Candela Makes First-Ever Electric Hydrofoil Crossing from Europe to Africa

Candela CEO Gustav Hasselskog has completed the first-ever intercontinental journey by electric vessel by crossing the Strait of Gibraltar between Europe and Africa unassisted.

Hasselskog and his team made a mini-documentary about the experience highlighting the iconic crossing where they battled strong currents and significant fog in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

The company leader made the journey using Candela's latest C-8 Polestar Edition which utilizes the same battery as the Polestar Model 2 electric car.

The C-8 crossed from Sotogrande, Spain, to Ceuta, North Africa — a 24-nautical mile trip — in just over an hour.

It's also worth noting that the Strait of Gibraltar has seen intense Orca activity with steady media coverage and a string of events where the predatory whales interacted with recreational boats crossing the Strait. Although no fatalities have been reported, boaters using the Strait have been advised to be extremely cautious and prepare for Orca activity. The whales typically choose sailboats to 'bump' the rudder or keel, which has resulted in several sinkings, although they have never encountered an electric hydrofoil and its 'wings' passing through the water.

In a mini-documentary about the crossing, Hasselskog asks the audience: "So, how far can you go with an electric boat? Today we're going to go from one continent to the other. It's the first time that an electric hydrofoiling boat is doing that."

Hasselskog and the Candela team received a warm welcome from the President-Mayor of Ceuta, Mr. Juan Jesús Vivas, upon reaching the African continent.

The vessel returned back to Spain the same day, using only €16 (roughly $18 USD) worth of electricity for the round trip. In a conventional gas-powered boat of similar size, the total cost would have been roughly €180 ($203 USD) in fuel.

Not only did the trip mark a world's first for electric boats and electric hydrofoils, it also showcased the potential of Candela's 30-seater P-12 ferry, which has been in development as a commercial ferry vessel capable of crossing large waterways or through urban centers in place of typical ground transportation like buses or cabs. The P-12 ferry, just like the C-8 Polestar, allows boaters to travel in direct routes between coastal locations without having to factor in the traffic lanes created by gas-powered or diesel-powered commercial vessels.

“With this journey — the first between two continents in an electric vessel — we’re showing what’s possible with electric hydrofoils: clean, cost-effective transport that connect cities and communities,” said Hasselskog.

The Candela C8 Polestar uses the same 69 kWh battery as the Polestar Model 2 vehicle, which offers as much as 57 nautical miles of range. The C8 Polestar carries a top speed of 22 knots and with a DC fast charger can go from 10% to 80% charge in under 30 minutes.

You can watch the mini-documentary of Hasselskog's record setting journey below:

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