A BMW paddleboard. Not something anyone had on their 2025 predictions list, yet here it is – the BMW x SipaBoards Electric Stand-Up Paddleboard. It’s the automaker’s first official dip into watersports, and it feels less like a novelty and more like a deliberate expansion of BMW’s electrified lifestyle.
Co-developed with Estonian brand SipaBoards, the e-SUP channels the spirit of the Neue Klasse into something that floats. Beneath its sculpted deck lies a 300-watt integrated waterjet motor with a specially designed propeller, pushing the board to a top speed of 4 knots. Power comes from two easily swappable 90 Wh battery packs, offering up to 3.5 hours of assisted paddling. Larger 180 Wh modules, due in 2026, will double that to around seven hours – proof that even in leisure, BMW plans for long-term evolution.
The tech isn’t just for speed. The same motor inflates the board automatically in minutes, saving you from the manual pump ritual. Once inflated, the e-SUP stretches roughly twelve feet, with a pointed nose and generous deck space for modular gear attachments via the SipaMount system. It’s designed with upgradeability in mind – you can add new accessories or future tech without replacing the entire board.
Control comes from a paddle-mounted remote styled after BMW’s Neue Klasse design cues. Tap it, and the jet kicks in smoothly, helping you maintain balance while cruising. A carbon fiber paddle adds precision, while integrated LED lighting makes night rides safer and more cinematic. The geometry and muted gray-blue palette echo BMW’s concept aesthetics – sharp lines, faceted surfaces, and restrained elegance.
There’s also a functional logic to this indulgence. Every year, paddlers get stranded when the wind turns against them. An electric assist can make the difference between a rescue and a calm return to shore. In that sense, the e-SUP carries BMW’s safety DNA – stability control for open water.
At €3,990 (about $4,650), it’s undeniably premium. Traditionalists will point out that you can buy a great inflatable SUP for a fraction of that. But value has never been BMW’s game. The company sells precision, refinement, and the feeling that someone obsessed over every curve and click. This paddleboard delivers exactly that: meticulous design, intuitive controls, app connectivity, and a lifestyle statement disguised as sporting gear.
So yes – a BMW paddleboard sounds absurd. Yet, in practice, it’s strangely coherent. It’s BMW’s engineering ethos extended to new territory, where “sheer driving pleasure” becomes “sheer gliding pleasure.”
