electric vehicles and would soon be launching its own series called “e-tron,” Franz thought “why not build an Audi for the water?”
But first, Franz had to convince Christian and Audi of this idea. Armed with their self-built hydrofoil fin, Franz tried to get Audi to support the two in their dream of an “Audi for the water”. Most of them didn’t quite trust the idea yet and said they should come back when the product was ready. Full of ambition, the two built the first prototype of an e-foil over Christmas. In snow and ice, the two co-founders tried out their boards. And there it was: proof that it is possible to fly over water in an extremely energy-efficient, electric way. Seeing their results, Audi was also onboard.
In 2018, the AUDI e-tron foil was presented to the public for the first time at the Kiel Week. Worldwide appearances at CES Las Vegas and LA Auto-Show followed soon after. Backed by Audi’s technical and financial support, the two founders were able to keep on developing and perfecting their idea. As of 2022, anyone can now buy their Audi for the water.
What is an e-foil?
The e-tron foil is an e-foil, in other words, the electric version of a “normal” hydrofoil. Without any power from wind or waves, the board lifts on to a hydrofoil wing via the thrust generated by its electrically powered “fully-shielded propeller” allowing you to fly over the water at up to 50 km/h. Fast, quiet, and without any emissions.
With a remote control you can determine and control the speed of the e-foil yourself from the palm of your hand. The e-tron foil is suitable for almost any weather and all riders. Thanks to the battery and drive-unit it is very easy to learn, and you can start riding or rather flying immediately.
The safest e-foil in the world
The Audi e-tron foil from Aerofoils is the safest e-foil in the world. Many e-foils use an open (unprotected) propeller. The risk of body parts or other objects getting into the propeller is very high. With the e-tron foil, the propeller has been completely encased. This makes it impossible to touch any of the rotating parts of the propeller. The propeller has been integrated into the rear end of the hull in such a way that water resistance is minimized, and efficiency maximized.
As a result, the Audi e-tron foil is also ideally suited for beginners.
And what else? A completely different feeling of flying.
The drive-unit of the e-tron foil not only ensures safety but also more fun and acceleration: thanks to the slimmest drive design on the market, the hydrofoil glides through the water much smoother, perfect for riding waves as well. When releasing the throttle, the drive generates little water resistance, so you can fully engage with the natural power of the wave. With conventional e-foils, the open propeller hinders hydrodynamic efficiency because the propeller blades are often very large and create great drag.
Another highlight is the 80cm carbon mast, which can be fully utilized. It lets you float over waves more easily. With this mast and the fully integrated drive in the hull of the hydrofoil you fly higher than with any other e-foil on the market.
No vibrations and super controllable:
By using carbon, instead of aluminum, the mast is super stiff and light. The rider’s movements are precisely transmitted to the wing. The e-foil remains very stable and agile even at high speeds.
The e-tron foil is not only safe, but also easy to handle. The set can be transported in a normal car and assembled in about 5-10min. Plug and Play. By means of the remote control, which is equipped with the sharpest and highest resolution color display on the market, you can operate the e-tron foil in the best possible way. The choices between the three driving modes, which are optimally adapted to the rider’s needs, allow for indescribable driving fun for both beginners and professionals.
Fly over the water at up to 50 km/h. Fast, quiet, emission-free, and safe. The e-tron foil is proof that the highest standards of performance and safety can coexist without compromise. With the Audi e-tron foil from Aerofoils, we have achieved our goal of building the best premium e-foil on the market.
For more details visit: www.aerofoils.de