The rebirth of the center console market continues to take form.
Several manufacturers have made a return to the center console segment in recent months, while others are pushing the boundaries of the design into new and exciting territory.
The center console market generally has revolved around small to midsize dayboats intended for fishing, family use, and offshore capability. They are almost exclusively outboard powered and utilitarian in function. Not anymore.
Sweden's Candela has announced a new 29-foot hydrofoil that will be the world's first all-electric center console.
The C-8 CC will use the same platform as their existing Candela Daycruiser, but with modifications to its layout and performance capabilities. The Daycruiser is Candela's most popular model, with the manufacturer currently building over 150 orders. Previous iterations of the C-8 have been marketed for both commercial and recreational applications, like the P-8 Voyager passenger boat launched in 2022.
The boat was first announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January.
In a press release, Gustav Hasselskog, founder and CEO of Candela, said: "Flying smoothly across the sea, conversing with your passengers at a normal tone of voice, and then arriving at your destination having spent only a few dollars worth of electricity getting there - that's a better boating experience. It's really the best fishing machine at low speeds. With foils down, it doesn’t drift and is incredibly stable. Our Candela C-POD motor is like a high-power outdrive combined with a slow-speed trolling motor in one unit."
“The Candela C-8 is the first electric vessel that can travel to destinations that were previously only reachable by combustion engine boats," he added.
The new C-8 CC will have two co-captain seats at the helm with two rows of bench seats in the aft. Additional features include a wet bar (aided by a table in between the bench seats), an enclosed head below deck, and a swim platform. At the helm, users will enjoy a 15" touchscreen display using Candela's proprietary software. Underwater, the foils can be retracted by the push of a button when entering shallow water or for trailering.
Power will come from a 100 hp C-POD electric motor that stores electricity inside a Polestar 9 kWh lithium battery bank. Battery power can be recharged up to 80 percent in 35 minutes. The compact C-POD motor system includes twin submerged motors using direct-drive to counter-rotating propellers. The C-POD itself contains no transmission and therefore produces little noise and requires no maintenance. Due to the efficient design, the C-8 CC will carry a maintenance interval of 3000 hours. Candela offers remote troubleshooting where they can connect wirelessly to the P-8 to monitor or diagnose potential issues.
Foiling speed occurs at 16 knots (18 mph), while the C-8 CC will have a top speed over 30 knots (34 mph). Her range is expected to be roughly 57 nm at a cruising speed of 22 knots (25 mph). The new design will also carry a modest 8'2" beam (2.5 m) and will be made entirely from carbon fiber -- producing a net weight of just 3700 lbs (1678 kg).
Candela also claims the P-8 design can handle serious chop -- being able to foil above waves from 48"- 60" without bottoming out the hull while producing a meager 2" (5 cm) wake while foiling.
According to the company, the C-8 will use 80% less energy than comparable boats at high speeds.
Candela is one of several burgeoning electric boat makers currently pushing into the industry. Alongside fellow Swedish company X-Shore, who have significant financial backing from investors, Candela is on an impressive run with 50,000 units sold in 2022.
The expected pricetag for the new C-8 CC will be roughly $362,000 USD.
You can check out the C-8 hydrofoil platform's performance capability in the video below:
