Electric hydrofoil craft maker Candela opens first US test drive center in San Francisco
by Candela 23 Mar 2022 23:29 GMT
Candela C-8 © Candela
It's the fastest electric craft, with the longest range - yet it uses a staggering 80% less energy than traditional powerboats at high speeds. Candela is now opening its first US test drive center in San Francisco to demonstrate their revolutionary hydrofoiling boats.
Swedish tech company Candela, which is setting new standards for electric vessels with its hydrofoiling, long-range electric craft, announced its first test drive center in the US - Candela San Francisco at 1709 Brideway, Suite 105B, Sausalito, CA 94965. The new location will open its doors on April 1st. This location, the first in the US, joins centers in Stockholm, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Italy, to expand Candela's presence in the US market.
Flying silently above the water's surface, Candela's electric craft can fly for over two hours at a cruising speed of 22 knots. Computer-aided hydrofoils lift the hull above the surface, reducing water friction and energy usage by 80% when compared to traditional powerboats. This allows for a range 2-3 times longer than any other electric boat on the market.
Candela's mission is to electrify waterborne transportation. With over 100 orders for the new Candela C-8 daycruiser, the company is now leading electric boat sales in Europe thanks to the unique combination of speed, silence, and long, all-electric range. However, the majority of new customers are from the US, making the American powerboat market a key target for Candela.
"We're not just aiming at making the best electric boat. We're making a vastly better boat than today's conventional powerboats, hands down - combustion engine or electric. Thanks to our hydrofoil technology and our direct-drive C-POD motor, there's no slamming, no noise, no fumes and very little maintenance. It basically takes away all the bad things with powerboats. Once you've tried a Candela, it's very hard to go back to conventional boating," says Tanguy de Lamotte, CEO of Candela US.
Candela's 80-strong team of engineers and technicians from the aerospace, car and software industries have been developing the proprietary hydrofoil technology and associated software since 2014. Using the learnings from their first serial production model, the C-7 sportsboat, Candela now ventures into mass production of leisure craft with the Candela C-8, while simultaneously developing the world's first hydrofoiling shuttle ship, Candela P-30, which will go into production in 2023.
Starting on April 1st, Candela will offer test rides out of their Candela San Francisco location in Sausalito. For media test drives, reach out to