Since I took the first look at this Batmobile for Lake Constance, I’m looking forward to the first test drive. The prototype is now ready in Horn am Untersee. The design is definitely sensational, as the first renderings have already shown. The Twiel Z7 was also an eye-catcher as a world premiere at the ‘Boot 2025’ in Düsseldorf. A boat that arouses emotions. A design that deliberately offers material for discussion – from revolutionary and modern to the question: ‘Is that still a boat?’ Tastes are different.
Two hulls, hardly any resistance
What is hardly noticeable at first glance: The Twiel is a catamaran. She stands on two narrow hulls that cut through the water with little resistance. An ePropulsion i20 electric motor works in every hull, which drives the propeller with 20 kW via a conventional shaft drive.
The engines are placed in front of the helm station, the batteries are amidships. As a result, the weight distribution is balanced, the catamaran lies flat on the water, and its 7.50 meter long hulls swim optimally horizontally. Unlike a conventional boat, a cat doesn’t push a large bow wave in front of it, which has to limit its trunk speed or with a lot of energy on gliding boats, until the boat comes out of the water and surfs on its own bow wave.
Perfect for medium speed
The physical limits that limit the speed of the Twiel are well above the hull speed of a single hull. The slim, pointed catamaran hulls are ideal for an electric drive in the medium speed range.
The first inspection leads on the wrong track. In front of his inner eye, he creates the expectation that – if both throttle levers are pressed forward vehemently forward – the boat will accelerate and shoot sportily across the lake.
No glider, of course Kat
far from it. Katamaran-Like remains flat on the water when accelerating, lies stable and drives without throwing big waves. The Twiel also cuts cleanly through the waves of a motor boat crossing in front of us. This stability is also beneficial when lying still, sunbathing and sundowner – hardly any rocking.
New curve logic
I also have to think again when I take the Twiel into the curve. She drives like on rails, calmly – catamaran, not runabout. However, this does not mean that it would be difficult to maneuver – on the contrary: one engine in forward gear, the other in reverse – and it turns on the spot. She also drives backwards as if on rails. The catamaran hull cannot be deterred even by the wheel effect. However, you shouldn’t be too bold when resetting or slowing down – otherwise the stern wave will also get into the cockpit. The twiel is still in prototype mode. The fine-tuning is fine-tuned. In the future, opposing propellers will be used to compensate for the wheel effect. The propellers themselves are also optimized in terms of size, shape and incline in order to optimally match the drive to the boat.
Made for connoisseurs
There is also flexibility in terms of motorization – more power would be conceivable. But one thing is clear: the Twiel plays with the look of a Batmobile, but drives like a pleasure boat. Cruising comfortably up to 15 km/h, sunbathing and chilling on the spacious sun lounger, a jump into the water from the comfortable entrance over the rear – these are the strong arguments of the Twiel.
The battery capacity is also designed for this use. With four times 10 kWh = 40 kWh total capacity, you can enjoy two to three hours of travel time on the Untersee – enough for a nice day on the lake. The batteries are charged overnight at the existing shore power in the port.
E-technology in the system
Access to the four ePropulsion G102-100 batteries is closed – high-voltage system. I was allowed to take a look: unspectacular – four gray boxes with a weight of around 90 kilos each, cleanly installed. The dual motor drive is supplied by ePropulsion as a system. All parts – from the battery to the control to the engine – are optimally matched to each other.
Regionally thought, cleanly built
The hull is cleanly finished. Wood & Boat (Till Grabowski) has delivered clean boat building craft. A wooden boat using regional woods constructed by Juliane Hempel according to the ideas of Michael Zupritt von Mizu. More on the construction and construction in the IBN Power 2025 and Via this link!
Conclusion:
The Twiel Z7 is a statement – bold in design, clearly in attitude. Those who expect speed and show effects at the first sight will be deliberately surprised. Instead of speed, it offers calm instead of adrenaline. The Twiel does not play with strength, but with forms. It shows that modern boat architecture can be more than dynamism: a place for lightness, wide and conscious break. Anyone who gets involved in this new boat idea will be rewarded – with an experience that doesn’t have a loud but has a long-lasting effect.
