Electric cars are now a norm, and battery-powered planes may soon become commonplace. The next target for electrification, logically, is water, and Swedish boat maker, Candela, will soon launch a new version of its C-series hydrofoil electric speedboat, the C-8.
The C-8 was announced last August, succeeding the C-7, which had become popular in Europe and the US.
The C-8 is the next-gen and features a groundbreaking design. It uses two computer-controlled hydrofoils that can raise, lower, and make other fine adjustments itself to ensure you and your passengers have the smoothest ride. It can make 100 such adjustments in one second.
This electric speedboat was designed to massively cut down the energy required to glide at high speed and still yield enough riding range. The engineers used an ingenious method to reduce the energy consumption by 75 percent. A typical boat like the C-8, measuring 28 feet, consumes as much energy as 15 family cars. This is why such boats usually have atrocious ranges, and those that offer longer ranges are priced exorbitantly.
Candela made the C-8 fly above the water instead of riding through it. The boat lifts itself automatically after reaching a few knots of speed, which reduces the drag experienced.
You can cruise at a top speed of 30 knots, but another draw of the C-8 is the operating costs. A 2.5 hours cruise will cost you about €8 of electricity, about 90 percent cheaper than an ICE boat of similar size.
There are other benefits, like a smoother ride and quiet operation. There is also minimal maintenance required, as you can get away with a maintenance interval of once a decade, compared to an inspection every 100 hours for a typical gas-powered boat. The boat also leaves no wake, which threatens the buildings along Venice canals.
According to Candela’s founder and CEO, Gustav Hesselskog, “Flying in absolute silence, without any slamming and basically for free — it’s just an amazing experience. Once you’ve tried Candela C-8, it will be hard to go back to traditional powerboats.”
Candela will reveal the boat at the Salone di Nautico Boat Show in Venice, Italy. The C-8 will compete in the show’s E Regetta for electric boats.
Renewable Brief 