An electric hydrofoil ferry offers cleaner journeys among Stockholm’s 14 islands

STOCKHOLM (AP) — A high-tech electric ferry service has began operating in Stockholm, offering commuters a low-carbon way to zip through the waterways of the Swedish capital, which is built on 14 islands. In what Stockholm claimed as a world first, 25 commuters in the suburb of Ekero boarded the Nova, a hydrofoil ferry powered by electric motors. The ferry skimmed about 3 feet above the water and covered 9 miles to reach City Hall in just 30 minutes, compared to 45 minutes on the regular diesel-powered ferry line. The hydrofoil can travel at speeds twice as fast as other electric ferries because of its carbon fiber wings that lift the boat out of the water, reducing drag.