Swedish boat building company Candela became the first electric boat to cross the Baltic Sea within 24 hours with its electric hydrofoil Candela C-8, setting a world record. The electric boat also managed to return in a single day on Thursday.
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The record-breaking boat is the latest version of the electrified hydrofoil boat Candela C-8, which takes off from the water at a certain speed and then flies above the water on underwater wings, achieving high energy efficiency. The electric vessel, designed as a leisure boat, was not modified and used batteries from Swedish electric car maker Polestar.
The record run began at 6 a.m. in Frihamn, near Stockholm, Sweden. Around noon the C-8 reached Mariehamn, the capital of the Åland Islands, an autonomous region of Finland.
However, before that, a charging stop had to be made in Kapellskär. A mobile 40 kW charging station from Kempower was used. She was connected to the power grid in the port. At the destination, in Mariehamn, Finland, the batteries were charged in the local marina. A three-phase socket was used. At around 6 pm the C-8 headed towards Sweden again and reached its home port in Frihamnen at 11:30 pm in heavy fog. Before that, the hydrofoil boat made another loading stop in Kapellskär.
No “range anxiety”
By its own admission, Candela had no “range fear”. Three charging stops were enough to cover about 150 nautical miles. On the other hand, the gasoline-powered support boat had to be refueled six times and the operating costs were significantly higher. A total of 750 euros worth of gasoline was refueled. In contrast, the C-8’s electricity costs were around 40 to 50 euros for 213 kWh.
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The video shows the Candela C-8 crossing the Baltic Sea from Sweden to Finland.
With the trip, Candela wanted to make it clear that the disadvantage of electric boats, the short range, can be compensated for through technology. Traditional boat hulls use a lot of energy. The hydrofoil technology of the Candela C-8 lifts the hull out of the water, reducing resistance and allowing the boat to go faster.
Candela has already demonstrated the performance of its C-8 electric boat several times. In 2023, the company set a record for covering a distance of 420 nautical miles within 24 hours. The previous record was 79 nautical miles within 20 hours.
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