Candela Sets Electric Boat Record

By Eric Colby

Sweden-based Candela, which builds foiling electric powerboats, set a record for distance covered in 24 hours by an electric boat. The company partnered with electric automaker Polestar to provide the batteries and DC charging system for the Candela C-8.

According to reporting at Electrek.co, a team of Candela drivers, including founder and CEO Gustav Hasselskog, covered 483 miles in 24 hours, breaking the record of 91 miles set by a Voltari 260 on a passage from Florida to the Bahamas.

The route comprised a loop between Stockholm and the island of Tynningö, with stops to DC fast-charge after each loop.

Candela stated:

“The aim here was not to drive as far as possible on one charge, but really to see how far we could drive in a day, using DC charging to quickly top up the battery — something owners will do as DC charging networks grow in the U.S., Norway and along the French/Italian riviera.”

According to Candela, the cost for the electricity to power the boat worked out to $117, while a gasoline-powered boat would have cost about $1,490. The team reportedly averaged 17 knots.

Candela also collaborated with battery maker Northvolt and charging station supplier Plug. “This feat shows that fast, electric, waterborne transport over long distances is viable today, not a distant future,” Hasselskog said.

“The setup from Northvolt and Plug showed an interesting solution to provide DC fast charging facilities, even when the local grid isn’t set up to handle such power,” Electrek said. “Seeing these systems dropped on islands around popular boating destinations could immediately turn those areas into capable electric-boat highways for long-distance travel.”