Many cities around the world are seeking to make public transport less polluting and more efficient. For those located on waterways, a high-tech ferry being used in Sweden could be part of the answer. Electric boat maker Candela’s new ferry named P-12 is a hydrofoil that barely makes a sound as it glides more than a meter above the sea in Stockholm. The vessel is designed to carry 30 passengers at a maximum speed of 56 kph, which is considerably faster than normal electric passenger boats. That is because the carbon fibre hydrofoil wings drastically reduce water resistance by lifting the boat. That makes it 95% more energy efficient than standard diesel ferries. An added benefit is that the P-12 does not make waves, so it does not disturb other boats, and is exempt from speed limits. 

The hydrofoils that the P-12 rides on, are regulated 100 times per second by a special computer system which judges the state of the sea to instantly adjust to any effects on the surface. This allows the vessel to operate safely and efficiently in waves up to two metres high. The director of Candela says, “This is a real leap forward. The energy savings we get by going airborne on the foils allows our batteries to give us the speed and range that surface electric boats cannot match.” The company hopes that their success in Stockholm will lead the way for the P-12 to be used in cities like San Francisco, New York and Venice.