The orange propellers on the outboard motors can now often be seen in the ports of the Bavarian lakes. They are the trademark of the Wesslingen company “Torqeedo”. According to its own statements, the company is the “market leader for electric mobility on water”, so to speak the “Tesla” of electric ship engines and has been part of the Deutz Group, manufacturer of engines and drive systems, for five years. In the 17 years since it was founded in Starnberg, the company has come a long way. The current highlight is the inauguration of the new company headquarters at the Oberpfaffenhofen airport.
In the 8,300 square meter building, the company areas such as administration, production and development as well as logistics, which were previously spread over several locations, are now housed under one roof. Florian Herrmann, Head of the Bavarian State Chancellery, was also present at the inauguration, a frequent guest on the airport site with its many start-ups. “Someone from the State Chancellery comes by every six months to open a new building,” he explained.
The new Torqeedo headquarters: administration, production, development and logistics are now housed under one roof.
(Photo: Arlet Ulfers)
At the laying of the foundation stone a year ago, the Minister of Transport at the time, Kerstin Schreyer, was allowed to turn a propeller. At the inauguration, it was Minister of State Herrmann who whirled up the water in the test basin in the workshop with the propeller of an electric ship engine. “Future is now” was the motto in a company film at the beginning of the event. Herrmann added the words “at home in Bavaria, successful in the world”. After all, the Torqeedo drives are now sold in more than 100 countries. The British royal family is also among the customers. “On the Thames, the pompous barge drives with Torqeedo,” Herrmann knew.
The high-tech engines cost up to 85,000 euros
In the 1,500 square meter production hall, the warehouse with the components, screws and tools is stacked up to the ceiling. A forklift truck drove through the aisles and fetched supplies for the fitters, workers screwed the orange propellers onto ship engines. For this purpose, the drives were mounted on rails so that they could simply be pushed on to the next work step. There are nine production lines in the new hall, both in the low and in the high-voltage area. The mechanics here manufacture the small “Travel” lull slides for a sailing boat on Lake Starnberg, and there are even models that can be charged on board with solar energy, but also the powerful “Deep Blue” outboard motors. The high-tech engines cost from 1,000 to 85,000 euros. Thanks to the more efficient work steps, a 50 percent increase in production could be achieved, the guests were informed during the tour.
Managing Director Fabian Bez reported that the company has now registered 250 patents. “We are already building the 200,000th engine,” he said. In particular, the electric motors for private boats on the Bavarian lakes are selling like hot cakes. About 600 of the popular “Ultralight” models are produced a week, he said. But Torqeedo also wants to conquer the “rather untapped” market for commercial ships. Despite the current resurgence of commodities like coal and oil, Bez believes “the end of the fossil age is here.” The future belongs to sustainable forms of drive, said the company boss.
The orange propellers are a trademark of Torqeedo engines.
(Photo: Arlet Ulfers)
E-mobility on the water means quieter and more environmentally friendly ship engines that no longer pollute water, Herrmann praised. That fits in well with the climate offensive of the state government, which wants to make Bavaria climate-neutral by 2040. 22 billion euros would be spent on 100 projects.
“Bavaria should become an electric and hydrogen location on the road, water, in the air and on rails,” emphasized the Minister of State. Herrmann responded to the desire for locally generated, cheaper energy, which Bez says could become a locational advantage for companies, with a promise to “turbo” the expansion of hydropower, bioheating and photovoltaics, because here we “finally have to get going”. .
The joy that day was not entirely unclouded. Fabian Bez is worried about the future. “The high electricity costs are jeopardizing progress,” he said, “sustainability must also be affordable.” Herrmann has no hope that electricity prices will sooner or later return to pre-war levels in Ukraine. Nevertheless, the inauguration of the company building is a “signal of confidence in these difficult times”. The crisis can be overcome through innovations and “great ideas”.