Candela begins Benelux expansion
Candela’s electric boats are making their way to the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg thanks to an exclusive partnership with Benelux electric boat reseller The Green Wave.
The first Candela will arrive in Goes, southwest Netherlands, in time for the Zeeland Electric Boat Show (ZEBS) from 27 April to 1 May. The Green Wave’s Candela boats will be displayed at the company’s test drive location and glass house showroom in The Boatshed in Zeeland.
“Thanks to Candela’s hydrofoil technology, there’s finally an electric craft that has the same level of performance as gasoline boats, but with much better comfort, no wake and zero noise,” says Eric Caroen, CEO at The Green Wave.
The Netherlands, with its many canals and rivers, is implementing regulations to convert the nation’s leisure boat fleet to electric propulsion. The goal is to ban fossil boats in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and the national parks by 2030, which will boost sales of electric boats.
“Candela C-8 is the perfect boat for watersports and excursions. In normal recreation use, you can drive a whole day without recharging the battery. No other electric boat can achieve that,” continues Caroen.
“The partnership with The Boatshed is an important step for Candela’s rapid expansion in Europe,” says Gustav Hasselskog, CEO of Candela. “The Netherlands are one of the best and most beautiful countries to travel in by boat, so we believe Candela has a huge potential here. We’re very happy to partner with The Boatshed, a company that brings a fresh perspective to the boat business, just like Candela does.”
The Swedish-made Candela C-8, dubbed the ‘Tesla of the seas’, flies on computer-controlled hydrofoils that, it’s claimed, reduce energy consumption by 80 per cent compared to conventional hulls, enabling the craft to travel three times further and with a higher cruise speed than any other electric boats on the market, without creating any wake at all.
According to Candela, with a top speed of 30 knots and an endurance of two hours at 22 knots, its performance matches that only previously seen by combustion engine boats.
