Could the electric hydrofoil ferry change how we commute?

New technology can help vessels glide quickly over water in less time and with fewer emissions than their diesel counterparts, writes Christina Anderson from Stockholm

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During the golden age for ferries in the 1800s, steamboats dotted the shorelines of coastal cities to transport passengers. Then cars and trains took over.

Now, driven by congestion and the revitalisation of urban waterfronts, ferries are making a comeback.

“We see it as a blue superhighway that is still untapped,” said Geoff Symonds, chief operating officer of Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, a ferry network based in London.

Ferry commuting scores higher on customer satisfaction surveys than other modes of public transit, offering amenities like ample seating, space for bikes and breathtaking skyline views, and it was the first to return to pre-pandemic ridership levels in cities like New York, San Francisco, Stockholm and Auckland, New Zealand.

What operators struggle to offer, however, is a fast, sustainable mode of transit. “Commuters want speed,” said Jakob Kuttenkeuler, a professor of naval architecture at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.

Over the past few months, however, Stockholm has been testing a vessel that may solve that problem: the world's first electric hydrofoil ferry.

Developed by a Swedish startup, Candela, a 30-seat, battery-driven vessel known as the P-12 has almost halved the commute time of a conventional diesel ferry to 30 minutes across an 11-mile stretch between the island of Ekero and City Hall in the centre of Stockholm.

At the same time, the P-12 emits 95% less emissions than the diesel ferry and uses 80% less energy, according to SL, the Stockholm public transport authority.

Hydrofoil technology is catching on in other areas, too, including the world of sports. On Wednesday, backers of an electric race boat championship known as El showed off their hydrofoil technology on the River Thames in London to promote the second season of the series. One of the hydrofoils' selling points is protecting urban waters and coastal areas.

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