Frequently Asked Questions
The Candela Seven
- There are many other electric boats out there. What makes the Candela Seven different?
- How does Candela Seven handle high waves and rough water?
- Why is Candela seven the longest-range electric boat on the market?
- When do deliveries begin?
- What is the cost of driving a Candela Seven?
- Does the Candela Seven produce any wake at high speeds?
- How do you keep the boat stable?
- What materials do you use for the hull?
- What about maintenance?
- Where is the boat manufactured?
- Are the foils retractable? Can you drive in shallow water?
- What happens if you hit something in the water?
- Which colours can you choose?
- Can I have something else than teak-decking?
The Candela Seven
There are many other electric boats out there. What makes the Candela Seven different?
All other electrical boats one the market have planing hulls which are draggy and therefore unsuited to electrification.
A 7,7m long planing recreational boat consumes 12-18 times more fuel than a family car. At the same time, one kilo of the best lithium-ion batteries contains just a few percent of the energy that can be extracted from a kilo of gasoline. Because of this, planing electrical boats are doomed to either short range or low speed. Even putting a battery pack of a 100 kWh or more in a planing boat will only result in 20-30 nautical miles of range at 20 knots (even if some boat makers unrealistically claim higher range). The only way of solving this energy equation is to use hydrofoils.
How does Candela Seven handle high waves and rough water?
Better than anything else you’ve driven. Candela Seven’s seakeeping capabilities are second to none. Instead of pounding the waves, we fly over them. There’s no slamming, no heaving or rolling. Waves up to 1,2 meter just pass under the hull.
In really rough conditions, Candela Seven is like any other boat. You just reduce speed. However, the foils now act like a keel and give extra stability. See more on our YouTube channel.
Why is Candela seven the longest-range electric boat on the market?
Candela is a foiling boat. The foils lift the boat out of the water and reduce energy consumption by 80 percent compared to a normal, gas powered boat of the same size.
When do deliveries begin?
Serial production has already started at our factory outside Stockholm, Sweden. If you order now, we’ll deliver your boat within six to eight months due to high demand.
What is the cost of driving a Candela Seven?
The Seven is 95 percent cheaper to drive than a gas-powered boat! A full charge costs 5-7 €. A comparable fossil fuel bowrider would use fuel for 200 €.
Does the Candela Seven produce any wake at high speeds?
Nearly none. The foils cut through the surface without producing any swell, so sensitive marine habitats, moored boats and docks are spared from wake impact.
How do you keep the boat stable?
We use an advanced control system that makes the naturally unstable boat stable as a rock in just about any condition. Two ultrasonic sensors in the bow measure wave height. Height, roll and pitch are judged by sensors. These sensors adjust the foils 100 times per second, keeping the boat stable.
What materials do you use for the hull?
We exclusively use carbon fiber.
What about maintenance?
Going electric means no complicated engine, less breakdowns and less maintenance. We recommend one scheduled service appointment per year. Also, in cold climates, winterization should be done.
Where is the boat manufactured?
Candela is made in Stockholm, right in the eastern Swedish archipelago. Assembly is done in our own factory on the island of Lidingö, Stockholm, where we also make the carbon fiber deck. The hull and deck are made 100% in-house.
Are the foils retractable? Can you drive in shallow water?
Yes, the foils are fully retractable by the push of a button. In shallow water mode, draft is 0,7 meters. Candela Seven can be launched and stored on a custom float-on trailer.
What happens if you hit something in the water?
The foils are made from carbon fiber and are extremely strong, so hitting smaller debris will have little to no effect. Hitting a bigger object – a log or rock for example - will result in the foil breaking off at a designed point. Thus, the boat’s hull is spared from damage and buoyancy guaranteed.
Which colours can you choose?
We offer the Candela Seven in white as standard, with 4 signature colors available as a paid options. A fully customized color is also available upon request.
Can I have something else than teak-decking?
Yes, we offer the boat without the teak-decking, although we do recommend going for teak. We have looked on alternative foam based team imitations. Let's discuss with our production department.
Range
What is the range at high speed?
Real-world and validated range is 50 nautical miles in 20 knots. This means you can cruise for more than two hours without noise, emissions or wake.
What is the top speed and corresponding range?
Top speed is 30 knots, with a range of 32 nautical miles.
Specifications
What motor and battery do you use?
Battery: 40 kWh lithium ion NMC battery pack (from BMWi3).
Motor: 70 kW for take off, 16 kW in 23 knots, 37 kW full speed.
What is the maximum passenger capacity?
Driver + 700 kg.
Charging
How do you charge the Candela Seven?
Hydrofoiling allows for much smaller batteries than non-foiling boats require. Therefore, our boats can charge pretty much anywhere. We utilize 230V/16A 1-phase or 110V34A 1-phase, We also offer 3-phase charging.
And how long does it take?
Charging a Candela is much faster than other boats, when taking into account nautical miles per hour spent charging. A full charge takes approximately 12 hours on 3.5 kW of power. With a 3-phase connection, the charging time is brought to 4 hours, on a relatively common 11 kW connection. Many other electric boats usually require 12h+ on a 11 kW connection.
About Hydrofoiling
I’ve seen other hydrofoil boats – what’s so special with Candela Seven?
Good question! While there are other hydrofoil boats around, they typically have surface piercing foils that are less effective than the fully submerged hydrofoils of Candela Seven. Our foils produce so little drag so that we can drive farther than the competition: For 2.5 hours in 20 knots, or 50 nautical miles. That’s an absolute world record for electric boats.
How does a foiling boat work?
Hydrofoils are basically wings under the water. Under the surface, the Candela Seven works pretty much like an airplane. The main wing is mounted on struts under the hull and a smaller wing is mounted in the stern where the motor is located. At 16 knots, these wings produce so much lift that the boat flies above the water, thus reducing drag from the hull to zero.
About Candela
How many boats have you sold?
Deliveries began in Summer 2019, and by November 2020 we’ve delivered 18 boats to customers all over the world.
Who owns Candela?
Candela has received funding from several investors, one of whom, Chris Anderson, is the Curator of TED.com, the company behind the concept of “Ideas worth spreading” and the massively popular online video series TED-Talks.
Why do you build the boats in Sweden, it must be expensive?
When creating something completely new it is important with good control of quality and communication, meaning we will keep building our boats in Stockholm and make sure to deliver exceptional boats.