BMW debuts its electrified wingsuit

Austrian base-jumper, flight instructor and wingsuit pilot Peter Salzmann had always dreamed of flying and eventually found a partner in Designworks, BMW Group’s design innovation studio, to make his dream a reality. Although the extreme sport of wingsuit flying has captivated enthusiasts for years, the partnership entered unknown territory in a project to create an electrified wingsuit. The final fly unit was made with two electric “impellers.” It gets its electricity from a 50 V lithium battery, weighs about 26 pounds and is attached to the pilot’s breastplate by means of a hinge unit. For the maiden flight, Salzmann was flown by helicopter with two other wingsuit pilots over the mountaintops of Austria, where the three jumped from an altitude of 3,000 meters, flying in formation for a period of time and landing safely with parachutes. Photo: BMW Group.