World’s 1st electric hydrofoil ferry service takes flight in Stockholm

A 10 year dream has come true for pioneering boatbuilder Candela with the launch of the world’s 1st electric hydrofoil ferry service in the company’s home town of Stockholm, Sweden.

“This is a paradigm shift for urban transport and a revival of our waterways.” said Gustav Hasselskog, the founder and CEO of  Candela who brought together experts from hydrodynamics, software, advanced computer simulations and mechatronics in 2014 to change the world of electric boating.

Last year the company raised $20M to bring their ferries and water shuttles to mass production, and raised an additional €24.5M in March of 2024 that included investment from Groupe Beneteau, the world’s largest  boat maker. 

Read:  Groupe Beneteau key part of €24.5M Candela funding

Half the commute time, none of the emissions

Dateline: Tuesday, October 29, 2024, 07:15 CET. “Nova”, the first of Candela’s new P-12 models to enter service, departed from its dock in Ekerö, Stockholm’s fastest-growing island suburb, and completed the 15 km route to Stockholm’s City Hall in just over 30 minutes. That’s about half the time of the commute on a diesel powered ferry. Half the time with none of the carbon and noxious fume emissions.

The reason is Candela’s technology, which gets the 12 passenger, 12 metre (≈ 40 ft) vessel flying a meter above the water surface, lifted by computer-controlled hydrofoil wings that cut water friction to almost zero and reduce energy consumption by 80% compared to conventional hulls.

Stockholm is a city located in an archipelago of 30,000 islands with a large fleet of public transport vessels – about 70 strong – that use more fossil fuels than the city’s buses and trains combined, despite representing only a small share of total transit ridership. Water transport is costly and slow, as the vessels create large wakes, limiting their speed in the city centre.

Charged with 100% renewable electricity

Since the P-12 flies above the water rather than pushing through it like conventional vessels, it creates minimal wake. As a result, the ferry is allowed to travel at high speeds within the city limits, where other vessels are restricted by wake regulations.

Did we mention quiet? Nova runs on 100% renewable electricity, and emits minimal noise even at high speeds, thanks to Candela-developed electric C-POD motors with no mechanical transmission. The motors themselves are an impressive electric boat innovation that uses two motors and contra-rotating propellers in a torpeedo-shaped casing to further increase efficiency.

Read all about the Candela C-Pod

Electric hydrofoil ferries growing

There are a number of companies that have developed hydrofoilng electric ferries and other commercial passenger vessels – MobyFly in Switzerland, Vessev in New Zealand, Artemis Technologies in the UK. In the past year Candela has received orders for the P-12 from Berlin, Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project, and an environmentally sensitive lake in New Zealand, with additional clients to be announced.

Tuesday’s ‘flight’ marks the world’s first operating service for electric foiling ferries. For Stockholm— potentially the world—this is a signal for a future where city water transport is sustainable, affordable, and faster than traveling by car.

Candela’s Hasselskog says “In many cities, the shortest route is over water, which is humanity’s oldest infrastructure. Today, our waterways are underutilized due to the high costs, wake concerns, and emissions of traditional vessels. If we can unlock this potential, we can make cities more attractive.

The Candela P-12 requires no costly dock infrastructure. It is charged at a regular car fast charger at Stockholm City Hall. Its long range allows it to match the schedule of conventional diesel ferries, with recharging during the typical lunch break.

Nova will operate through fall 2024 until the waters freeze, resuming service in spring and continuing through August 2025. The route is a pilot project run by Candela, Trafikverket, and Region Stockholm (SL), aiming to explore how hydrofoil technology can enable faster, more affordable, and emissions-free maritime travel, creating new transit patterns in Stockholm.

Candela hydrofoiling leisure boats

Candela’s technology is not limited to commercial vessels. Their first debut of an electric hydrofoiling boat was in 2016 and their Candela C-8 recreational speedboat launched in 2022 has been one of the best selling boats in Europe – of any propulsion – for the past couple of years.

The C-8 set a record of its own a few weeks ago when it became the first all-electric boat to cross the Baltic Sea.

Since the beginning, Candela’s ultimate purpose has been “to speed up the transition to fossil fuel-free lakes and oceans. By creating electric hydrofoil boats with better performance than the fossil fuel competition, we’re paving the way for zero-emission marine transportation.”

Speaking about this giant step for waterborne public transport, Hasselskog says “For the first time, there is a vessel that makes waterborne transport faster, greener, and more affordable than land transport. It’s a renaissance for the world’s waterways, and it’s exciting that Stockholm is leading the way.”

Candela  Candela C-8 in Plugboats Marketplace