Venice has been faced with a dilemma for some time. The lagoon city is completely dependent on boats moving through the canals, but, at the same time, the drag from motorboats is starting to damage the foundations of the old houses, endangering the city’s precious architecture. Large vessels have already been banned from the city centre, but smaller boats can still cause damage.
The Swedish electric boat manufacturer Candela believes it has a solution. It describes the C-8 model as “the iPhone moment for electric boats”, being confident it can revolutionise water travel. The C-8 is a smaller model, designed for leisure, while the P-8 Shuttle works as a water taxi and the P-12 ferry is set to become the fastest public transport in Stockholm by the end of the year.
Building on its first, successful sports craft, the Candela C-7, the Swedish tech company has launched its second-generation hydro foiling leisure boat: the Candela C-8, a larger and more comfortable craft designed to bring electric boats to the wider market.
Absolutely silent, with superior seakeeping, fully connected, maintenance-free, 95% cheaper to drive, and sporting the longest electric range of any boat in history.
Candela
At 8,5 meters in length, the C-8 features all the amenities anticipated in a premium cruiser: a large, comfortable cockpit with seating for eight persons, a big sunbed, a spacious front cabin equipped with beds for two adults, and two kids and a marine toilet.
The actively stabilized hydrofoils allow Candela electric boats to leave no trace: no pollution, no noise, no wake. The model is designed to be the first totally silent motorboat. Unlike other motorboats, there’s no transmission noise and no sound from waves hitting the hull, while the wake it creates is of only 5cm, about the same as a hand paddled gondola.
The Floating city, which is dependent on motorboats but also suffers from their impact, is the perfect place to show off how Candela’s craft can contribute to a better world, while offering new levels of performance.
Gustav Hasselskog, Candela CEO
The C-8 features a new and improved version of Candela’s hydro foiling technology that cuts energy consumption by 80 % compared to conventional boats, thereby allowing a long all-electric range at high speeds. Moreover, the C-8 can cruise for longer distances than any electric powerboat before it: over 50 nautical miles on battery power at a speed of 22 knots.
The Candela P-8 Shuttle model is a 12-person water taxi using the same innovative hydro foiling technology, allowing it to can cruise in almost total silence, without disturbing marine wildlife with wake or sound pollution. It has an endurance of more than 2 hours at 20 knots, making it the first electric water taxi that can cover long routes at high speeds. The DC fast charging replenishes the battery in under one hour, while the overall use of the P-8 can offer tour operators an 85% cost reduction over existing combustion engine vessels.
