Candela’s pioneering electric hydrofoil passenger ship, the P-12, has successfully taken flight outside Stockholm. This amazing vessel is set to outperform diesel counterparts by halving travel times and significantly boosting operator profits.
Our visionary founder, Gustav Hasselskog, excitedly shared, “We’re now jump-starting production to keep up with demand.”
This piece will shine a light on the incredible strides in maritime technology made possible by the P-12. By exploring its innovative design, sustainability features, and exceptional operational efficiency, we’ll uncover how this electric passenger ship is set to revolutionize waterborne transportation worldwide.
Introducing the Candela P-12
The first flight of our P-12 pre-production vessel, named ‘Zero’, was a success, hitting a take-off speed of 16 knots and quickly reaching its designed top speed of 30 knots within 16 seconds. Guided by Gustav Hasselskog himself, this triumphant flight marks the start of a new, sustainable era in water transport.
Traditionally, electrifying waterways posed challenges due to limitations of regular vessel technology. Conventional fast boats consumed excessive energy, restricting their range due to battery constraints. However, our P-12 has not only claimed the title of the fastest electric ship to date but also stands as the first vessel capable of undertaking long-range, high-speed journeys—a breakthrough in sustainable water travel. Moreover, using it ensures significant profit boosts for operators.
What sets it apart is the innovation at its core—three carbon fiber wings beneath the hull reduce energy consumption by a staggering 80% compared to regular fast vessels. Once airborne, P-12’s digital Flight Control System adjusts the foils’ angles based on various sensors, ensuring a smoother voyage without the discomforts of sea-sickness-inducing motions common on regular ships.
We’ve begun serial production of the P-12 at our Stockholm factory to meet the increasing global demand. The second P-12 vessel, set to join Stockholm’s public transport system by 2024, will ferry citizens between the island suburb of Ekerö and the city center. This electric vessel for 30 passengers, with minimal wake production, has secured a speed exemption in the city, cutting commuting times from 55 minutes to just 25 minutes—beating the speed of competing subway and bus lines and doubling car commutes during rush hour.
The P-12 signifies a significant shift in transportation trends, especially in cities like Stockholm, where water traffic declined due to faster and cheaper terrestrial options. Gustav Hasselskog highlights this change, saying, “Today, in many cities, roads are congested while the waterways – mankind’s oldest infrastructure – is unused for fast commuting. The P-12 offers a path to use these waterways as green highways, offering fast intra city connections. The quickest way is often over water”.
Rethinking Ship Design
The P-12 represents a huge step forward in ship design, blending innovation and sustainability to kickstart a new era in water transportation. Apart from the unique hydrofoil system, our engineering team has revamped every aspect of vessel design to ensure top-notch efficiency, from maintenance to docking.
One of the standout features is the smooth boarding experience thanks to an extendable, automatic bow ramp. It can adjust to different quay heights, ranging from 0.2 to 2 meters, allowing the P-12 to travel various global routes without needing dock modifications.
And the efficiency doesn’t stop there—each stop takes less than 2 minutes, all thanks to the C-POD motors’ ability to maneuver swiftly, even sideways if required. Moreover, the P-12’s design for single-person operation significantly cuts operational costs and lightens the vessel’s load, boosting its efficiency even further.
A Sustainable Profit Machine
The P-12’s sustainable design goes way beyond just efficiency; it brings in significant cost savings for operators. Fitted with electric C-POD motors that skip the transmission, maintenance is kept to a minimum. Plus, being a fully connected vessel allows us to do preventive maintenance, cutting down on downtime by a lot. Working within larger fleet systems, much like a bus service, the P-12 helps set up custom fleets that replace bigger ferries, resulting in quicker, more frequent departures and way lower system costs.
We forcast that the P-12 will drive down total operational costs per passenger kilometer by at least 50% compared to diesel vessels, just like the efficiency of a hybrid electric bus.
This groundbreaking vessel, available in the Shuttle setup priced at €1.7M, stands toe to toe with the upfront cost of similarly sized diesel ships.
Gustav Hasselskog sums up the importance of this progress by saying, “With P-12, we don’t just offer a faster and more comfortable electric alternative to fossil fuel vessels. We offer operators to switch to sustainable vessels, while increasing profits. That’s hugely important to drive the transition to fossil-fuel free oceans and lakes”.
Candela P-12 Versions
The P-12 is all about versatility, catering to different clients and needs, from public transport to customized private shuttles. It comes in three versions—the P-12 Shuttle, Business, and Voyager—suiting various passenger capacities and requirements.
The Shuttle version redefines sustainable commuting, fitting in 30 passengers with the industry’s lowest operational costs. We’ve made sure to allocate space for bicycles, strollers, and wheelchairs, promoting inclusivity and convenience, integrating cycling with public transport.
The Business version is decked out for 12 to 20 passengers with a premium interior.
The Voyager version is adaptable for both private leisure and commercial clients, letting them tweak the interior design as needed.
As Gustav Hasselskog puts it, ” The P-12 is a platform that will cater to a vast range of clients. Whether it’s public transport, VIP services, or private customers, it will revolutionize how we travel over water”.
