Candela, a Swedish boatmaker, has unveiled a production version of an electric hydrofoil-powered ‘flying’ boat which is designed for speed, luxury and performance while reducing the impact on the environment.
The watercraft named C-8 is aimed at revolutionising the future of boating. The hydrofoil keeps the hull of the boat well above the waves, which gives the appearance of a flying vessel when it cruises.
Candela had launched its first electric hydrofoil boat, the limited-series C-7, in 2019. It took Candela’s team two years to create the C-8 with its advanced technological features and a hydrofoil system suited for production purposes.
More about Candela C-8
What are the specifications?
The C-8 is powered by a 55kW direct-drive electric motor named Candela C-POD. According to the boatmaker, the motor requires no scheduled maintenance for 2,000 hours.
The vessel is 8.5 metres in length and 2.5 metres in width. It can attain a top speed of 30 knots and has a cruising speed of 20 knots for more than two hours.
It has a maximum range of around 106 km at cruising speed. According to Candela, the boat can easily travel the 84-km nautical distance from Monaco to Saint-Tropez and still be capable of going another 10 km.
The vessel is made of a 100 percent carbon fibre hull. The hydrofoil of the boat enables it to rise above the water surface and seemingly ‘fly’ on the waves. This reduces friction caused by water by 80 percent. The technology also helps the vessel move silently on the water.
The boat is capable of adjusting its position relative to the water surface just like a quadcopter drone. Additionally, sensors help the hydrofoils adjust to changes in waves, load and wind in real-time.
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What is the price of the boat?
Candela C-8 comes in three variants — Daycruiser, Hardtop and T-Top. In either case, it has a large, comfortable cockpit that can seat eight. A front cabin has beds for two adults and two children.
The production variant of the electric luxury boat made its debut on 5 January at the CES 2023 in Las Vegas.
The price of Candela C-8 starts at USD 390,000 (HKD 3061481.62 approx.). Test driving opportunities for the Candela C-8 are available at 10 locations in as many countries, including Sweden, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, New Zealand, Hungary, Spain, France, and the US.
The company says that “due to high demand” the deliveries for orders currently placed are projected to be completed in the first half of 2024.
(Main and Featured images: Candela)
This story first appeared in Prestige Online Thailand
