Media and Press
Articles and reports about Twiel in the press
YouTube — Alfred Montaner
Electric Boat Stuns the 2025 Boot Düsseldorf Boat Show
22.01.25 • by Alfred Montaner
The design boat for the electric age
The avant-garde Twiel Z7 is here. The spectacular design is complemented by innovative technology – such as energy recovery.
22.01.25 • by Roland Wildberg • open in PDF
The Twiel is here: the prototype of the innovative motorboat from Lake Constance is on display at boot 2025 and, as expected, the curved twin hull is surrounded by the public. Michael Zupritt nestles between the hull and bow like a singer in the bay of a concert grand piano and beams. “We were finished on December 25th.”
His Christmas present is even more impressive than the renderings from summer 2024 promised. The hull is anthracite gray, the upholstery is a warm mustard yellow and the deck is covered with blue carpet. It is extroverted and avant-garde, just as you would expect from the project.
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A crowd of people forms at the front of the almost eight-meter-long construction. Here, a casual arch curves forward from the two hulls to the bow, protruding almost half a meter beyond the two prows. This creates a portal that looks like a giant maw, a duck’s beak, a suction device … – there are many associations. “We spent five years working on the design,” says Zupritt.
It quickly became clear: “We don’t want to build another Riva, we want something completely different.” But how? It should be a catamaran boat, because a drive with two narrow hulls is far more efficient than with a classic monohull. “But a cat just doesn’t look good.” Zupritt shakes his head. “At some point overnight, I came up with the idea of pulling the snout forward rather than backwards.” You can’t see the cat from the side – but the Twiel doesn’t look like an ordinary motorboat either.
Up to 40 knots with two inboards
It certainly looks dynamic. But of course the drive system of the Lake Constance racing car will not be a roaring V8. The Twiel Z7 is powered by two electric motors. Each hull of this catamaran contains an inboard motor from ePropulsion, the Chinese manufacturer of electric boat motors. It is the ePropulsion i20 medium inboard drive with 20 kW, equivalent to 27 hp. It was launched on the market in 2023, just in time for the Twiel project.
40 knots are mathematically possible, Zupritt estimates. That’s enough power for a large body of water. For example, Lake Constance, where a stroke from Lindau to Constance is 40 kilometers, or for the coastal area. You will see. The Twiel has not yet been in the water, but this will be done as soon as possible (with float, of course).
And then there are the first tests of a technology that promises to be almost as exciting as the new boat. Zupritt: “It should produce the electricity for its propulsion itself.” Tense silence. How, with solar cells? The inventor smiles mysteriously, then shakes his head. No – a water wheel will be installed between the hulls. Like a mill or turbine wheel, it turns in the water flowing past. This drives a generator that supplies the batteries with electricity. When the Twiel is underway, the wheel is automatically lifted so that there is no flow resistance. The system therefore only works in flowing water.
The Twister is also something for sailboats
The floating hydropower plant is currently still under development. It is due to arrive in 2026. It already has a name: “Twister”, which fits the Twiel. But Zupritt is already thinking ahead: the system can also be scaled and adapted to smaller or larger cats. There are also plans for a floating version that can tow a sailing boat behind it. Like a wind generator or solar sail, this would be a third way of generating energy while sailing.
It would also be conceivable to turn the water wheel into a drive unit, giving it a dual function. This would bring the Twiel even closer to the electric car. When underway, the Twister acts as an electric motor, and when parked on the riverbank, it generates electricity like a hydroelectric power station. Or when decelerating shortly before docking. The car industry calls this recuperation. In principle, it is also possible in shipping and is already being practiced in some cases – for example on the hybrid ferry “Alpenperle” on the Austrian Weißensee. Zupritt also has this in mind. When? Still open.
Four years ago, the southern German company Mizu Marine started designing the new boat with eight employees in Hilzingen near Singen. The aim was “nothing less than the creation of a new ship concept, the implementation of new technologies and at the same time the introduction of a new driving experience and driving pleasure”. A sentence like that (on the company website) naturally raises high expectations.
