Aviation and water sports
OUR PASSION, THAT KEEPS ON PUSHING US FORWARD
A Team of eFoil Specialist
How did you become part of Aerofoils?
“How I became part of Aerofoils? I ask myself the same question! But when Franz, accompanied by my brother Hansi, approached me in 2014 to develop a carbon fin for kitesurfing, I found myself tempted. I had won everything in model flying, from several German champion to world champion and finally world record holder. At the university I normally develop my own, innovative aircraft designs, as well as teaching aircraft design. A hydrofoil is essentially an airplane made for water and thus to electify the whole thing is what made the project very exciting for me.”
“I’ve basically always been on the lookout for wind and surf with my campervan.”
Franz Hofmann, Co-founder of Aerofoils GmbH.
An Audi for water
“Personally, imagining life without water sports would simply not be possible. Windsurfing, kitesurfing, paragliding, speedflying and since 2014 hydrofoiling – that’s how the whole thing started.
Fascinated by the technology as well as the encounter with the elements we eventually started to develop our own carbon fins for kitesurfing, which worked perfectly well. As a developer for electric vehicles at Audi it consequently became a dream of mine to build an Audi for water.”
“We’ve created a dynamic that I’ve never experienced in any project I was part of before!”
Franz Hofmann
Audi efoil cooperation
Audi Coop
We presented our idea at Audi and they were just as enthusiastic about it as us! Full of passion and innovation spirit various departements like the ones for design and innovation management support us. Distinct workshops for the foil are held at Audi as well.
The Start of Aerofoils
To bring our vision to life we founded the SpinOff Aerofoils GmbH in 2017 to be even more flexible and agile. To be known to a wider public we present our e-foil together with Audi at several fairs like the keel week followed by CES Las Vegas or the LA Autoshow and many more.
But for the founders it was clear from the beginning that the e-foil wasn’t just built to be presented on shows, to be available for everyone.
“We want to inspire people. The best way to do that is to let them experience e-tron technology themselves!” – Franz Hofmann
With that goal in mind, a team of like-minded people quickly emerged to work tirelessly on bringing the world’s best e-foil to production.
“Even though no one believed it could be done efficiently, we wanted to develop a safe impeller drive.”
Christian Rössler
Just the Beginning
This is just the beginning
After years of developing, started in the basement at home, the time has finally come. The first series of the Audi e-tron foil is ready and impresses with breathtaking performance data. “It’s the world’s safest e-foil and convinces with unparalleled driving dynamics, efficiency and quiet, relaxed gliding.” – Franz Hofmann This is just the beginning. Stay tuned for what’s to come. We promise…
