ELITE FOILING
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
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 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 revolutionise 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.
38 | AUTUMN 2022 | ONBOARD
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