Candela P-12 electric hydrofoil shuttle tested

Electric catamarans are being demonstrated by Swedish tech company Candela to the media in San Francisco during US National Drive Electric week (September 23-October 2).

Candela e-boats are already in New Zealand and EVs and Beyond managing editor Richard Edwards tried one out for the July magazine.

Candela Technology recently opened US headquarters in Sausalito, aiming to cut travel times, reduce shoreline erosion causing wake and avoid pollution on hydrofoil 30-passenger electric vessel the Candela P-12 Shuttle being built in Stockholm, Sweden.

More similar in size to an electric bus than a ferry, it flies on computer-guided underwater wings, or hydrofoils, and uses a staggering 80% less energy per passenger than conventional high-speed diesel ferries.

The fast, silent, and comfortable electric craft is said to compete favourably with road traffic in terms of operational costs and speed.

Candela’s vision for the San Francisco Bay area is to complement the current big and often underutilised ferries, with a nimbler fleet consisting of several Candela P-12 Shuttles.

“In most cities, ferries run half empty at best. The vessels are built for peak seasonal demand, which happens once or twice a year. Using smaller vessels, and more of them, decreases wait times between departures and could allow for new and more flexible routes across the bay,” says Candela commercial vessels vice president Erik Erklund.

Using a system of six P-12 Shuttles on the Sausalito to San Francisco Ferry Terminal route would increase departure frequency from once every 30 minutes to one departure every 10 minutes. The cost per passenger would also decrease, due to the reduced energy consumption, he explains.

The P-12 Shuttle cruises above the waves at 30knots (56.3km/h). The ability to fly past moored boats, sensitive shorelines and other traffic without causing wake damage allows for high-speed operations in urban waters, says Candela.

After launching an electric hydrofoil boat the Candela C-7 bowrider in 2019,and following up with the high volume production Candela C-8 this year, the company has become the “Tesla moment” of boats due to high speed and long range and features such as over-the-air (OTA) updates and an innovative user interface.

Candela’s single biggest market is the US, particularly California.

The first P-12 unit will be launched for the City of Stockholm next year and will be used by the city as a quick transport for passengers between Stockholm’s boroughs.

Eklund says: “At Candela we intend to deliver the technology which will unlock waterways.”