VIDEO: Candela P-12 e-foiler completes world’s longest electric sea journey

Swedish foiling ferry innovator Candela AB reports that a Candela P-12 has completed a 160-nautical-mile journey from Gothenburg, Sweden, to Oslo, Norway. This, says Candela, is the longest voyage thus far performed by an electric passenger vessel.

The P-12 is the world’s first serial-production electric hydrofoil ferry. Beneath its hull, computer-controlled submerged wings lift the vessel above the water at speeds exceeding 20 knots, reducing energy consumption by around 80% compared to conventional vessels and enabling long-distance travel at high speed.

Already proven in Stockholm’s public transport system, Candela P-12 holds the record as the fastest electric passenger vessel in operation, with a service speed of 25 knots, and has exceeded 30 knots during trials, with a range of up to 40 nautical miles at cruising speed on a single charge.

Several electric high-speed ferries are already in service in Oslo. However, says contrast between these conventional electric vessels and Candela P-12 is striking. Oslo’s fastest electric passenger ferry, the 250-passenger Baronen, operates a fixed 10-nautical-mile route and recharges by swapping a deck-mounted battery container with several megawatt-hours of capacity at the end of each trip.

By contrast, says Candela, “the P-12’s efficiency allows it to charge from standard, easily deployable automotive DC fast chargers. During the journey to Oslo, the vessel charged using a portable 360 kW Skagerak Energi Move DC charger connected to a mobile battery system, towed behind a Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup.

“Charging infrastructure is the hidden cost of electrifying conventional vessels,” said Gabriele De Mattia, project engineer at Candela and lead engineer for the record-setting voyage. “In many cases, building megawatt-scale chargers—especially where the grid is weak or undeveloped—can cost as much as the vessels themselves. The breakthrough with P-12 is that it is fast to charge and extremely flexible in where it can operate.”

The 160-nautical-mile journey was completed over three days, with demonstration and charging stops along the route. The Candela crew charged along Sweden’s existing DC fast-charging network using Aqua SuperPower stations, and where fixed chargers were unavailable, relied on the towable battery system provided by Skagerak Energi.

On arrival in Oslo, the P-12 and its crew were welcomed by officials and media. Norway’s ambition to electrify its waterways has faced growing headwinds as costs for both vessels and infrastructure have escalated, with battery-swapping systems alone accumulating expenses in the hundreds of millions, according to Candela.

“With Candela P-12,” says the company, “observers were presented with a clear comparison: the total electricity cost for the world’s longest electric sea journey amounted to just over €200.”

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