Candela delivers first electric hydrofoil to the US

Electric boat manufacturer Candela is bringing its P-12 electric hydrofoil to the US - specifically Lake Tahoe. It is the first regular deployment location outside of Europe. The first customer unit was delivered to Stockholm just a few weeks ago. And the Swedish manufacturer also received fresh capital.

candela p 12 e schiff electric ship flytahoe usa 2024 01 — Image: Candela

Lake Tahoe is located on the border between California and Nevada and provides the backdrop for 14 surrounding ski resorts. There is currently a lot of car traffic around this tourist hotspot. Provider FlyTahoe now wants to use the Candela P-12 as an alternative ferry on the lake. The electric hydrofoil will create a north-south connection every 30 minutes and, according to the initiators, halve the time compared to a similar car journey.

In future, up to 30 passengers will float across the lake in Candela’s P12. The electric boat uses hydrofoil technology. The ship’s hull is lifted one metre above the water surface by hydrofoils and reaches a cruising speed of 25 knots (46 kph). According to Candela, energy consumption is reduced by 80 per cent due to eliminating water resistance. The range possible on a single battery charge increases accordingly. In Stockholm, one such Candela model has already been in use in local transport for a short time.

Meanwhile, Candela has announced that it has raised a further $14 million in its financing round C. That brings the company’s total funding raised in 2024 to over $40 million. The new investment was made by SEB Private Equity, a global private equity investor, and existing investors EQT Ventures and KanDela AB also joined in.

candela.com (US), candela.com (financing round)