Boat Floating On Air, The Future Of Mobility?
August 20, 2020The electric revolution has put the internal combustion engine on notice. In terms of propulsion, they are far simpler, more efficient and require less maintenance. In fact, many countries including the UK, plan on barring petrol powered vehicles from entering its cities by 2032. Someday soon, electric cars will dominate most cities around the world.
Unfortunately, this revolution hasn’t caught on with other modes of transportation, especially when it comes to boats. At least that’s what we thought. Candela speedboat in Stockholm, Sweden have produced the Candela Seven, a boat that uses an ingenious method of wading through water currents like a hot knife through butter.
The boat uses hydrofoils that prop it up above water, and make it seem as though it’s floating over the water. Unlike conventional boats, only a minimal cross section of the Seven’s body ever touches the water. This results in an 80% reduction in friction between its hull and the water. As such, it has 3 times the range (92km) of a conventional electric boat.
The hyrdrofoils and clever software used to position them, allow the Seven to cut through wakes created by much larger ships, like they weren’t even there. This dramatically increases the level of efficiency and reduces travel time. And as such, the boat is able to reach a top speed of 55km/h, which is impressive for what it is.
Ultrasonic sensors fitted to the front of the boat detect approaching waves. The on-board flight controller then uses this data to adjust the hydrofoils (100 times per second) to counteract the waves and side winds. This helps it to offer a silent and steady journey over choppy water and swells.
This level of efficiency, makes a strong case for electric boats as a sensible mode of transportation for underused waterways. They can dramatically reduce congestion on roads, by ferrying people around urban areas. And since it produces zero wake, the boat can go full speed without causing inconvenience for other boats, marine life or create erosion problems.
German VOX pitted the Seven against its road going equivalent, the Tesla Model 3, to gauge its effectiveness as an alternative to land based transportation. On its TV show, “Auto-mobil”, they arranged a race between Cologne and Düsseldorf, two cities connected by the river Rhine. The Tesla would be able to use the Autobahn en route to its destination.
In case you didn’t know, the Autobahn is a network of relatively straight highways in Germany without speed limits. In theory, you could go as fast as you’d like without breaking the law. Over the years, authorities have restricted vehicle speeds for certain sections, but others still remain de-restricted. And this would work to the advantage of the Tesla.
It’s an interesting episode that portrays the uniqueness of each vehicle and the advantages that they bring to the table. The video is available at this link along with several others published by VOX Germany.
The Candela Seven isn’t a ‘proof of concept’. It is a full-fledged boat that has been in production since late last year. Customers from all over the world have already taken ownership of them. Equipped with a 40kWh battery, the Seven costs 95% less to run than an equivalent petrol powered boat and has a range of 92km.