The Twiel aims for Lake Constance
The bold statement is – of course – aimed at the sensational design. It resembles a wave. Everything flows – symbolically – in the hull of the Twiel Z7. Incidentally, its name was inspired by the Hohentwiel. This is the striking local mountain of Hilzingen. Beyond it, further to the east, lies Lake Constance. This is also where Zupritt is expecting customers for the new motor catamaran.
This is because the demand for electric boats could grow rapidly in the foreseeable future on the second largest natural lake in Central Europe. Boats, yachts and ferries are expected to be completely emission-free by 2040. This was recently agreed by Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the three countries bordering the international body of water.
Michael Zupritt wants to offer his answer to the upcoming regulations as soon as possible. The face makes it unmistakable, the flowing lines pleasing, and with 54 hp on two slim hulls, the expected speed should also be fun.
The hull construction delivers what the drive and appearance promise. The Twiel has a lattice frame made of plywood, thus combining sustainable materials and modern lightweight construction. Hans-Jürgen Kaiser from Straßkirchen in Lower Bavaria has already shown in his elegant runabouts that sophisticated designs and high propulsion power can be combined with this ancient boat building material. And Jan Brügge also wants to prove it in the sailing sector with the Woy 26.
Double hull is almost invisible
The Twiel is an interesting combination of retro classicism and bionics. “The patented hull shape lets you glide gently through the water and ensures a pleasant ride.” Its special design feature: the twin-hull principle, which is intended to provide efficiency and safety, is almost invisible, almost hidden in the surface hull. If you like, Zupritt has hidden the catamaran under an elegant body.
The front third radically breaks away from the design principle of “form follows function”. This is cheeky, and at the same time extremely appealing in an age in which a great deal has to be subordinated to the greatest possible utility. Here, the beak, which curves over the two hulls, becomes an aesthetic feature. In the prototype, the snout, as Zupritt himself calls the protruding central prow, and the two hulls with their sharp edges are almost intricately shaped. One instinctively worries about the sensitivity during mooring maneuvers. However, a rubbing strake should ensure that at least minor parking bumps remain without consequences. And there are plenty of options for the front, from a shiny chrome pseudo radiator grille to an eco-friendly cork edge.
Whatever the future customer chooses: The Twiel will easily be found among a hundred other boats in the marina. Simply because it is the only car between boats. The shape of its front section – the apparent hood and the implied mudguards (without wheels behind them) – evokes associations with historic supercharged sports cars from the 1930s.
With a little imagination, there are even parallels to the most famous of all “Silver Arrows”, the Mercedes racing car with streamlined bodywork W 196 from 1955. The price of the elegant design reaches similar heights: Zupritt estimates that the Twiel will cost from 380,000 euros. It is simply a very special boat.
Of course, the Twiel is not intended to set any speed records – above all, it should be fun. “On board the Twiel, the skipper becomes the captain again.” For a weekend outing on the water with family and friends, with room for six in the deliberately simple cockpit area. The shipyard cites pine and mahogany, among others, as construction materials.
Electric catamarans are on the rise
The Twiel Z7 is a new approach to packaging the efficiency benefits of the catamaran in an attractive design. A striking recent design comes from Frauscher: the Timesquare. De Antonio also has an exciting catamaran concept to offer: float recently tested the E23. The Four Winns TH 36 and the (several classes larger) Best of Boats Award winner Prestige M 48 offer multihull concepts for classic motorboats. The competition of ideas has begun, and the Twiel is pretty far ahead.
It’s true: many people find the catamaran design difficult to get used to due to its bulky presence. However, this is offset by the many advantages. Boat builders try to dispel aesthetic concerns by concealing this peculiarity of the two hulls. Zupritt goes one better, so to speak. His unique design is such a striking eye-catcher that the double keel completely fades into the background.
