Polestar has just announced major upgrades to its 2 sedan. But the Swedish/Chinese EV maker is also now dipping its tow into the water... of the boat world.
The new Candela C-8 "powered by Polestar" is the first product from a new partnership; Polestar and Candela reached an agreement in August 2022 for Polestar to supply batteries and technology to power Candela’s electric hydrofoil boats.
The C-8 uses a 69kWh battery pack and DC charging technology from the Polestar 2. Candela expects range of up to 57 nautical miles on one charge at a cruising speed of 22 knots, comparing favourably with internal combustion engine powerboats, and with a high-speed range two to three times longer than conventional electric speedboats.
“With batteries from Polestar, the Candela C-8 becomes the first electric vessel that can travel to destinations that were previously only reachable by combustion engine boats," says Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of Candela. "The Candela C-8 powered by Polestar marks a significant breakthrough for electrification at sea."
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The C-8 uses a direct drive pod motor, the Candela C-Pod, and "flies" on computer-guided hydrofoils that lift the hull above the water at high speeds, reducing energy consumption by up to 80 per cent compared to traditional motorboats.
Polestar also supplies DC fast charging technology for the C-8, as well as sharing research and development capabilities to integrate the technology and software in a marine application to transfer it from land to sea.
“Sharing know-how on batteries and vehicle engineering with Candela will help reach our shared goal of transitioning to a future where all forms of transport are sustainable,” says Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar.
The supply of batteries and charging componentry to a third party is a first for Polestar as an EV manufacturer. The company says the move "extends... efforts to drive sustainable electric mobility beyond the automotive industry.