Just a month and a bit after its maiden flight, the Candela C-8 electric outboard takes off in all directions with record sales, a new test center in the United States and a release as the first hunting boat electric hydrofoil in the Sail GP race visit.
Maiden flight: February 16, 2022: Stockholm
Gliding through the cold waters outside the Swedish tech company’s headquarters in Lidingö, Stockholm, the Candela C-8 P-01 prototype looked like any other (very nice) boat…until that it reached a speed of 16 knots, when it began to rise gracefully on its foils – taking off and flying noiselessly above the water at a cruising speed of 20 knots.
This first flight marked a great moment in three respects. Firstly for the talented and dedicated team at Candela, secondly for the future of the electric boat industry and thirdly as a marker for the powerboat industry in general.
As Candela Founder and CEO Gustave Hasselskog says, “The C-8 is not just designed to be the best electric boat, it’s designed to be a much better experience than conventional powerboats. I hope that we will be able to drive the transition to emission-free shipping at a very rapid pace.
7 years ago, Hasselskog embarked on this mission and began building an engineering team – now 80 strong – of experts in hydrodynamics, software, advanced computer simulations, mechatronics and electric propulsion systems. to make his dreams come true.
In 2019 they unveiled their first electric hydrofoil boat, the Candela C-7. It was a stunning demonstration of the company’s amazing combination of an electric motor, a super lightweight carbon fiber hull and a software/hardware system that analyzes the boat’s flight and adjusts its foiled wings. hundreds of times per second.
What the hydrofoil does is remove resistance from the hull moving through the water. For an electric boat, that means higher speeds and longer battery life – and hydrofoil software means a very smooth and responsive ride and hull.
There was necessarily a large amount of customization required for an all-new type of boat like the C-7, so they took that learning and applied it to the manufacturing process needed to mass-produce a pleasure boat. : the Candela C-8.
Now the goal was to make a larger boat – which the market is looking for – and to be able to offer it at a price in line with similarly sized fossil fuel boats with conventional hulls.
A game changer was the development of their own electric motor – the Candela C-Pod – designed specifically for the new boat. Engineers placed two electric motors in a torpedo-shaped pod underwater, working with contra-rotating propellers to cut through the water with low turbulence and further increase overall efficiency.
See how the dual-motor Candela C-Pod works
Over the course of 16 months, Candela’s team tested and refined every aspect of the C-8’s hull, hydrofoils and electronics. In total, there have been more than 10,000 hours of simulations, design iterations and sea trials of the Candela systems.
The result is a truly revolutionary vessel that flies above the water, using its computer-controlled hydrofoils to reduce power consumption by 80% compared to traditional powerboats, reduce wave slapping by 90% compared to compared to conventional hulls and sail for more than two and a half years. hours at 20 knots.
“The C-8 not only has a longer range than other electric boats, but it also offers a better driving experience than any boat out there,” says Mikael Mahlberg, Candela’s director of communications. “In a 3 or 4 foot chop, we are able to drive at 30 knots without feeling the waves. It’s like a magic carpet ride.
60 orders for the Candela C-8 after only five weeks!
Between the announcement of the Candela C-8 and its maiden flight in February, there has been a lot of buzz and excitement among the boat-buying public. It seems their excitement was justified.
After just five weeks, Candela has racked up over 60 orders for the C-8 and has now signed over 100.
In some context, the C-7 was a commercial success in its own right and last year led premium electric boat sales in Europe, with 30 units delivered since 2019. These are premium boats. electric boats. Sales of the Candela C-8 are up there with all boats.
Mahlbeg says the company’s data shows that “the C-8 is the second or third best-selling powerboat in the 28ft category in Scandinavia. Not just electric boats, but any type of power source. By the end of the year, we hope to have a real impact on sales of combustion engine boats in this size category.
With all its technology, wings, carbon fiber hull, C-Pod motor and lithium-ion battery, the Candela C-8 starts at €290,000 / $318,000 and hits the company target to have a price in line with high-end fossil fuel boats. .
There are many reasons boat buyers would want the Candela. Fuel, for one. The battery in an electric boat means that the owner actually buys the vast majority of the fuel up front rather than at a marina on an on-going basis. While it is true that fossil fuel prices are particularly volatile at the moment due to the situation in Ukraine, no one expects gasoline prices to fall in the next few years.
Then there’s the effectiveness – immediate and long-term – of the C-Pod engine. An electric motor has less than 1/10 the moving parts of an ICE unit to begin with, and the Candela’s direct-drive design eliminates gears and further reduces that number. There is very little regular maintenance and the company estimates 3,000 hours between overhauls, which is more than a human life. Try this with a gas burner.
New Candela C-8 owners no doubt consider the environmental benefits, but also their own fun and relaxing ride: no fumes, no screaming engine noises, and the big bonus of flight feel. fluid of this hydrofoil magic carpet. ‘.
The Candela C-8 is also fully integrated, meaning the driver is not distracted by the usual panel of myriad buttons and knobs in conventional boats. All of the boat’s functionality, from foil retraction to route planning, is managed through a single intuitive touch screen. There’s also a Candela app for managing and monitoring charging, route planning, and heating.
April 1 – Take a test drive at America’s premier center
Until now, Candela’s main focus has been on the European market, with test drive centers in Stockholm, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy. On April 1, the company’s first U.S. road test facility will open – Candela San Francisco at 1709 Brideway, Suite 105B, Sausalito, CA 94965.
Tanguy de Lamotte, CEO of Candela US is delighted with the welcome given to the boat in the United States. “Once people have tried a Candela, they have a very hard time going back to conventional boating.” he says. “It’s a much better boat than today’s conventional motorboats, hands down – combustion engine or electric. No slamming, no noise, no smoke and very low maintenance. That takes away basically all the bad stuff with motorboats.
Working with the F50s of Team France SailGP
Before the Sausalito office opened, Candela became the first electric hydrofoil chase boat on the SailGP racing circuit, with a C-7 making its debut at the Mubadala United States Sail Grand Prix held in San Francisco on March 26 and 27.
SailGP is the F-1 of high-speed sailing racing, with 50ft foiling catamarans flying above the water at speeds of up to 60mph. Candela was the French team’s chase boat. “SailGP athletes are the best sailors on the planet, so to be able to fly alongside the French team in this epic location is an honor,” said Lamotte.
“We are delighted with this collaboration with Candela. It’s the best way to give our guests, VIPs and media an experience that’s as close as possible to what our sailors experience aboard an F50: sailing at 30 knots on a boat that flies on the water”, declares Bruno Dubois, Team Manager France The Sail GP team.
Candela can also contribute to France’s position in the circuit’s Impact League, which tracks and rewards teams’ positive actions to reduce their overall carbon footprint and accelerate inclusiveness in sailing.
The first Candela C-8s for customers will fly over water this summer. You can learn more about ordering and available options on the Candela website.
