The world's first electric foiling boat, the Swedish-made Candela C-8 – dubbed the "Tesla of the seas" – is coming to Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in 2022.
The zero-emission speedboat uses a hydrofoil, which is a lifting surface allowing the boat to "fly" about a metre above the water. This year, it will navigate the rivers, lakes and canals of the Benelux area, and is arriving in the Dutch city harbour of Goes (in Zeeland) just in time for the first Benelux Electric Boat Show from 27 April to 1 May.
"Thanks to Candela’s hydrofoil technology, there is finally an electric craft that has the same level of performance as gasoline boats, but with much better comfort, no wake and zero noise," said Eric Caroen, CEO at electric boat reseller The Greenwave.
Credit: Candela
The boat works on computer-controlled hydrofoils that reduce energy consumption by 80% compared to conventional hulls. This enables it to travel three times further before the battery dies, and with a higher cruise speed than any other electric boat on the market, according to its press release.
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Since its introduction seven months ago, the all-carbon fibre boat already has more than 100 orders and is leading electric boat sales in Europe. "In normal recreation use, you can drive a whole day without recharging the battery," added Caroen.
Additionally, the Netherlands, with its many canals and rivers, aims to ban fossil boats in Rotterdam, Amsterdam and the National Parks by 2030 – which is expected to boost sales of electric boats.
More information on the Zero Emission Boatshow in Goes can be found here.
