Goodbye heat engine? Candela announces the C-Pod, the most efficient engine ever

After the Candela Seven, the electric boat that flies on foils (click here to see the test), Candela wants to revolutionize boating again with C-Pod. What is it all about? The company presents it as the most efficient and durable boat engine ever made. In all this he will be able to push the boat at 30 knots. And of course it is 100 percent electric. Revolutionary engine? For now, it is all to be seen (and especially tested), but the Swedish shipyard seems to be betting big on this project.

Elettrica e coi foil. Abbiamo provato Candela, la rivoluzionaria

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C-Pod, how Candela’s new engine works

With a power output of 50 kW and 26 kilograms in weight, the new engine has a first key feature: it is underwater. This solves two problems: an aesthetic one, in that the line of the boat remains clean, and more importantly a practical one: the engines are easier to cool. According to the site, the pod cools directly with the flow of water allowing more power to be extracted from the engine. At the base are two ultra-compact permanent magnet motors under water provide unparalleled range and efficiency

To this the Candela also adds another prerogative: over 3 thousand hours of maintenance-free use. This engine will be equipped with a double counter-rotating propeller to increase the efficiency of the propeller to 80%. The double propeller generally has the advantage of having a greater grip on water than a single one.

“C-POD,” says the company, “is the first electric pod motor designed for high-speed boats. The direct, all-electric drive reduces friction to a minimum and provides 23 percent more range than the best electric outboards.” Always Candela then ensures absolute quietness since the engine has virtually no gears. This also explains why 3,000 hours without maintenance are promised: this pod has no gears, oil or anything else.

Goodbye heat engine?

Meanwhile, on the homepage of Candela’s website(click here) there is an active count-down with 2021-08-26 15:00 CET as the “transition” date for the heat engine. This shows how the Swedish company is increasingly intent on taking combustion engines for boats out of the picture.