Candela C-8 Polestar Edition hydrofoil boat lifts Swedish luxury design

This sleek edition of the acclaimed Candela C-8 electric hydrofoil boat has been created in close collaboration with Polestar. The Swedish carmaker already supplies Candela with its battery packs, incorporating the same 69kW unit you’ll find in the Polestar 2.

The hydrofoil design is finding favour with electric boat builders (see BMW and Tyde’s recent one-off, The Icon), thanks to the low drag resistance of the foils that lift the craft out of the water at speed, stabilised by computers. This cuts energy consumption by about 80 per cent in comparison to conventional electric boats, greatly increasing the range and performance. 

Candela is a Stockholm based company with a fleet of electric-powered craft designed and built in Sweden and aimed at leisure and light commuting (especially useful in a country with the most islands on the planet – over 260,000, of which 1,000 are inhabited). 

The Polestar collaboration brings the carmaker’s refined palette of colour and materials to Candela’s marine-proofed interior, including a new solid light grey hue for the hull, seat upholstery that mimics the contemporary car interiors, and hydrofoils that are finished in iconic Swedish gold.

Maximilian Missoni, head of design at Polestar, describes Candela’s hydrofoil technology as a ‘paradigm shift for sustainable performance in the marine industry’, drawing parallels with the experience of driving an electric car. On a Polestar, Swedish Gold tends to be used to highlight special performance-focused elements, like the brake callipers on the Polestar 2 BST Edition 230.

The C-8 has a range of about 57 nautical miles at its cruising speed of 22 knots, considerably more than competitors. The beauty of the electric motor and foil system is the refinement of the ride, not buffeted by waves nor bothered by the sound of hull hitting water and a noisy outboard motor. 

Polestar continues to pair up with brands that share its goals in sustainable mobility. We’ve previously noted the CAKE Makka e-moped and were a guiding hand in the multifunctional electric transporter concept Re:Move, developed in collaboration with Konstantin Grcic. Next up for the brand is the company’s new Polestar 4, but we’re sure there’ll be more boundary-pushing mobility projects in the offing.

Candela C-8 Polestar Edition, from €400,000/ $450,000, deliveries from June 2024, Polestar.com, Candela.com