It's unmistakably Polestar. The ultra-cool Scandinavian design - all minimalist aesthetic, stripped-back functions, sustainable fabrics, gold highlights and sans-serif fonts - is absolutely what you would expect from the style-focused brand. Except... you don't have to look hard to spot that the Candela C-8 Polestar Edition isn't really a Polestar. It's not even a car. It's a boat. A super-stylish, ultra-modern electric hydrofoil, sure, but it's absolutely a boat.
But, well, there's more Polestar in Candela's fast-growing range of hydrofoils than you might expect, because the partnership between the two Swedish firms extends beyond a styled-up special edition. Deep down in the hull of Candela's craft you will find Polestar's 69kWh battery pack as seen in the 2, along with the same 135kW DC fast-charging system. It's not quite an amphibious car, but this is a genuine technical partnership.
It's a very natural partnership too: there's a real philosophical link between Polestar and Candela. The Stockholm-based boat maker was founded in 2014 by Gustav Hasselskog with a mission to develop electric boats that offered significantly more range and speed. It had a prototype running in late 2016 and its first boat went into series production in 2019.
Electric boats face tougher challenges than cars: water is a very literal drag on range. Pushing a boat through even smooth water takes a vast amount of energy and that becomes amplified when things get rough. The way to maximise range? Get the boat as far out of the water as possible.
Denne historien er fra August 21, 2024-utgaven av Autocar UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 21, 2024-utgaven av Autocar UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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