Driving the electric speedboat of the future

We have seen the future, and it is a long distance from the way things look on Australian waterways today.

I needed three seconds to be convinced by the potential offered by electric speedboats.

But only because I needed that long to realise we had shrugged off moorings in ritzy Rushcutters Bay and were already underway to Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House for a test drive.

Others won’t need so much time.

Like a Lamborghini Aventador, the Candela is made in Europe from carbon fibre. Photo: Supplied

It’s immediately clear that the Candela C8 electric speedboat imported by Carbon Yachts for the Sydney International Boat Show should represent the future of water transport.

Or part of it, at the very least.

It’s near silent, with a smooth and vibration-free propulsion system that feels more like sailing than riding in a conventional speedboat.

Candela event manager Emilia Mehks with the C8.

And it has the effortless thrust of a power cruiser, despite producing just 50kW of power – less than a cheap hatchback.

The electric yacht represents a shock to the system. Photo: Supplied

That’s because the Candela rides on hydrofoils that lift its carbon fibre hull clear of the waterline, minimising drag.

Think of it as a speedboat riding on its own set of water skis.

The variable-height foils return an eerily smooth ride, with zero chop from the water, and minimal splashy sounds against the body of the boat.

Wing-like hydrofoils hoist the hull clear of the ocean. Photo: Supplied

Which means there is minimal wake disturbance behind the boat, a development that will thrill harbourside property owners concerned by the spectre of erosion.

Fair enough. A Top Gun-esque flyby from a powerboat on Sydney Harbour might wash away a few hundred grams of the most valuable soil in the nation.

Then again, it’s hard to feel sorry for folks whose homes are girt by quay.

It’s a vessel worthy of the world’s most recognisable harbour. Photo: Supplied

A glorious excursion on the yacht rams home the fact that, though I’ve lived in the state capital for years, my personal reality is more Greenacre than emerald city.

I’m not a boatoring writer, so I can’t offer much in the way of expertise surrounding how the electric speedboat stacks up.

Candela says it is the quietest mass-produced power boat, and that its 100-plus kilometre range is the envy of the class.

The Polestar-sourced battery returns a claimed range of 57 nautical miles (105.5 kilometres). That doesn’t sound like a lot, though it would get you from Sydney to Bowral, should the road authority ever dig a canal alongside the Hume Highway.

Electric Candela C8 motor yacht on Sydney Harbour. Photo: Supplied

The €330,000 ($550,000) starting price seems steep before you factor in taxes, delivery fees and other costs that add another $200,000 to the price.

Then again, at about $20 for a full charge, it’s a lot cheaper to fuel than a powerboat.

Servicing should be simpler, too.

A top speed of 27 knots (50km/h) feels a little low.

Then again, Ian Thorpe only ever managed to swim at about seven knots, and what has he ever done?

The significantly less glamorous Candela P-12 electric ferry looks like a poorly executed movie prop from a straight-to-streaming Jaws remake. Photo: Henrik MONTGOMERY/AFP

Just as we are all more likely to ride in an electric bus than take hold of the suede-like steering wheel of a Porsche Taycan Turbo GT (Australia’s fastest electric car), the real benefit of Candela’s tech might be found in electric commuter ferries that can transport hordes in silent comfort, without the choppy ride, rumbling vibrations, smelly engine fumes and loud exhaust of a conventional boat.

Especially as that list of drawbacks is what my tribe love about Red Wings, the family speedboat.

Powered by a throbbing V8 from an old Ford truck, the little wooden cruiser is a low-tech triumph.

She’s anything but silent.

James Bremer with 'Red Wings' on Burrendong Dam.

Close your eyes and the sound of Red Wings streaking across Burrendong Dam could be Dick Johnson thundering down Conrod Straight on the way to Bathurst glory.

And if you’re lucky enough to be hauled clear of the water by her ski rope, you’ll need far less than three seconds to know you’re moving.

But that boat belongs in the past. The future is surely electric.

Originally published as Driving the electric speedboat of the future