From James Bond to the doldrums pusher

Created: 11/11/2022, 6:45 p.m

By: Hanna von Prittwitz

Short tour of the new Torqeedo production hall (from left): Head of the State Chancellery Dr.

Florian Herrmann, Prof. Christian Juckenack from airport owner Bewo, Mayor of Weßling Michael Sturm and Torqeedo's new managing director Fabian Bez. © Andrea Jaksch

Founded by two former Gardena managers in a boathouse in Starnberg, grew up in Gilching, arrived in Oberpfaffenhofen: The Torqeedo company inaugurated its new company building at the special airport this week.

Oberpfaffenhofen

– The journey to the new company headquarters of Torqeedo, one of the world's leading manufacturers of electric drive systems for boats, is spectacular.

Because there is now an underpass on the Oberpfaffenhofen airport site, which, like at Munich Airport, goes under the runway.

Torqeedo's new home, just a few meters away, is no less impressive.

Just a few weeks ago, what he called the “world market leader for electric outboard motors” moved into the building.

At the opening on Thursday, Managing Director Fabian Bez also welcomed Dr.

Florian Herrmann, Head of the State Chancellery.

Torqeedo's trademark is the orange boat propeller.

In the new production halls, several of them are rotating in large test tanks, machine parts for a total of nine product lines are stacked on high and long shelves, and the developers are tinkering in a workshop next door.

Torqeedo has 8,300 square meters in the new company building, where everything is now under one roof.

Office space is 3,700 square meters, production needs 1,500 and logistics 1,600.

Around 200 employees work at the new location.

Managing Director Bez is as new to the company as the building, so to speak: He only took up his position on October 1st.

One of his first official acts was the official opening.

The new company headquarters also show the company's connection to the location, he said.

The turnaround in mobility is omnipresent, “we need sustainable forms of drive in order to achieve the climate goals”.

Torqeedo has now built almost 200,000 electric motors "and registered more than 250 patents".

The demand is extreme, the conditions for this are very good at the location.

"Administration, development and production are now under one roof," said Bez. Electric motors for private boats on the lakes are particularly popular, but Bez also wants to conquer the market for commercial boats.

However, there was also a bit of concern: "Electricity prices are an issue and endanger progress," said Bez. Electromobility on the water must remain affordable.

Head of State Herrmann described the construction and opening of the new company headquarters as "a signal of confidence at this time".

17 years ago, the idea of ​​the founders was still revolutionary.

Vision and innovation can also be felt on the airport site: "Otherwise we would not be allowed to open buildings here every six months." Entrepreneurial spirit drove this forward, investors had confidence in the founders.

"At home in Bavaria, successful in the world," he concluded and promised that the state government would turbocharge the expansion of renewable energies.

Torqeedo's electric motors deliver up to 200 kilowatts of power.

The prices for motor and boat are up to 85,000 euros.

The engine alone is available from around 1000 euros.

In addition to awards, Torqeedo has also achieved a certain level of fame: In the James Bond film "Spectre", the main actor Daniel Craig glides across the water in an electrically powered boat, the magnificent barge of the British royal family also travels the Thames with the help of Torqeedo, as Herrmann was able to report.

In addition to purely battery-electric outboards, Torqeedo sells electric inboards, pod motors and serial hybrid systems for large yachts.

So there is not only the Deep Blue outboard motor, but also the small "Travel" doldrums pusher for sailing boats.

Torqeedo has been a subsidiary of Deutz AG since September 2017.

In addition to Oberpfaffenhofen, there are locations in Illinois (USA) and Bangkok (Thailand).

Torqeedo motors are sold in more than 100 countries.

How many of them are out and about on Lake Starnberg or Lake Ammer, nobody was able to put a figure on Thursday.

"But you see the orange screw quite often," said Marketing Director Oliver Glück.