Technical data Twiel Z7
Length: 7.90 m
Width: 2.55 m
Weight: 1.6 t
Draught: 0.60 m
Engine: ePropulsion i20 electric motor, 2 x 20 kW (27 hp each)
Maximum crew size: 6 people
Price: from 380,000 euros
The prototype exceeds the expectations raised by the first renderings. Now it’s time to see how the Twiel Z7 performs in the water. We can hardly wait to get out on the water with the Twiel Z7 ourselves.
This text was first published on float on July 17, 2024. Last updated on January 22, 2025.
The boat from the future
The Twiel Z7 combines original design, natural materials and electric drive. The southern German boat could therefore come at just the right time.
19.09.24 • by Roland Wildberg • open in PDF (in German)
Is this what the boat design of tomorrow will look like? A torn-out snout, elegant lines, electric drive – this is the prototype of the brand new Twiel Z7. It opens its beak wide: the unusual bow section immediately catches the eye. It is reminiscent of the beak of a cheeky aquatic animal. But apart from the eye-catching design, is the striking front section supposed to be the air intake for a presumably powerful machine?
Not really. Because the Twiel Z7 is powered by two electric motors. Each hull of this catamaran contains an inboard motor from ePropulsion, the Chinese manufacturer of electric boat motors. It is the ePropulsion i20 medium drive with 20 kW, equivalent to 27 hp. It was launched on the market in 2023, just in time for the Twiel project.
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Vor drei Jahren begann das süddeutsche Unternehmen MIZU Marine von Michael Zupritt in Hilzingen bei Singen mit der Konzeption des neuen Boots. Dabei geht es „um nichts Geringeres als die Schaffung eines neuen Schiffskonzepts, die Umsetzung neuer Technologien und gleichzeitig die Einführung eines neuen Fahrgefühls und Fahrvergnügens“. So ein Satz weckt natürlich hohe Erwartungen.
Die Twiel zielt auf den Bodensee
Und zum vollmundigen Statement passt – wortwörtlich – auch das aufsehenerregende Design. Es ähnelt einer Welle. Alles fließt – sinnbildlich – im Rumpf der Z7. Das heißt, in den zwei Rümpfen, denn die Twiel fährt auf doppeltem Kiel. Für den Namen stand übrigens der Hohentwiel Pate. Das ist der markante Hausberg von Hilzingen. Jenseits davon, weiter im Osten, liegt der Bodensee. Dort erwartet Zupritt die Kundschaft des neuen Motorkatamarans.
Denn auf dem zweitgrößten natürlichen See Mitteleuropas könnte die Nachfrage nach Elektrobooten in absehbarer Zeit stürmisch wachsen. Bereits im Jahr 2040 sollen Boote, Yachten und Fähren dort komplett emissionsfrei betrieben werden. Das haben Deutschland, Österreich und die Schweiz, die drei Anrainer des internationalen Gewässers, jüngst vereinbart.
Möglichst bald will Michael Zupritt seine auf die kommenden Bestimmungen abgestimmte Antwort anbieten. Das Gesicht macht sie unverwechselbar, die fließenden Linien gefällig, und mit 54 PS auf zwei schlanken Rümpfen dürfte das zu erwartende Tempo ebenfalls Spaß machen. Die Werft beschreibt das Boot explizit als Gleiter – respektable Leistung bei der relativ geringen Power. Das wird erreicht durch die Zweirumpf-Bauweise.
Die Rumpfkonstruktion hält, was Antrieb und Anmutung versprechen. Die Twiel hat einen Gitterrahmen aus Sperrholz, vereint somit nachhaltige Werkstoffe und modernen Leichtbau. Dass sich mit dem uralten Bootsbaumaterial auch anspruchsvolle Designs und hohe Antriebsleistung miteinander verheiraten lassen, zeigt bereits Hans-Jürgen Kaiser aus dem niederbayerischen Straßkirchen in seinen eleganten Runabouts. Und im Segelbereich will Jan Brügge mit der Woy 26 ebenfalls den Beweis führen.
