How a flying ferry could help solve Tahoe’s traffic problem

The world’s fastest electric boat could soon navigate across Lake Tahoe in a bid to get cars off the region’s congested, winding and often icy roads.

The startup FlyTahoe is manufacturing a Swedish-designed Candela P-12 Shuttle that uses underwater wings to lift itself above the water — a hydrofoil technology used on racing yachts and surfboards. It would create little wake, noise or emissions, providing a smooth and quiet ride.

Candela’s electric ferry service is already operating in Sweden, offering commuters a low-carbon way to travel across the picturesque Stockholm archipelago. Electric ferries are also under consideration in Washington’s Puget Sound, as well as New Zealand, Ireland and France.

“FlyTahoe will fly across the lake in 30 minutes,” said founder and CEO Ryan Meinzer, who said California’s ferry could be in operation by 2026. “It is revitalizing waterways as highways in an eco-conscious, sustainable way.”

The ferry would shuttle passengers between the north and south ends of the massive freshwater lake, famed for its crystal-clear water, stunning vistas and granite sand beaches.

The plan, if it succeeds, would be a significant time-saver on a trip that can take two hours by car. Tickets on the 30-seat vessel would cost an estimated $50.

There are challenges. Terminals with a charging infrastructure in Tahoe City and South Lake Tahoe must be built, and the plan must meet regulatory requirements. The vessel, which is being manufactured at an undisclosed location, has not yet been unveiled.

Candela already produces smaller recreational flying boats for private use, with two in Lake Tahoe and several in San Francisco Bay.

But a commercial ferry has to meet additional standards to prove that it is seaworthy and safe for passengers. The company must meet regulatory requirements set by local, state and federal agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard. Ideally, it would link to Lake Tahoe’s other transit options.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many large ships traversed Tahoe. One was a double-decked steamer named The Governor Stanford, built in 1872, which carried up to 125 people. But it was a slow ride with poor seating and a short smokestack that spewed cinders and ash on passengers, according to the Truckee Donner Historical Society. The S.S. Tahoe, dubbed “the Queen of the Lake,” was Tahoe’s grandest steamship of the early 1900s. It is now submerged in 400 feet of water near Glenbrook, Nevada.

When a road circumnavigating the lake was completed in the 1930s, cars became the main source of transportation, and ships lost their glory.

Now cars create congestion and imperil air quality, as well as the safety of wildlife. Road sediment washes into the lake’s famed waters. In the winter, the western route is often impassable due to snow slides, particularly around Emerald Bay.

In 2012, the Tahoe Transportation District proposed a north-south ferry service as a way to reduce traffic. The high-speed “Cross-Lake Passenger Ferry” was envisioned as the centerpiece of an ambitious regional transit system, linking Interstate 80 to U.S. Highway 50 with buses, trolleys, shuttle services, water taxis and shared-use trails.

Publicly funded, it would be larger than FlyTahoe, carrying 120 passengers per trip. But more money is needed to launch the project, said District Manager Carl Hasty. It also needs to coordinate the service with the state’s large public transit system.

But there’s a problem with conventional ferries: They are among the least energy-efficient modes of transport. And they create noise and pollution, with powerful diesel engines that vibrate the hull and drive propellers, which oscillate chaotically at high speeds.

An all-electric ferry would not emit greenhouse gases and would produce far less underwater noise.

Candela’s boat motor uses two compact magnet motors under the water to create thrust. Computer-controlled wings lift the hull above the water, significantly reducing drag and cutting energy consumption by 80% compared to conventional vessels.

The San Francisco Bay’s ferries are also going all-electric, relying on batteries to power three 150-passenger vessels. Last week, the ferry’s Board of Directors authorized $46 million to buy vessels from All American Marine. to move the fleet to zero-emission technologies. The first ferry will run in early 2027.

In Washington’s Puget Sound, the company Foil Ferry is designing a vessel that uses hydrogen fuel cells and traditional diesel electric to carry 150 passengers between the cities of Bremerton and Seattle, completing a 30-mile round trip on a single battery charge.

The English Channel and New Zealand are planning on “seagliders,” a cross between a hydrofoil and a battery-powered seaplane.

By 2028, vessels made by the Rhode Island-based Regional Electric Ground Effect Nautical Transport (REGENT) could travel across the English Channel at up to 180 mph, flying from Portsmouth, England, to Cherbourg, France, in as little as 40 minutes.

A New Zealand consortium, Ocean Flyer, has signed a $700 million agreement with REGENT to bring 25 sea gliders to Auckland and Wellington.

Lake Tahoe’s environmentalists are cautiously supportive of the California plan.

“An electric hydrofoil ferry could be a helpful addition to Tahoe’s transportation mix,” said Gavin Feiger, policy director of the League to Save Lake Tahoe, also known as Keep Tahoe Blue, which has met with FlyTahoe.

“Yet it’s crucial that ferry service ties into lake-friendly transit options on either side of the route — so cars are not just driving to different locations, but it truly becomes possible to get around the basin without your own car,” he said. “Our team looks forward to learning more details about the potential environmental benefits and their plans.”

The Tahoe Transportation District also endorsed the idea. As a private sector endeavor, “if they can make it pencil out, then that’s great,” said Hasty.

“It is a great start,” he said. “This is the type of vessel we want to see.”