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 building a comeback. But, what operators struggle to offer is a rapid, sustainable mode of transit. “Commuters want speed,” declared Jakob Kuttenkeuler, a professor of naval architecture at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. Over the last 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 start-up, 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 utilizes 80% less energy, according to SL, the Stockholm public transport authority. Gustav Hasselskog, Candela’s founder and chief executive, declared the realisation, 11 years ago, that his speedboat guzzled 15 times as much fuel as his car had set him on a course to develop an energy-efficient maritime solution. “High-speed passenger ferries and boats are the least fuel-efficient mode of transit in the world becautilize almost all energy is utilized to push away the water,” he declared. “If you convert to electric, you necessary massive amounts of batteries, which are expensive and have limited range. The only way to go far and rapid on the same battery is when you hydrofoil.” Hydrofoils are the winglike structures mounted under a boat’s hull to lift the craft above the water as it gains speed, much as airplane wings do through the air. The technique drastically reduces drag from water friction and allows for rapider, more energy-efficient travel.Kuttenkeuler, who invented the Efoil, an electric hydrofoil board that glides above the water’s surface, declared hydrofoil technology was a common marine transport system in the 1980s but was phased out becautilize of the high operational costs. Advancements in digitalization, composite materials and sensor technology have contributed to its comeback, he added. In addition to the environmental benefits, the electric hydrofoil has several other advantages. The batteries are relatively tiny, so they do not require massive charging infrastructure. They do not generate waves that erode the shoreline or wreak havoc for windsurfers and moored boats in their wake. And becautilize they are kept level by a computer and soar over the waves, they do not cautilize seasickness. So far, Mumbai, India, has the most ambitious plans for the P-12. JalVimana, the local shuttle operator, will launch with 11 ferries on popular tourist routes from the Gateway of India to Alibag and Elephanta Island. A third route will connect the airport with the centre of Mumbai, cutting travel time from 90 minutes by car to less than 30 minutes on the water.
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