See The Electric Speedboat Hitting Our Shores in 2022

Bobby Barker

It’s no secret that we here in New Zealand, a collective folk living on a trio of islands surrounded by two fantastic bodies of water on either side, love our boats. However, in a time where we are more aware than ever of the impact our vehicles, both on land, air and water, have on our environment, innovators in the industry have begun to look at ways to reduce the negative contribution to pollution without skimping on performance.

One of the companies leading the charge is Candela, who’s new hydrofoiling electric speedboat models are about to find their way onto our shores and could take the New Zealand market by storm. The Stockholm-based outfit have already made a name for themselves overseas with their range of electric motorboats, with some comparing them favourably to road vehicle trail-blazers, Tesla. The vehicles in their range utilise a computer-stablised technology in the form of underwater ‘wings’ (better known as hydrofoils) for propulsion, reaching speeds of up to 30 knots while using significantly less energy than traditional models.

The system also comes with the added benefits of an on-board computer, which judges water conditions in real-time and makes adjustments to assist in preventing heavy slamming when navigating choppy waters. These adjustments also allow the Candela’s to create minimal noise and wake, creating a tail wave of only 5cm when its features are working optimally. As mentioned above, Candela has already garnered a significant amount of buzz in other parts of the world, with its C-8 novel day cruiser vaulting to the number one best selling electric craft in Europe, while fetching a gaudy price of €300,000 ($520,000 NZD) per unit.

Candela CEO Gustav Hasselskog remarked that he believes the eco-conscious brand will fit well in New Zealand, a country that prides itself of its clean-green international reputation; “New Zealand is at the forefront of sustainability in so many ways… it feels great that Candela can contribute to the great work New Zealand is doing to keep its pristine waters clean”.

Candela’s C-8’s are expected to become available to Kiwi prospectors in December 2022, through a partnership with Wanaka-based dealership, Next Generation Boats. Head to their website for all the details.

All images courtesy of Candela.