World’s first electric hydrofoil ferry line takes off in Stockholm

Nova departed from its dock in the suburb of Tappström, powered by its electric motors, and took off. Flying silently a metre above the water’s surface, it completed the 15-km route to Stockholm’s City Hall in just over 30 minutes. For commuters on the world’s first electric foiling ship, the usual morning commute took half the usual time.

Nova is the first of Candela’s new P-12 models to enter service. Its computer-controlled hydrofoil wings lift the hull above water, reducing energy consumption by 80% compared with conventional vessels by cutting water friction.

“This is a paradigm shift for urban transport and a revival of our waterways,” said Candela founder and chief executive Gustav Hasselskog.

“Conventional ships haven’t evolved much in 100 years and are among the least energy-efficient transport modes, only rivalled by a battle tank,” said Mr Hasselskog.

The challenge with conventional fast vessels is they consume enormous amounts of energy at high speeds, plowing through the water. This makes electrification difficult, as their range is limited, even with large batteries.

In a statement, Candela explained Stockholm’s 70 public transport vessels use more fossil fuels than the city’s buses and trains combined, despite representing only a small share of total ridership. Water transport is costly and slow, as the vessels create large wakes, limiting their speed in the city centre. Candela P-12’s hydrofoil technology addresses these challenges.

Since Nova flies above the water rather than pushing through it like conventional vessels, it creates minimal wake. As a result, the ferry is allowed to travel at high speeds within the city limits, where other vessels are restricted by wake regulations. It runs on 100% renewable electricity, and emits minimal noise even at high speeds, thanks to its electric C-POD motors with no mechanical transmission.

Candela said, “Thanks to its hydrofoil technology, Nova is not only the fastest electric ferry in operation in the world but also the fastest in Stockholm’s public transport fleet, cruising at 25 knots — outpacing the diesel-powered V-class ferries that previously held the speed record.”

“Our waterways are underutilised due to the high costs, wake concerns, and emissions of traditional vessels. If we can unlock this potential, we can make cities more attractive,” said Mr Hasselskog.

Nova will operate in 2024 until the waters freeze, resuming service in spring and continuing through August 2025. The route is a pilot project run by Candela, Trafikverket and Region Stockholm which aims to explore how hydrofoil technology can enable faster, more affordable, and emissions-free maritime travel, creating new transit patterns in Stockholm.

In 2024, Candela received orders from Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and Germany, with additional clients to be announced.

“For the first time, there is a vessel that makes waterborne transport faster, greener and more affordable than land transport. It’s a renaissance for the world’s waterways, and it’s exciting that Stockholm is leading the way,” said Mr Hasselskog.