Technische Daten Twiel Z7
Länge: 7,90 m Tiefgang: 0,60 m
Breite: 2,55 m Motor: ePropulsion i20 Elektromotor, 2 x 20 kW (je 27 PS)
Gewicht: 1,6 t Maximale Crewgröße: 6 Personen
Doppelrumpf ist fast unsichtbar
Die Twiel macht eine interessante Kombination aus Retroklassik und Bionik zum Thema. „Die patentierte Rumpfform lässt Sie sanft durchs Wasser gleiten und sorgt für ein angenehmes Fahrgefühl.“ Ihre konstruktive Besonderheit: Das Doppelrumpf-Prinzip, das ihr Effizienz und Sicherheit bringen soll, ist im Überwasserschiff fast unsichtbar, beinahe versteckt. Wenn man so will, hat Zupritt den Kat unter einer eleganten Karosserie versteckt.
Das vordere Drittel koppelt sich vom gestalterischen Grundsatz „Form follows Function“ radikal ab. Das ist frech, und zugleich ungemein sympathisch in einer Zeit, in der sehr viel einem möglichst großen Nutzen untergeordnet zu sein hat. Hier wächst der Schnabel, der sich über den zwei Rümpfen wölbt, zur ästhetischen Besonderheit. Die Twiel wird man in der Marina unter hundert anderen Booten mühelos wiederfinden. Die Frontpartie erinnert in ihrer Formgebung – der scheinbaren Motor-Haube nebst der angedeuteten Kotflügel (ohne Räder dahinter) – auch an historische Kompressor-Sportwagen der 1930er-Jahre. Mit etwas Fantasie ergeben sich sogar Parallelen zum berühmtesten aller „Silberpfeile“, jenem Mercedes-Rennwagen mit Stromlinienkarosserie W 196 von 1955.
Natürlich soll die Twiel keine Temporekorde aufstellen – sie soll vor allem Spaß machen. „An Bord der Twiel wird der Skipper wieder zum Kapitän.“ Für den Ausflug am Wochenende mit Familie und Freunden auf dem Wasser, die zu sechst Platz in dem bewusst schlicht gehaltenen Cockpit-Bereich finden. Als Baustoffe nennt die Werft unter anderem Kiefer und Mahagoni.
Elektrische Katamarane sind im Kommen
Die Twiel Z7 ist ein neuer Ansatz, die Effizienz-Vorteile des Katamarans in ein ansprechendes Design zu verpacken. Ein markanter Entwurf aus jüngster Zeit stammt von Frauscher: die Timesquare. Und auch De Antonio hat mit der E23 ein spannendes Katamaran-Konzept entwickelt, das float in Kürze vorstellen wird. Bei klassisch motorisierten Motorbooten warten die Four Winns TH 36 und der Best- of-Boats-Award-Gewinner Prestige M 48 mit Multihull-Konzepten auf.
Es ist wahr: Viele stehen der Katamaran-Konstruktion skeptisch gegenüber, obwohl sie so viele Vorteile hat. Zumeist geht es um Ästhetik. Das versuchen Bootsbauer häufig auszuräumen, indem sie diese Eigenheit der zwei Rümpfe kaschieren. Zupritt setzt sozusagen noch einen drauf. Ihm gelingt mit dem eigenwilligen Design ein so markanter Hingucker, dass der doppelte Kiel optisch völlig in den Hintergrund tritt.
Die ersten Illustrationen von der Twiel wecken prompt die Erwartung, dass dieses Boot mit dem klassischen Monohull-Prinzip ästhetisch gleichzieht. Im Januar 2025 wird es auf der boot Düsseldorf präsentiert. Man darf gespannt sein, ob Mizu Marine die Kundschaft überzeugt. Wir jedenfalls können es kaum erwarten, mit der Twiel Z7 selbst aufs Wasser zu gehen.
Dieser Text erschien am 17. Juli erstmals auf float. Aktualisiert am 19. September 2024.
