Swedish electric car maker Polestar will provide battery and charging systems for Candela’s hydrofoil vessels. The battery deal will enable Candela to scale up production, getting a step closer to mass-market electric boating.
The two Swedish companies have signed an agreement which will see Polestar supply the battery and charging systems for Candela’s hydrofoiling speedboats. The deal lets Candela utilize state-of-the art automotive battery technology and scale up production of its electric boats.
“To make electric boats mainstream, we need to build thousands of boats every year,” said Gustav Hasselskog, Candela CEO and founder. “Working together with Polestar, we’re able to bring the scale of production and world class engineering from the automotive industry to the marine sector.”
Both companies hope the agreement will propel the growth of sustainable electric mobility in society.
“I am fascinated by [the] way Candela’s boats glide elegantly and efficient through, or better, over the water – amazing proof of the great aesthetics and experiences modern, sustainable technology can create,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “That Polestar will be part of future projects with Candela by supplying an essential part for the innovative propulsion of their boats, is awesome. As a battery supplier to Candela, we can help drive the transition to cleaner oceans and lakes, and electrify waterborne transport.”
The deal represents an attempt to overcome two major hurdles for electrifying boating.
The first is the massive energy consumption of conventional powerboat hulls, which so far has resulted in poor performance of electric boats. This obstacle has been cleared by Candela’s hydrofoil technology that cuts energy usage of powerboats by up to 80%.
The second hurdle has been the prohibitively high cost of marine batteries for electric boats. Electric boatbuilders have typically relied on smaller, boutique vendors of marine battery packs. Scarcity and high unit costs of these packs are two factors that have prevented electric boats from achieving parity with ICE vessels.
“Thanks to the partnership with Polestar, we’re able to secure state-of-the-art battery packs for our production ramp-up,” said Hasselskog. “As the number of electric vehicles increases worldwide, a steady battery supply will become increasingly important to hold a competitive edge and allow us to compete with combustion engine boats.”
The battery supply agreement is the beginning of a broader intended partnership between Polestar and Candela, with both companies committed to exploring further opportunities for future collaboration.
You can read E&H Marine’s feature on Candela’s technology here.