(Bloomberg) — Sweden’s Candela Speed Boat AB, which makes electric boats that fly above water, has unveiled a new craft it hopes will replace gas-guzzling vessels used by commercial operators in the tourism industry.
The 28-foot (8.5-meter) P-8 Voyager unveiled Monday in Venice, Italy, is designed for six passengers and meant to be used as a water taxi or a tender boat for cruise ships.
Candela, one of a slew of startups that aim to replace combustion engine-powered watercraft with battery-powered boats, is taking a different route than competitors like Vision Marine, Arc Boat Co.
and fellow Swedish rival X Shore, as the company’s boats run on underwater wings, known as hydrofoils, that makes them fly above the surface.
Hydrofoiling eliminates almost all wake, a particular advantage in places such as Venice.
Motorboats in the city’s world-famous canals create a constant barrage of waves that wash up against walls and can erode structures over time. In other marine environments, sound pollution from fossil-fuel engines can cause major problems for wildlife.
By contrast, the P-8 is designed to glide virtually silently above water, taking off from the surface when it hits 16 knots (30 kilometers per hour).
The boat is set to expand a lineup that includes Candela’s first model, the C-7 sports boat, and the C-8, an 8.5-meter day cruiser going into production this year.
Having completed a 24 million-euro ($25.8 million) funding round led by EQT Ventures last year, Candela also plans to put a ferry for 30 passengers into commercial operation on the waterways of its native Stockholm in 2023.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