IBN and Bodensee News
Twiel Z7: Visionary boat, regional roots
A world first at BOOT in Düsseldorf. Michael Zupritt presented his Twiel Z7, reminiscent of a Batmobile, with its environmentally conscious electric drive and revolutionary design.
30.01.2025. • by Claudia Bignon • open in PDF
In Hall 1, at the compact and stylishly designed MIZU stand, an unusual concept surprised visitors: one boat, two striking logos and a dedicated team of three.
Michael Zupritt, the charismatic inventor of Twiel Z7, took center stage. He guided the press and audience through the special features of his project with palpable pride. In the best of moods, he welcomed us with a sparkling wine from Hohentwiel. Singen’s local mountain gives its name to the futuristic-looking designer boat with a catamaran hull. It is built in the immediate vicinity from local timber.
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“I wanted to be independent of the marine product manufacturers and invent my own boat,” reports Zupritt. He felt this impulse about five years ago. Zupritt is modest. “I didn’t develop this on my own.” Together with Klaus Wetzstein (architect), Juliane Hempel (structural engineer) and Till Grabowski (keel manufacturer), he developed the prototype, which appears worldwide in a completely new form.
“I want to build in the region, for the region and create new jobs,” says Zupritt. The federal government is supporting him in his project with innovation funding. Zupritt still has exciting, further-reaching ideas for generating energy on the water. This much we can already reveal today.
The first launch will take place in spring. In Moos, on Lake Constance, a crane will lift the stylish high-tech boat into the water. It will be a heart-stopping day for the development team and all water sports enthusiasts who want to be part of the new era. The electric drive should be sufficient for a trip of around three to four hours at ten knots. There are two 220 V chargers. The boat can therefore be charged in any harbor or perhaps one day at a floating station in the middle of Lake Constance, but that is still a long way off.
bootswirtschaft Magazine
The future of boat design?
The new Twiel Z7 from southern Germany combines innovative design, sustainable materials and a powerful electric drive.
04.2024. • by bootswirtschaft • open in PDF (in German)
With a strong look, sustainable materials and electric drive, the Twiel Z7, a new catamaran from southern Germany, brings a breath of fresh air to the world of water sports vehicles. With its striking design, it is definitely an eye-catcher: the bow in particular, with its beak-shaped opening, immediately catches the eye. Behind the eye-catching appearance, however, lies state-of-the-art technology.
The catamaran is powered by two powerful electric motors, each with an output of 20 kW (27 hp), from the Chinese manufacturer ePropulsion. This makes the Twiel Z7 emission-free and ideally suited for use on Lake Constance, for example, where all boats are to be operated emission-free from 2040.
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Futuristisch und dennoch klassisch: Der knapp acht Meter lange Katamaran mit seiner patentierten Rumpfform ist emissionsfrei unterwegs.
Die Entwicklung der Twiel Z7 begann vor drei Jahren unter der Leitung von Michael Zupritt, Gründer der MIZU Marine GmbH. Das Unternehmen hat sich in der Branche einen Namen gemacht, indem es traditionelle Handwerkskunst mit modernen Materialien wie Sperrholz und Aluminium kombiniert. Diese Kombination sorgt nicht nur für ein ansprechendes Design, sondern auch für Effizienz und Nachhaltigkeit. Die patentierte Rumpfform des Katamarans, die im Überwasserschiff nahezu unsichtbar ist, sorgt für ein sanftes Gleiten und ein angenehmes Fahrgefühl.
Der Katamaran hat eine Länge von 7,90 Metern und eine Breite von 2,55 Metern und verspricht bei einem Gewicht von 1,6 Tonnen ein sportliches Fahrerlebnis. Mit einem Tiefgang von nur 0,60 Metern ist sie ideal für flache Gewässer geeignet. An Bord finden bis zu sechs Personen Platz, was die Twiel Z7 zu einer hervorragenden Wahl für Ausflüge mit Familie und Freunden macht. Die Twiel Z7 wird erstmals auf der boot 2025 in Düsseldorf präsentiert und könnte das Interesse an elektrischen Katamaranen neu entfachen.