First flying electric ferry completes passenger test flights, starts serial production
The Swedish electric boatmaker Candela has just announced the successful completion of test flights for the Candela P-12. The flying electric ferry is now headed for serial production ahead of its upcoming commercial rollout.
Candela’s electric hydrofoil pleasure crafts are already well known, often seen flying over the surface of the water around European waterways and even in several locations in the US. The Candela C-8 electric speedboat, the company’s most advanced model to date, has set world records for endurance thanks to its incredibly efficient design.
By using computer-controlled hydrofoils to lift its boats out of the water, Candela can reduce the energy used by over 80%. That means the boats can go the same distance with just 1/5th the battery, or 5x as far with the same battery as many larger and more powerful electric boats.
The hydrofoil operation also has another advantage in that it leaves no wake behind the boat. In areas like Venice where boats are required to travel slowly in order to not create wakes that erode canal edges and buildings, Candela’s boats are permitted to travel at higher speeds.
The new Candela P-12 uses the same hydrofoil technology as the company’s other boats, but supersizes it to fit up to 30 passengers. That makes the P-12 ideal for commercial use in ferry operations while solving the main issue that has hampered the spread of commercial electric boats: reduced range.
The P-12 has a range of up to 100 km (62 miles or 54 nautical miles) from its 252 kWh battery. That’s more than enough range to cover most coastal transport needs. But more importantly for commercial ferries, it can also recharge quickly with DC Fast Charging, as we’ve seen employed by Candela’s other vessels on their record-setting endurance runs.
Candela’s boats also only require a typical automotive-style DC charging station, similar to the ones you’d find in a car parking lot. That means they can use existing dock infrastructure and lower-cost chargers, unlike most commercial electric ferries that require astronomically-priced megawatt-level chargers. With a more affordable charger and the ability to use existing dock infrastructure, it makes it easier for operators to switch to electric ferries with minimal infrastructure investment.
The P-12 is so efficient that it can have a turnaround time of under two minutes per ferry stop while still using existing dock infrastructure with its own extendable boarding ramp. That quick turnaround time is thanks to the thrust vectoring of Candela’s pair of C-POD motors, developed in-house to offer a combined 340 kW (456 hp) of peak power. The thrust-vectoring provides for nimble maneuvering, even moving sideways when necessary.
According to Candela, “the P-12 is engineered to offer similar or lower initial investment costs for operators while boosting profits compared to traditional Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vessels.”
The Candela P-12 is now entering serial production, after which it will sell for €1.7 million. That’s in line with the current cost of combustion engine-powered ferries today and significantly less than competing electric ferries, according to the company. Furthermore, the lower operating expenses means that the vessel is expected to cut operators’ costs per passenger kilometer by around 50%, similar to how hybrid and electric buses have helped transportation companies significantly reduce operating costs.
As Candela’s Director for Commercial Vessels Erik Eklund explained, “With the P-12, we’re not just offering a faster, more comfortable electric alternative to fossil fuel-powered vessels. We enable operators to make the switch to sustainable vessels that are cost-effective and profitable, a crucial step towards clean oceans and lakes.”
You can see the P-12 in action in the video below.
The new vessel will be available in three variants: the P-12 Shuttle, P-12 Business, and P-12 Voyager.
The Shuttle configuration can seat 30 passengers and sets a new benchmark for sustainable commuting with the lowest operational costs in the industry. It also features space for bicycles, strollers, and wheelchairs to encourage the integration of cycling with public transport.
The Business version of the P-12 features a premium interior with seating for 12 to 20 passengers along with extra room for their luggage, and the highly adaptable Voyager version offers customers flexibility in interior design, catering to both private leisure and commercial clients.
Electrek’s Take
This is some James Bond stuff, if I’ve ever seen any. It looks like it should have been in the last movie. I know it’s meant to shuttle us average Joes around affordably, but that business version should be someone’s waterborne lair.
On a serious note though, I’m loving the proliferation of hydrofoil electric boats. It just makes so much sense to cut your energy requirements by over 80% simply by lifting the boat out of the water. I mean, I say “simply,” but of course the magic that makes this work is anything but simple. Hats off to the folks at Candela who have made it look this easy though. As some of my readers may remember, I’ve tested a few Candela hydrofoil electric boats in Sweden, and I can confirm that it really is bizarrely easy to pilot them. The testing video is below, for proof.
Taking this electrically-powered hydrofoil watercraft technology to commercial operators is the obvious next step and I’m glad to see it finally happening.
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BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.
The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.
The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.
But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.
The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.
There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.
BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.
With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.
Electrek’s Take
I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.
Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.
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If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.
Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!
I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!
Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.
To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.
Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!
Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.
The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.
The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!
I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.
That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.
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