Candela makes history as first all-electric boat crosses Mediterranean

For the first time in history, a production all-electric boat travelled from one continent to another when the Candela C-8 hydrofoiled from Sotogrande, Spain, to Ceuta, North Africa in just over one hour, matching the speed of conventional fast ferries.

The record-setting voyage of 24 nautical miles (27 mi / 44 km) was undertaken to demonstrate the potential of Candela’s new P-12 electric hydrofoil ferry to deliver clean, cost-efficient transport across the Strait and along the Spanish coast. The 12 passenger boat is already hard at work in Sweden taking commuters from Stockholm’s Ekerö suburb to the city centre in the world’s first all-electric hydrofoil ferry service.

Read: World’s first all-electric hydrofoil ferry service takes flight

The corridor from Spain / Gibraltar to Africa has over 3.5 million crossings every year, dominated by large diesel car ferries that primarily serve major hubs. The P-12 can’t carry a car, but it can be a complement to those services. If someone doesn’t live in one of the central hubs, they still have a time-consuming trip after their diesel ferry ride to get to their final destination. Fast direct routes served by all-electric P-12s can provide access for those underserved coastal communities.

“There’s a clear need for additional fast, clean, and efficient travel options across the Mediterranean—and for direct lines that aren’t economically viable for larger, conventional vessels,” said Gustav Hasselskog, CEO of Candela and pilot during the crossing. “We can help meet this demand, working alongside existing operators and ferries to boost connectivity and cut emissions—not just across the Strait but also along the coast, for example connecting cities along the Costa del Sol.”

Candela was founded in 2014 to overcome one of the main challenges of electric vessels compared to EVs: the friction and resistance of an entire hull up against water is massively larger than the minimal friction of four spinning wheels moving a car through air.

Entire boat lifts out of the water

Candela’s groundbreaking technology lifts the entire boat out of the water with underwater wings, drastically reducing drag and cutting energy consumption by 80% compared to conventional fast vessels – whatever kind of propulsion they have.

The Candela team – which includes experts in hydrodynamics, aeronautic software, advanced computer simulations, mechatronics and electric propulsions systems – has been stretching the boundaries of how far an all-electric boat can travel ever since its first demo went into (or rather above) the water.

In September 2023 the C-8 travelled the equivalent of London to Amsterdam and back – a distance of 420 nM (485 mi / 780 km) – in 24 hours. That was done by shuttling back and forth between Stockholm and the island of Tynningö 20 times to prove both the practicality of installing high speed electric marine chargers along busy water routes and the incredible efficiency of a hydrofoiling craft. The C-8 consumed 685 kWh of electricity, costing about €110-120 (US$ 120-125), while a conventional ICE planing boat would have burned through 750 litres of fuel (200 US gallons) and €1400 (US$ 1500).

A year later the September the C-8 set another electric boat record as the first all-electric boat to cross the Baltic Sea – from Stockholm, Sweden to Åland, Finland. It was also the second all-electric boat to achieve the feat when it returned to Stockholm the same day.

Hydrofoils adjust 100 times per second

The Strait of Gibraltar record is more proof of not only the efficiency of an electric hydrofoil vessel, but also the comfort. The Gibraltar Strait—where cold Atlantic waters meet the warmer Mediterranean—is known for strong currents and unpredictable seas, making conditions challenging for smaller vessels and uncomfortable for passengers prone to seasickness.

This made it an ideal test for Candela’s computer-controlled hydrofoil system. Using sensors to detect waves, wind, and current, the system automatically adjusts the hydrofoils up to 100 times per second—delivering a ride that feels more like flying than boating.

“What the computer does is instantly adjust the foils’ angle of attack so the craft doesn’t roll or slam. It works much like the flight controller of a modern jet fighter. It works really well—we couldn’t feel the waves, while the photo boat was bouncing quite a bit,” said Hasselskog.

Again demonstrating the financial benefits of an electric hydrofoiling vessel – especially for commercial operations – the Candela C-8 used just 40 kWh of energy during the voyage, about €8 ($9) worth. By comparison, the similarly sized gasoline-powered photo boat burned 50 litres of fuel, costing around €90 ($100).

All-electric boat crosses Mediterranean for 90% less

This 90% cost reduction is another key to enabling new routes across the Mediterranean. During a welcome ceremony hosted by Ceuta’s President-Mayor, Mr. Juan Jesús Vivas, Gustav Hasselskog summarized the technology’s core benefits: “We slash energy use by 80%, eliminate emissions, and enable fast, smooth crossings at a fraction of the cost—opening the door to entirely new, sustainable ferry routes across the Mediterranean.”

The crossing was made in partnership with Avangreen, the clean energy company behind Ceuta’s largest solar plant and other electrification projects. Together, Candela and Avangreen aim to lay the foundation for a new era of sustainable maritime infrastructure.

Electric hydrofoiling ferries and watertaxis are making noise (not waves!) around the world. Candela has routes in development with Berlin, Lake Tahoe, Saudi Arabia’s NEOM and New Zealand. Another electric hydrofoil builder, Vessev, has a tour boat operating in Auckland, NZ and British builder Artemis technologies is launching a service across the Irish Sea and near the Isle of Wight.

Artemis is also working with Washington State’s Delta Marine on a service similar to what Candela is proposing for the Mediterranean – a ‘mosquito fleet’ of small passenger hydrofoil ferries to help relieve water congestion by complementing the Seattle fleet of 20 huge ferries (300+ passengers and cars) that carry more than 20 million passengers each year.

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