As the Candela P-12 flew gracefully over the waterways of Stockholm this morning, the event marked the first commercial launch of an electric hydrofoil boat.
It's been a long time coming with the P-12, years of development leading up to the first pictures of the boat being released two years ago and testing only starting last year.
Now the first Candela P-12 in commercial operation, named “Nova”, took off this morning from Tappström, quickly arriving at its destination in Stockholm City Hall. The 15-kilometer (9-mile) trip took just 30 minutes, or about half the time it usually takes by car or public transportation.
But not only is the boat fast, it's also comfortable, at least when the passengers are on Candela's boats. The P-12 electric boat glides above the water using a set of computer-controlled hydrofoils, making for a smooth ride and allowing the boat to maintain speed even in areas with no wake. That means it arrives even faster than regular boats as it doesn't need to slow down in non-wake areas.
Another important advantage of those hydrofoils, apart from making a smooth trip and removing the effect of nausea for passengers who are prone to seasickness (like this reporter who managed to keep his breakfast down on many Candela boats so far), is that the P-12 is also very efficient.
According to the company, those hydrofoils lead to an energy saving of almost 80% compared to conventional boats, which allows the Candela P-12 to use a much smaller battery and significantly reduces production and purchase costs. DC Fast Charging is possible with a standard car charger available at the docks and can be done in just minutes during a lunch break, meaning it will not affect the ferry's normal timetables.
“Conventional ships have not changed much in 100 years and are among the most energy-efficient modes of transportation, rivaled only by the battle tank,” said Gustav Hasselskog, Founder and CEO of Candela.
That is not an exaggeration. Stockholm's nearly 70 public transport fleets use more fossil fuels than the city's buses and trains combined, despite representing only a small proportion of total ridership. Water transport is traditionally expensive and slow, as ships create large wakes, reducing their speed in many areas. But with Candela's P-12 electric boat, the trip is not only fast and comfortable, but also very efficient and cost-effective. And that's before adding in the benefits of reduced pollution and harmful carbon.
“For the first time, there is a ship that makes water transport faster, greener and more affordable than land transport. It's the renewal of waterways in the world, and it's great that Stockholm is leading the way,” said Gustav Hasselskog.
Nova uses entirely renewable energy and is the fastest electric yacht in the world, traveling at 25 knots, surpassing the previous speed record holders of V-class diesel yachts.
This may be just the first example of commercial operation of the Candela P-12 platform, but it may soon be followed by many others after orders have been placed from Saudi Arabia, New Zealand, and Germany, among additional customers that Candela said is yet to be publicly announced.
Until then, check out my first test ride of the production Candela C-8, an electric speed boat that uses the same technology used in the Candela P-12 electric boat.
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