Candela Speed Boat AB has released the first pictures of what it says will be the world’s fastest, longest-range, and most-energy-efficient electric ship ever. The P-12 Shuttle will be shuttling citizens between the Stockholm suburb of Ekerö and the city center in the coming year.

According to the company, the 30-passenger electric vessel can fly over the water at a speed of 30 knots, which is considerably faster than any other electric ship in the world. The ship provides faster commuting than the subway and bus lines it competes with, and it is infinitely more energy-efficient than the diesel vessels currently servicing the same route. Perhaps most significantly, it is faster than traveling by car during rush hour.

Like other Candela boats such as the P-8 Voyager and fast-selling C-8, the secret to the shuttle’s high speed and long range are active hydrofoils. Its three carbon-fiber wings extend from under the hull to allow the ship to lift itself above the water and decrease drag.

Candela’s technology is said to reduce energy per passenger km by 95% compared to current vessels, allowing for an average range of 50 nautical mi (93 km) at service speed. At a 25-knots (46-km/h) service speed, the actual range could vary from 40 to 60 nmi (74 to 111 km), depending on conditions.

Using the equivalent of 0.1 kW·h of electricity per passenger km, the ship is more energy-efficient than a hybrid-electric bus. With up to 200 kW DC charging, its battery can be charged in under 1 h.

The ship is 11.99 m (39.3 ft) long, has a 4.5-m (14.8-ft) beam, and has a mass of 8.5 t (9.4 ton). It uses two Candela C-POD motors and a 180-kW·h battery pack. While top speed is 30 knots (56 km/h), service speed ranges from 25 to 27 knots (46 to 50 km/h).

With the ability to cover even the longest routes in Stockholm at high speeds, the P-12 Shuttle will be used to shorten the commute between Ekerö and the city. Currently a 55-min trip by bus, subway, conventional ferry, or even car during rush hour, the water shuttle will cover the 15-km (8-nmi) route in only 25 min—saving commuters an average of 50 min per day.

“This will have a huge positive impact on people’s lives,” said Erik Eklund, Vice President, Commercial Vessels, Candela Speed Boat. “You can work one more hour or pick up your kids from school one hour earlier.”

Since the hydrofoiling P-12 creates nearly zero wakes, it has been granted an exemption from the 12-knot speed limit, allowing it to “fly” into the city center without causing wave damage to other vessels or sensitive shorelines.

Riders prone to seasickness will appreciate the smooth ride in adverse weather. Flying above the waves, the Candela Flight Controller computer, which regulates the hydrofoils 100 times per s, ensures a steady, smooth ride over waves that would make many feel queasy.

“There’s no other ship that has this kind of active electronic stabilization,” said Eklund. “Flying aboard the P-12 Shuttle in rough seas will feel more like being on a modern express train than on a boat: it’s quiet, smooth, and stable.”

The Region of Stockholm will operate the first P-12 Shuttle ship for a nine-month trial period in 2023. If it meets expectations, the hope is that not only the city’s fleet of over 70 diesel vessels eventually will be replaced by P-12 Shuttles, but also that land transport from congested highways can shift to the waterways.

“Maritime traffic is the region’s most popular public transport, and I want to expand it,” said Gustav Hemming, Vice President of the Regional Executive Board in Stockholm. “But we need better technology to travel faster and reduce climate impact. Therefore, we are happy to try this new technology for waterborne traffic.”

Ever since faster and cheaper steam trains started to replace expensive and slow coal-fired packet boats in the 1850s, urban transport has come to rely on land-based vehicles—even in cities like Stockholm, San Francisco, and New York, where the waterways offer natural cross-connections between regions and boroughs. With the P-12 Shuttle, Candela believes the current status quo will once again be challenged. Unlike with new subway lines or highways, the flying electric ship can be inserted on new routes without massive infrastructure investments; all that is needed is a dock and electric power.

Candela’s vision is to replace today’s large, predominantly diesel, ships with nimble fleets of faster and smaller P-12 Shuttles, allowing for more frequent departures and more passengers carried, at a lower cost for the operator. On the Stockholm-Ekerö route, Candela’s proposal is to replace the current pair of 200-person diesel vessels with at least five P-12 Shuttles, which would double passenger volume potential and lower operating costs.

“Instead of two departures per day, there would be a P-12 Shuttle departing every 11 minutes,” said Eklund. “This allows commuters to ignore timetables and just go to the dock and wait for the next boat.”

Candela will be laying the carbon fiber keel for the first P-12 Shuttle at the company’s new, automated factory in Rotebro, outside Stockholm, toward the end of 2022. After initial tests, the first commuters in Stockholm will embark on the 40-ft vessel in 2023.

Serial production is expected to ramp quickly using production methods already streamlined for Candela’s leisure boat manufacturing. The company aims to eventually produce hundreds of P-12 Shuttles a year. The company sees a huge demand from over 600 cities, municipalities, vessel operators, and urban developers that already have expressed interest in the faster, cheaper, and green alternative to existing diesel ships or land transport.