The Swedish capital of Stockholm will soon get a chance to witness a revolution in its water-going transport that will offer a quicker, quieter and cheaper option for people to get around the Scandinavian capital.
The Candela P-12 Shuttle is set to fly into action in Stockholm in a nine-month trial starting in 2023. Billed as the world’s fastest electric passenger vessel and intended to redefine waterborne transport, the Candela P-12 Shuttle is a fully electric and zero-carbon hydrofoil passenger taxi.
And, in a city like Stockholm which boasts an archipelago of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges and an estimated fleet of 756,000 leisure craft, the P-12 Shuttle is well placed to deliver on its promises of redefining Stockholm’s waterborne transport.
Candela has already made a name for itself in the electric boating world, with the launch in August 2021 of its C-8 hydrofoil leisure boat, selling over 100 within six months.
The company also offers the C-7, its first hydrofoil passenger boat with a range in nautical miles of 5- and a top speed of 30 knots. Meanwhile, its P-8 hydrofoil is available as both a Shuttle or as a Voyager exploration craft, offering 40 nautical miles on a single charge at a speed of 20 knots.
But it is Candela’s latest launch, the P-12 Shuttle, which could serve to replace cars and other public transport options in waterfront cities like Stockholm, Sydney, Monaco, or Miami.
Its hydrofoil technology uses 80% less energy than a conventional vessel and offers a range of up to 60nm at a speed of 30mph and silent flight with no wake – meaning that there is little to no risk to the seabed or engine noise to disrupt marine wildlife.
With hydrofoils made from carbon fibre making them extremely strong while keeping the boat flying above the surface of the water, even if the vessel was to hit some small debris there would be little to no effect. Conversely, a designated breaking point will break if the foil hits a larger object, positioned so as to maximise protection of the hull from impact.
Inside, the P-12 provides a flexible interior with space for up to 30 commuters as well as options tailored to meet the needs of local commuters.
Meanwhile, passengers will pay a cost per mile that is only 10% of traditional diesel ferries, and in many instances will offer a faster connection than cars – such as a journey to Stockholm (below).
Candela believes that replacing a conventional diesel ferry with a fleet of P-12 Shuttles will offer “a nimbler waterborne public transportation system” with more frequent and faster departures while still reducing total operational costs.
And if Candela’s goals of redefining waterborne transport with sleek and elegant looking electric vessels sounds familiar, it should.
“What Tesla did was to add a lot of style to electric cars,” said Gustav Hasselskog, founder and CEO of Candela, speaking recently to CNN.
“We want to make a very attractive product because that’s going to drive the move towards sustainability in a much faster way.”
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.