Kempower and Candela announces: Electric boat crosses the Baltic Sea – sets world record

THE BALTIC SEA - A group of Swedes set a world record by driving a hydrofoiling Candela C-8 between Stockholm and the Finnish autonomous region of Åland, marking the first time an electric boat has crossed the Baltic Sea. They even returned the same day – at 95% lower costs than a fossil-fuel-powered boat.

"The aim was to demonstrate that long-distance electric sea travel is not only possible today, but that foiling electric ships and boats outperform fossil-fueled vessels in every way," said Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of Candela.

The Stockholm-based tech company has developed the world’s first electric hydrofoil boats and ships, vessels that fly above the water with an 80% reduction in energy consumption compared to traditional ships, providing both long range and high speed on battery power.

The record trip was made on Thursday, Sep 5, 2024, in the latest version of the leisure boat Candela C-8, equipped with a Polestar battery, and charged by Kempower, starting at 6 a.m. from Stockholm’s Frihamn. After a charging stop in Kapellskär, they reached Mariehamn, the capital and largest town of the Åland Islands, an autonomous region of Finland, at lunchtime, making it the first electric boat to cross the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland. In the harbor, the electric boat pioneers were greeted by a delegation headed by Åland's Premier, Kristin Sjögren.

“The disadvantage of electric boats has been their short range, due to traditional boat hulls consuming so much energy. With our hydrofoil technology, we combine high speed and range, but you get so many other benefits. Flying over the Åland Sea in total silence and without slamming was absolutely magical,” said Hasselskog

The trip was made mostly with the existing charging infrastructure, and in partnership with Kempower, a charging solutions provider. In Kapellskär, the Candela charged with a Kempower Movable Charger, a 40-kW wheeled charger connected to the existing power grid at the harbor. In Finland’s Mariehamn, the boat was plugged into the marina’s three-phase outlet. In the evening at 6 p.m., the electric boat pioneers flew back toward Kapellskär and returned in dense fog to their starting point, Stockholm's Frihamn, at 11 p.m.

“Kempower is proud to contribute to the electrification of boating and help create greener waterways. Electric boats combined with hydrofoiling offer the best possible efficiency, enabling a strong transition towards cleaner boating. Kempower's DC fast charging solutions are ideal for electric boating, and our Kempower Movable Charger is a plug-and-play solution that integrates seamlessly with the electrical grids already available in many marinas,” says Antti Vuola, Director, Market Segments, Kempower.

“We actually had range anxiety, but not for the Candela. The irony is that the photographer’s gasoline-powered chase boat had to refuel five times during the trip, while we only charged three times. Portable chargers like the Kempower Movable Charger can be set up in most harbours at a low cost,” said Hasselskog.

Candela's hydrofoil technology enables massive cost reductions for sea transport, which was proven when the electric costs were summed up. The gasoline-powered chase boat of similar size that accompanied the trip had to refuel for 7,800 SEK during the 150 nautical miles – while the Candela C-8 consumed 213 kWh of electricity, at a cost of about 400 SEK.

“We’re talking about 95% lower operating costs. This is a revolution that makes sea travel competitive with land transport in terms of costs, which we will now demonstrate in public transport in Stockholm,” said Hasselskog.

This fall, Candela P-12, the company’s new 30-passenger hydrofoil ferry, will begin operating the Ekerö-Stockholm City Hall route, where it is expected to halve travel times thanks to not producing damaging wakes, allowing it permission to travel quickly in the inner city.

Candela has recently announced a deal to electrify the water transport network in Saudi Arabia’s giant NEOM project, as well as ferries sold to cities ranging from Berlin to New Zealand.

"We can easily electrify coastal public transport at very low costs, not just in Sweden but across the world. It just requires political will to make the switch,” concludes Hasselskog.

 

Kempower Movable Charger – On-Demand DC Fast Charging Made Easy: The Movable Charger is a versatile solution for various EV charging needs. It’s a Plug & Play DC fast charger that can be effortlessly relocated to meet your charging requirements, whether it’s a temporary or stationary setup.

 

Kempower Media:

Paula Savonen, VP, Communications, Kempower

paula.savonen@kempower.com

tel. +358 400 343 851

 

About Candela: https://candela.com/

 

About Kempower  

We design and manufacture reliable and user-friendly DC fast-charging solutions for electric vehicles. Our vision is to create the world’s most desired EV charging so-lutions for everyone, everywhere. Our product development and production are based in Finland and in the U.S. with the majority of our materials and components sourced locally. We focus on all areas of e-mobility, from electric cars, trucks, and buses to machines and marine. Our modular and scalable charging system and world-class software are designed by EV drivers for EV drivers, enabling the best user experience for our customers around the world.  Kempower is listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange in Finland.  www.kempower.com