First electric hydrofoiling boat crosses the Baltic Sea

An electric hydrofoiling Candela C-8 has driven between Stockholm and the Finnish autonomous region of Åland. This is the first time an electric boat has crossed the Baltic Sea and made the journey between Sweden and Finland. It returned the same day – at a 95% lower cost than a boat powered by fossil fuel.

Electric hydrofoiling boat

The trip was made in the latest version of the Candela C-8 leisure boat, equipped with a Polestar battery. It set off at 6am from Stockholm’s Frihamn. After a charging stop in Kapellskär, the crew reached Mariehamn, the capital and largest town of the Åland Islands, at lunchtime. In the harbor, the electric boat was greeted by a delegation headed by Åland’s premier, Kristin Sjögren.

A gasoline-powered chase boat of a similar size accompanied the trip to demonstrate the cost reductions hydrofoil technology enables for sea transportation. This gasoline-powered boat had to refuel at a cost of €750 (US$825) during the 150 nautical miles; the Candela C-8 consumed 213kWh of electricity, at a cost of about €40-50 (US$45-55).

“We’re talking about 95% lower operating costs,” said Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of Candela. “This is a revolution that makes waterborne transportation competitive with land transportation in terms of costs, which we will now demonstrate in public transportation in Stockholm. The disadvantage of electric boats has been their short range, due to traditional boat hulls consuming so much energy. With our hydrofoil technology, we combine high speed and range, but you get so many other benefits. Flying over the Åland Sea in total silence and without slamming was absolutely magical. We actually had range anxiety but not for the Candela. The irony is that the photographer’s gasoline-powered chase boat had to refuel six times during the trip, while we only charged three times.”

Charging infrastructure

The trip was made mostly with the existing charging infrastructure and in partnership with Kempower, a charging solutions provider. In Kapellskär, the Candela charged with a Kempower Movable Charger, a 40kW wheeled charger connected to the existing power grid at the harbor. In Finland’s Mariehamn, the boat was plugged into the marina’s three-phase outlet. At 6pm, the electric boat drove back toward Sweden. After a top-up in Kapellskär, the C-8 returned in dense fog to the starting point, Stockholm’s Frihamn, at 11.30pm.

Antti Vuola, director of market segments at Kempower, said, “Kempower is proud to contribute to the electrification of boating and help create greener waterways. Electric boats combined with hydrofoiling offer the best-possible efficiency. Kempower’s DC fast charging solutions are ideal for electric boating, and our Kempower Movable Charger is a plug-and-play solution that integrates seamlessly with the electrical grids already available in many marinas.”

In related news, Candela recently closed the largest funding round in its history with €24.5m (US$26.6) to expand production of its P-12 ferry. Click here to read the full story.