Center console boats are the most popular recreational vessels on the water, with around 50,000 sold annually in the US alone and many more globally. They’re also some of the most power-consuming vessels on water. The Swedish-made Candela C-8 Center Console is designed to electrify this boat segment, offering unprecedented electric speed, range, and energy efficiency that is several times higher than traditional boats.
Flying on computer-guided hydrofoils, underwater wings, the Candela C-8 CC soars above chop and wake, using 80% less energy than conventional vee hulls, enabling a range of 57 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 22 knots. This is three times longer than any other electric boat on the market, and plenty of range for fishing trips, watersports, or cruising. For mooring, the foils retract into the hull at the push of a button on the touchscreen.
While traditional center console deep-vee fishing boats are known for their appetite for fuel, the electric Candela C-POD motor efficiently converts the stored electricity in the batteries to thrust, resulting in minimal wastage of energy to propel the C-8 forward. Combined with Candela’s hydrofoils that reduce water friction, this results in unmatched efficiency. While 28/29-foot deep-vee boats often have a pair of 400hp outboards, the C-8 CC’s single 100hp pod motor is enough to take off with eight people on board. The motor requires no maintenance for 3,000 hours.
“Flying smoothly across the sea, conversing with your passengers at a normal tone of voice, and then arriving at your destination having spent only a few euros worth of electricity getting there – that’s a better boating experience,” says Gustav Hasselskog, founder and CEO of Candela. “It’s really the best fishing machine at low speeds. With foils down, it doesn’t drift and is incredibly stable. Our Candela C-POD motor is like a high-power outdrive combined with a slow-speed trolling motor in one unit.”
Once at anchor, Candela C-8 CC offers its passengers an open bow with seating, a wetbar, sofas for up to six passengers around a table, an enclosed head, sunbed, extended swimming platform with shower, 6-speaker in-hull stereo system, and angler features, such as rod holders and depth sounder.
For anglers, Candela’s hydrofoil technology provides many advantages, including no wake, and so doesn’t disturb other boaters or marine life. The rpm of the completely silent Candela C-POD motor can be seamlessly adjusted for any speed down to 0.2 knots, making it ideal for sneaking up on the big catch.
Candela’s 230-strong team of engineers and technicians has been perfecting the hydrofoil system and software since 2014 to create the high-volume production C-8 CC. Thanks to a unique technical partnership with premium electric car maker Polestar, all C-8 models are powered by Polestar batteries. The Center Console shares the same technical platform as the Daycruiser version of the Candela C-8, which was unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January 2023 and is currently the best-selling electric boat, with over 150 orders globally.
