Swedish firm Candela bets on electric hydrofoil ferries to transform urban water transport

Stockholm, May 23. A sleek, low-slung vessel glides silently out of Stockholm’s Frihamnen harbour before smoothly rising above the water’s surface. Unlike conventional commuter ferries, the futuristic Candela P12 appears to fly rather than sail.

“Welcome aboard the first prototype of the P12,” Euronews quoted Gustav Hasselskog, founder and chief executive of Swedish marine technology company Candela, as saying. “We launched it nearly three years ago, and since then we’ve built many more boats.”

As the electric ferry accelerates, Captain Lars Billström announces the speed from the helm. At around 17 knots, the vessel lifts out of the water on computer-controlled hydrofoils before cruising at nearly 25 knots. The usual roar and turbulence of ferry travel vanish almost instantly, replaced by a smooth, near-silent ride with minimal wake.

According to the crew, lifting the vessel above the water cuts drag by up to 85 percent, dramatically reducing energy consumption. The fully electric ferry can also be recharged in about an hour.

Candela initially focused on high-speed electric leisure craft but is now targeting the much larger global commuter ferry market. Hasselskog believes hydrofoil technology could reshape urban water transport by making ferry operations cheaper, cleaner and more efficient.

He says the P12 reduces energy use by roughly 80 percent compared with traditional diesel ferries, significantly lowering fuel costs and emissions. Candela describes the P12 as the world’s first electric hydrofoiling ferry of its size currently in commercial production.

The project required overcoming major engineering challenges. Hasselskog notes that small boats typically consume far more energy per kilometre than cars, while batteries contain far less energy than conventional marine fuels.

Candela’s solution was to modernise hydrofoil technology – underwater wings that lift the hull above the surface, much like an aircraft wing generates lift in the air. However, unlike airplanes, boats are naturally unstable when elevated above the waterline.

To stabilise the vessel, the P12 relies on advanced onboard computers, sensors and software that constantly monitor its position. The system adjusts the hydrofoil angles up to 100 times every second, ensuring a stable and comfortable ride even at high speed.

Candela’s communications head, Mikael Mahlberg, says the technology not only improves passenger comfort but also eliminates many environmental drawbacks associated with conventional boats, including emissions, oil spills, shoreline erosion, excessive wake and engine noise.

At Candela’s manufacturing facility north of Stockholm, production of the P12 is being expanded to meet growing international demand. The company has secured orders from countries including India, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Maldives and the United States. It has also signed a major contract in Norway for 20 ferries, currently the world’s largest electric hydrofoil fleet order.

Despite the growing interest abroad, Hasselskog says Europe has been slower to adopt the technology because of lengthy political approvals and public procurement procedures.

Still, he remains optimistic about the future of water-based transport. He argues that waterways, once Europe’s primary transport corridors, remain vastly underutilised and could play a larger role in sustainable urban mobility.

Candela now plans to expand its workforce from around 250 employees to 1,000 and establish a new factory in Poland as part of its next growth phase.

Hasselskog says the company’s expansion will depend not only on engineering expertise but also on maintaining what he calls a culture of “revolutionary kindness” – combining ambitious technological innovation with a collaborative and supportive workplace environment designed to encourage creativity and long-term innovation.