Sailing on Air: Candela’s C-8 Polestar Edition Crushes Electric Boat Records!
Well, color me impressed and tickle me green! Candela’s C-8 Polestar Edition has just floated – no, soared – into the record books, churning up 420 nautical miles (that’s 483 miles or 778 km for the landlubbers) in a mere 24 hours. “Holy guacamole!” I hear you exclaim, “that’s from Tampa to New Orleans!” or for my cultured chums, “London to Amsterdam and back, surely not!” But oh, yes, it is - as long as you're a bird, of course.
What’s the secret sauce, you ask? Well, my friends, this isn’t your grandma’s dinghy. The C-8 zips through the waters on submerged hydrofoils, touching less than 1% of the watery depths beneath. Talk about walking on water! This miracle of a ride uses just 20% of the energy your regular electric boat guzzles down.
With a zest for zestiness, Candela paired up with Polestar to pack this aquatic marvel with batteries and a charging system that can DC fast charge faster than you can say “Aye Aye Captain!” Seventeen times they plugged this bad boy in, making the most of a Voltpack mobile battery system from Northvolt, all while trading off drivers like hot potatoes.
Speed demons, brace yourselves – the C-8 was dancing close to 27 knots (31 mph or 50 km/h), making loops between Stockholm and Tynningö like it was a Sunday stroll in the park. And let’s talk dollars and cents, or rather, euros – the electric joyride cost about €110 (US $117), compared to a whopping €1,400 (US $1,490) for a fuel-guzzling counterpart. That’s a saving, my mates, that’ll have you buying the first round at the pub!
But let’s not forget the real MVP here – DC fast charging. Northvolt and Plug are the geniuses behind this, showing us a glimpse of a future where islands become electric boat highways, all without breaking the bank or the local grid. Gustav Hasselskog, Candela’s CEO and founder, states, “We are looking at a future, where charging stations could electrify marine transport in the Stockholm archipelago and cover Europe’s coastal passenger transports for a few hundred million euros.”
To sum it up, this record isn’t just about the sexiness of skimming 420 nautical miles. It’s a peek into a future where flying electric boats and DC fast charging are the stars of the show, making long-distance aquatic travel a breeze.
Skeptical me would say, “It’s all well and good, but can it make me a cuppa while cruising?” but optimistic me is excited to see where this takes us. Maybe, just maybe, we’re all living in the future, and I'm ready to set sail, with my electric car parked at the dock and my motorcycle charging at home.
