Swedish electric boat maker Candela completed a high-profile intercontinental journey with its hydrofoil vessel, the C-8 Polestar Edition, crossing 24 nautical miles from Sotogrande, Spain, to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in North Africa in just one hour.
The electric hydrofoil, developed in collaboration with EV car brand Polestar, matched the speed of conventional fast ferries while consuming only 40 kWh of electricity—equivalent to around 8 euros—compared to an estimated 90 euros in fuel used by similarly-sized fossil-fueled boats.
“It functions much like the flight controller of a modern jet fighter, and works very well. We couldn’t feel the waves, while the photo boat was bouncing around quite a bit,” said Gustav Hasselskog, CEO of Candela, who piloted the craft during the journey.
After recharging in Ceuta, the C-8 returned to the Spanish mainland the same day. The company highlighted that the hydrofoil’s active stabilization system, which adjusts hydrofoils up to 100 times per second, reduces motion sickness and ensures smoother crossings, even in challenging waters like the Gibraltar Strait.
Candela’s mission received backing from Avangreen, a clean energy company involved in Ceuta’s largest solar project. “Enabling sustainable mobility powered by green energy is in the cornerstone of our strategy as a company,” said Manuel Gómez, CEO of Avangreen. “We’re looking forward to work with Candela to explore the possibilities for P-12 lines in the region.”
Candela’s P-12 ferries are already operating in Stockholm’s public transport network and are slated for deployment in Berlin, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia’s NEOM, and the United States.
Ceuta’s President-Mayor Juan Jesús Vivas said the hydrofoil system slashes energy use by 80%, eliminates emissions, and reduces operating costs. “We slash energy use by 80%, eliminate emissions, and enable fast, smooth crossings at a fraction of the cost—opening the door to entirely new, sustainable ferry routes across the Mediterranean,” he said.
Electric ferries are gaining momentum in Europe, with nearly 60 operators already active. In January, Spain’s Baleària announced plans to launch the first fully electric ferry line between Tarifa and Tangier, with new vessels under construction at the Armon shipyard in Gijón.
Industry observers see electric hydrofoils as a promising pathway to faster decarbonisation of short-haul maritime transport, combining speed, passenger comfort, and significantly reduced environmental impact.