Candela P-12 enables public transport faster than cars and subway

Candela’s technology reduces energy consumption per passenger kilometer by 95% compared to current vessels. Consequently, this efficiency allows the ship to achieve an unprecedented range of 50 nautical miles at service speed. Using only 0.1 kWh of electricity per passenger kilometer, the ship proves to be more energy efficient than a hybrid electric bus. Additionally, with up to 200 kW DC charging, it can recharge its battery in under one hour.

Most importantly, the razor-sharp carbon fiber foils will slash many commuters’ travel times in half.

With its ability to cover even the longest routes in Stockholm at high speeds, the Candela P-12 Shuttle will help shorten the commute between the rapidly expanding suburb of Ekerö and the city center. Currently, the trip takes 55 minutes by bus, subway, conventional ferry, or even car during rush hour. The Candela P-12 Shuttle will cover the 15 km route in just 25 minutes, saving commuters an average of 50 minutes each day.

– This will have a huge positive impact on people’s lives – you can work one more hour or pick up your kids from school one hour earlier, says Erik Eklund.

The hydrofoiling Candela P-12 Shuttle creates nearly zero wake. Because of this, it has received an exemption from the 12-knot speed limit. This enables the P-12 Shuttle to enter the city center without causing wave damage to other vessels or sensitive shorelines. In fact, the miniscule propeller wash is considerably smaller than the wake from conventional passenger ships travelling at slow speeds.

The first electric flying ferry will also elevate passenger experience to an entirely new level, thanks to the most advanced computer system found in a passenger boat. Those prone to seasickness will appreciate the extremely smooth ride in adverse weather. Flying silently above the waves, the Candela Flight Controller regulates the hydrofoils 100 times per second. This advanced computer ensures a steady, smooth ride even over waves that might make many feel queasy.

– There’s no other ship that has this kind of active electronic stabilization. Flying aboard the P-12 Shuttle in rough seas will feel more like being on a modern express train than on a boat: it’s quiet, smooth and stable, says Erik Eklund, Vice President, Commercial Vessels at Candela.

The Region of Stockholm will operate the first P-12 Shuttle ship for a nine-month trial period during 2023. If it meets expectations, the city hopes to replace its fleet of over 70 diesel vessels with P-12 Shuttles. Additionally, the city aims to shift land transport from congested highways to the waterways.

-Maritime traffic is the region’s most popular public transport, and I want to expand it. But we need better technology to travel faster and reduce climate impact. Therefore, we are happy to try this new technology for waterborne traffic. This project can contribute to solutions that we can use in Stockholm, but also provides opportunities for both exports and jobs in the Stockholm region, says Gustav Hemming, Vice President of the Regional Executive Board in Stockholm.

Since faster and cheaper steam trains began replacing costly and slow coal-fired packet boats in the 1850s, urban transport has relied on land-based vehicles. Consequently, this trend has continued even in cities like Stockholm, San Francisco, and New York, where natural cross-connections between regions and boroughs exist via waterways.

With Candela’s P-12 Shuttle, the current status quo will once again be challenged. In rush hour traffic, the ship is faster than buses and cars on many routes. The hydrofoil’s efficiency allows it to compete on mileage costs. Unlike new subway lines or highways, the flying electric super-ship can start operating on new routes without massive infrastructure investments—all it needs is a dock and electric power.

The P-12 Shuttle’s handy size – with a comfortable and airy cabin for 30 seated passengers – adds to its versatility. In Stockholm, passenger vessels have a 17% occupancy rate on average, meaning that a 300-passenger ship carries only about 50 people on most days.

Candela envisions replacing today’s large, predominantly diesel ships with nimble fleets of faster, smaller P-12 Shuttles. This approach would allow for more frequent departures and accommodate more passengers at a lower cost for operators. On the Stockholm-Ekerö route, Candela proposes replacing the current pair of 200-person diesel vessels with at least five P-12 Shuttles. This change would double the passenger volume potential and reduce operating costs.

– Instead of two departures per day, there would be a P-12 Shuttle departing every 11 minutes. This allows commuters to ignore timetables and just go to the dock and wait for the next boat, says Erik Eklund.

Candela will lay the carbon fiber keel for the first P-12 Shuttle at its new automated factory in Rotebro, outside Stockholm, by the end of 2022. After initial tests, the first commuters in Stockholm will embark on the 40-foot vessel in 2023.

The first P-12 Shuttle will be followed by many more, as serial production ramps up at the company’s Rotebro factory. Leveraging streamlined production methods from its leisure boats, Candela aims to produce hundreds of P-12 Shuttles annually. Candela sees significant demand from over 600 cities, municipalities, vessel operators, and urban developers. These stakeholders see the P-12 Shuttle as a faster, cheaper, and greener alternative to diesel ships and land transport.

• Length: 11.99 meters
• Beam: 4.5 meters
• Weight: 8.5 tonnes
• Capacity: 30 passengers, seated
• Motor: 2 x Candela C-POD
• Batteries: 180 kWh
• Charging: up to 200 kW DC
• Top speed: 30 knots
• Service speed: 25-27 knots
• Range: 40-60 nautical miles at 25 knots service speed