Candela can't stop setting or breaking records with its high-tech electric hydrofoil boats. The latest record uses the ship's DC Fast Charging power and high-efficiency design to travel quickly between Sweden and Finland.
The cruise marked the first time an electric boat had ever crossed the Baltic Sea, and it did so in style, flying nearly a meter above the waves on a hydrofoil.
The Candela C-8 uses computer-controlled hydrofoils that lift the boat out of the water, leaving only 1% of the boat in the water for heavy resistance. In flight, the Candela C-8 uses only 20% of the energy required by other boats.
The round trip from Sweden to Finland and back covered a distance of 150 nautical kilometers (172 miles or 278 km).
“The aim was to show that long-distance sailing on electricity is not only possible today, but that electric ships and boats are superior to coal-fired ships in every way,” said Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of Candela.
The record-setting trip was made on the latest version of the Candela C-8 yacht, equipped with a 69 kWh Polestar battery. The ferry left in the morning from Frihamn in Stockholm.
After a charging stop at Kapellskär, they arrived in time for lunch in Mariehamn, the capital and largest city of the Åland Islands, an autonomous region of Finland. In doing so, the C-8 became the first electric boat to cross the Baltic Sea and demonstrated the advantages of electric boats over short trips. The return trip followed the same route, arriving home for dinner (late).
“The disadvantage of electric boats is their short journey, because traditional boats consume a lot of energy. With our hydrofoil technology, we combine great speed and range, but you get many other benefits. “Flying over the Åland Sea in peace and without hitting it was truly magical,” says Gustav Hasselskog.
Interestingly, saving on travel costs was also a result. A race boat with the same fuel capacity was followed along with a camera crew to document the trip, and spent around €750 in fuel stops along the way. The charging bill for the Candela C-8 would come to around 50€, although one crew member on board the Candela noted that the friendly ports did not allow him to charge for free.
“Actually, we had various concerns, but not about Candela. “The strange thing is that the fuel tanker that runs on fuel had to refuel six times during the trip, while we only charged three times,” said Gustav Hasselskog.
And that's not to mention the smooth ride of the C-8, which skims over crests and troughs of waves, instead of bouncing over them like a regular planing boat.
This trip is mainly made using the existing charging infrastructure, and is done in partnership with Kempower, a company that provides charging solutions.
In Kapellskär, the Candela is charged with a Kempower Mobile Charger, a 40-kW wheeled charger connected to the port's existing power grid. In Mariehamn, Finland, the boat was docked at a three-stage exit.
“Kempower is proud to contribute to the electrification of boats and help create greener waterways. Electric boats combined with hydrofoiling offer the best performance possible. “Kempower's DC fast charging solutions are perfect for electric boats, and our Kempower Movable Charger is a plug-and-play solution that integrates seamlessly with the power grids already available in many marinas,” said Anti Vuola, Director of Components For the market of Kempower.