High-speed hydrofoil e-ferry is quieter than a library

Swedish electric boat company Candela has just unveiled the P-12 Business, a 16-passenger hydrofoil ferry it's calling the quietest high-speed vessel on the water.

The P-12 Business is the high-end evolution of a platform already doing real work. The standard P-12 entered regular passenger service in Stockholm in 2024 and quickly became a benchmark for urban water transit. This new model variant offers passengers a quieter and more luxurious ride.

"We've engineered comfort into the ride itself," says Gustav Hasselskog, Candela’s CEO and founder. "It is a surreal experience to sip coffee, converse with fellow passengers, and take in the views while traveling at 25 knots over the waves – without hearing or feeling them. If there ever was a magic carpet, we’ve made it."

The secret to the quiet nature of the new P-12 starts underwater. Hydrofoils are submerged wings that generate lift as the vessel accelerates, eventually raising the entire hull clear of the surface. No hull means no wave impacts, and that's where most of a regular speedboat's noise and vibration come from.

At cruising speed, the cabin measured just 63-64 dB in Stockholm commissioning trials, well below the 65-75 dB passengers typically experience on a modern ferry. The decibel scale is logarithmic, meaning every 10 dB drop roughly halves perceived loudness – so the gap between the P-12 Business and a conventional ferry isn't a marginal improvement. To human ears, it's the difference between a busy pub and a quiet library.

Instead of battering through waves, the P-12 Business flies above them at 25 knots (29 mph or 46.3 km/h). An onboard computer constantly adjusts the foil angles to hold a smooth ride even in choppy conditions using the same basic principle as the control surfaces on a fighter jet.

Power comes from two C-POD electric motors producing a combined peak of 320 kW (429 hp). Range is 40 nautical miles (74 km/46 miles) at service speed, and the boat supports DC fast charging at up to 300 kW – meaning a port stop, not an overnight layover.

Because it's flying rather than plowing, energy consumption runs up to 80% lower than comparable conventional vessels. The near-zero wake – the wave trail left behind by regular boats – is a genuine bonus for coral reefs and shoreline ecosystems that conventional ferry traffic tends to damage over time.

Configured for 16 passengers – with room for up to 20 – the cabin rocks thick carpeting, proper seats with ample legroom, a coffee bar, Wi-Fi, USB-C charging at every position, and ambient ceiling lighting for evening crossings. The result looks more like a VIP airport lounge than anything that floats.

The first P-12 Business vessels are heading to the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, and Mumbai. In India, the craft will run between the Gateway of India and the new Navi Mumbai airport, replacing the aging wooden diesel ferries that currently make that crossing – and finally giving one of the world's busiest waterfront corridors something resembling an express service.

"It’s a win-win vessel," says Hasselskog. "A vastly better experience, and it has a profound positive impact on the marine ecosystems where it operates. Water transport is about to get its greatest upgrade ever,."

Source: Candela