Imagine your morning commute: instead of sitting in traffic or squeezing onto a crowded train, you step aboard a sleek white vessel that lifts smoothly out of the water and glides above the surface at 30 knots, leaving barely a ripple behind. This isn't science fiction — it's the Candela P-12, the world's first electric hydrofoil passenger ferry, and it's already carrying passengers in Scandinavia.
The Swedish company Candela has been quietly revolutionizing marine transportation, and 2026 is shaping up as the year their technology goes global. After successful trials in Norway's Trondheim Fjord in late 2025 — where a "flying ferry" returned to the route after a 55-year absence — the company is now expanding to new cities, with orders from municipalities in New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and across Europe.
The technology behind the P-12 is deceptively simple in concept: computer-controlled hydrofoils extend beneath the hull, and at speed, the entire vessel rises above the water's surface. This eliminates wave resistance — the primary source of energy loss in conventional boats — reducing energy consumption by approximately 80% compared to traditional diesel ferries.
"We're not just making boats electric," said Gustav Hasselskog, Candela's CEO and founder. "We're making water transportation as smooth and efficient as it should have been all along."
The passenger experience is a revelation. Because the hull clears the water, there's virtually no rocking, bouncing, or seasickness — a common barrier to ferry ridership. The ride is so stable that passengers can work on laptops or drink coffee without spilling a drop, even in choppy conditions.
For cities built around waterways — Stockholm, Auckland, Istanbul, San Francisco — the implications are enormous. Water routes are often the most direct path between neighborhoods, but conventional ferries are slow, loud, polluting, and uncomfortable. The P-12 addresses every one of these problems simultaneously.
The environmental benefits extend beyond zero emissions. Because the foiling vessel produces minimal wake, it doesn't erode shorelines or disturb marine ecosystems — a significant problem with high-speed conventional ferries. The near-silent operation also eliminates noise pollution, both above and below the waterline.
In Trondheim, the trial ferry cut commute times by 40% compared to driving, while producing zero local emissions. Passenger surveys showed a 94% satisfaction rate, with many riders describing the experience as "magical" and "the future of transport."
The Candela P-12 seats 30 passengers and costs roughly the same to operate as an electric bus, making it economically viable for public transit systems. The company is already developing a larger model for higher-capacity routes.
"Every great port city was built because water was the fastest way to travel," said Hasselskog. "We're returning to that idea — but this time, it's clean, quiet, and it flies."
