Sweden tests a boat that rises on skates and is 100% electric

A Swedish company is testing a electric ferry which rests on skates and the helmet protrudes one meter from the water, with the aim of transporting passengers starting in October in Stockholm.

Equipped with three carbon fiber fins (“foil”) under its hull and powered by a lithium battery, this hydropter “it is able to glide over water” if it reaches sufficient speed, explains Andrea Meschini, who heads the research and development tests of the “P-12 Candle” from the Swedish company of the same name.

The boat maintains its stability automatically thanks to sensors that constantly adjust the foil.

As the ship moves over the water, “consumes up to a 80% less energy than a classic boat”, says its commander during a demonstration of the prototype off the coast of the Stockholm archipelago.

By eliminating friction and wave resistance on the hull, the boat is allowed to sail much faster than conventional models, up to 55 km/h. In Stockholm, the “P-12″ The train will cover a busy route between the city centre and an island in the west of the archipelago. The journey will take 35 minutes, half the time required by land.

The contract signed with SL – the public transport authority of the Swedish capital – provides for the introduction of a single model, which will be able to carry up to 30 passengers, from October. “It’s amazing, we are in the future”commented Meschini, maneuvering with a simple ‘joystick’ the ship, which he compared to a “flying carpet”.

Despite the waves and the agitation caused by the other ships, you hardly feel anything on board the ship. The ship is “small, fast, non-polluting and almost noiseless”, the captain boasts.

“Our main mission has always been to make maritime transport efficient, sustainable and without fossil fuels.” says Meschini. However, the construction of the ship has had an environmental impact: the extraction of lithium, which makes up the ship’s battery, requires a lot of water.

With this model, the company seeks to conquer carbon-free maritime public transport on an international level. Maritime transport is responsible for 3% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.