Electric Wingsuits Are Here

When I was a mere child, I remember wishing for superhuman powers. Strength and agility on an exceptional level, the ability to breathe whilst swimming and the ability to fly. The multinational German company, BMW recently sent air sports pioneer Peter Salzmann free falling at speeds of up to 299km/h in their newly developed electric wingsuits. A collaboration between BMW, Designworks and Salzmann, the suit is a motor-powered engine to give the free-fall a boost.

After three years of dreaming of the possibility of flight, Salzmann took the plunge in early November in Austria equipped with an e-wingsuit that was built upon BMW i EV technology and powered by a chest-mounted rig. He took the drop by helicopter at 3,048 metres whihch enabled plenty of space to reach such high speeds. The aim of Salzmann’s suit was to increase the performance and allow for greater distance to be covered. Imagine Sulzmann diving from the helicopter and him using the kilowattage to boost above another mountain or hill. Think Ironman and you’ve got your guy.

The BMW i EV wingsuit was initially revealed as part of BMW’s #NEXTGen 2020 event. The electric wingsuits collaboration for BMW and the thrill-seeking has sparked inspiration for the new iNext electric crossover.