Saudi Arabia’s Neom is getting electric shuttle ships that appear to hover over water to transport passengers in its waterways

The vessels Neom contracted for its waterways are the Candela P-12, billed as the world’s first high-speed and long-range electric shuttle ship. The shuttles are expected to transport passengers on the Red Sea and in Neom’s waterways.

“The P-12 is designed to create zero-emission water transport systems which have significant improvements over traditional water commuting,” Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of Candela, said in a statement. “Unlike legacy systems with large, slow, and energy-inefficient conventional ferries, the Candela P-12 is a smaller and faster unit, allowing much more frequent departures and quicker journeys for passengers.”

A study conducted at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm found electric hydrofoil ferries emit 97.5% less carbon dioxide during their life cycle than those powered by diesel. [source link]

The ship is nearly 40 feet long, can carry 30 passengers in addition to one crew member, and can travel up to 30 knots.

The Candela P-12, which launched last year, is expected to be rolled out in Stockholm’s public transportation system this fall and be delivered to Neom in 2025 and early 2026.