Electric boatbuilder Candela reports that it has set a new world record, using its Candela C-8 hydrofoiling craft to cover a distance of 420nm within 24 hours – described by the company as “the equivalent of travelling from London to Amsterdam and back” within this timeframe.
The previous record was set by a Voltari 260 e-boat, which covered 79nm in 20 hours on a single charge. However, Candela tells Ship & Boat International: “The previous record was on one charge but at very slow speed, while we charged multiple times – 17, to be exact – during our record run.
“We didn’t use the maximum range of the C-8’s batteries; instead, the goal was to run as many nautical miles as possible in 24 hours, to prove that DC-charging networks and coastal, electric and long-range travel [are] certainly very possible today, at speeds as fast as conventional vessels.”
The run saw the 8.5m vessel repeatedly zip between Stockholm and the island of Tynningö, on a loop. After each lap, the C-8’s Polestar batteries were DC-charged using a 281kWh Northvolt Voltpack mobile battery storage system and a Plug charging station on the dock: the latter providing 135kW of continuous DC charging. Candela says that the C-8’s average speed during the 24-hour trip was 17knots, and that each charge took approximately 18 minutes, raising the state of charge from 13% to 66%.
The C-8 utilises hydrofoil wings under the hull to reduce energy usage by 80%, resulting in a claimed range two to three times that of more conventionally designed electric boats. Candela adds: “The C-8, running at a full speed of 27knots most of the time, consumed 685Wh during its journey, costing about €110-120 in electricity. A conventional, petrol-powered boat would consume roughly 750litres of gasoline, costing approximately €1400.”
