Candela C-8 combines an advanced hydrofoil system with electric propulsion for real-world range and performance in recreational use.
As luck would have it, my phone rings the moment we hit the open waters after departing from the Candela C-8’s berth at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove.
But you know what? I’m able to have a perfectly audible conversation with my caller even though we’re skimming over the waves at just under 20 knots.
We've been invited to hop-in for a quick "flight" in the C-8 just a few days before the start of the 2024 Singapore Yachting Festival.
Produced by Swedish company Candela to succeed its first electric effort – the C-7 – the latest carbonfibre-hulled C-8 is a sleek, hydrofoil leisure electric boat with a day-cabin and lounge deck.
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Thanks to the “Polestar Powered” initiative, the C-8 is electric-powered by the same 69kWh battery you can find in the Polestar 2 electric car.
This means the C-8 now supports DC fast-charging, which combines the highest electric range of 57 nautical miles (about 105km) with a suitably fast charging time.
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The C-8’s retractable C-Foil only deploys fully at speeds above 16 knots and it is in this low-drag configuration that it achieves optimum range and efficiency. The C-Pod boat motor can operate at speeds of up to 20 knots, and is deployed for planing mode above high waves.
Sure, the “rooster tail” at high-speeds seen in the wake of conventional boats seems a lot more dramatic.
However, it is the C-8’s silent, drama-free and more importantly, no-pollution passage through the water that throws the spotlight on its all-electric credentials, which disrupts the conservative boating industry.
Even at full “throttle”, there’s little noise to speak of on the C-8, so you don’t have to compete with the sound of a diesel engine in the background. Moreover, there are no exhaust fumes and no wake (which reduces shoreline erosion and disturbance), thus making it the ideal vessel to be in as it takes “flight” over the waves.
Mr. Björn Antonsson – Candela’s regional CEO for Asia-Pacific – tells us, “A lot of people have been following the tech side of Candela. Candela isn’t just like any other boat brand, because it comes with revolutionary technology. This has led to genuine interest from boaters and non-boaters, especially among the tech-savvy. There’s a strong interest in recreational boating in Singapore, which is arguably the naval capital of the region and there are enough people here who are technology early adopters.”
He continues, “Candela is disrupting the recreational boating segment because it represents a big leap in terms of technology. The C-8’s uniqueness is its combination of a sophisticated hydrofoil system and electric propulsion, which helps it achieve usable range and performance."
