Maritime startup Vessev has demonstrated its VS-9 electric hydrofoil ferry on New York’s East River, showcasing an alternative approach to urban water transport. Cruising from a Brooklyn marina toward Governors Island, the 30-foot vessel highlighted how hydrofoil technology can eliminate the bumping and slapping typical of traditional small boats while boosting the efficiency of battery-powered marine travel.
The Mechanics of Foil-Borne Flight
From the waterline, the VS-9 bears a strong resemblance to standard catamarans. Beneath the surface, however, the vessel relies on two submerged, wing-like hydrofoils to hoist the hull clear of the water as it accelerates. Computer-controlled underwater flaps make rapid adjustments to preserve stability and deliver a steady ride comparable to cruising in a high-end sports car.
Lift distribution is deliberately asymmetric across the craft. The front foil shoulders the vast majority of the vessel’s weight, accounting for roughly 80 percent of the lift, while the rear foil carries the remaining 20 percent. In addition to providing balance, the rear foil integrates an electric propulsion motor developed directly by Vessev.
Vessev co-founder and chief executive Eric Laakmann explained that fabricating the motor in-house was an intentional choice to manage production economics early in the company’s growth cycle. Rather than outsourcing the drivetrain and facing the friction of insourcing down the line, Vessev chose to engineer the system from the ground up. The primary exception to its proprietary manufacturing push is energy storage; according to Laakmann, battery cells have already become commoditized hardware.
Efficiency and Operating Parameters
Elevating the hull above the water’s surface yields dramatic reductions in hydrodynamic drag. For electric vessels, where range and runtime depend strictly on finite kilowatt-hour reserves, reducing friction is paramount to viable day-to-day operations.
Although hydrofoil principles have been tested across the maritime sector for more than a century, commercial viability often hinges on operational context. The VS-9 achieves approximately two and a half feet—or 0.75 meters—of hull clearance when elevated on its foils. When ambient waves exceed that height, water begins to strike the hull, degrading aerodynamic and hydrodynamic efficiency and disturbing ride comfort.
Consequently, the vessel is not engineered for open-ocean journeys. Instead, Vessev is focusing on sheltered waterways such as urban rivers, bays, and inland lakes, where wave heights routinely remain within the vehicle’s functional clearance thresholds.
Transit Integration and Long-Term Roadmap
The company, which secured a $19 million Series A funding round in August, is directing its primary sales outreach toward transit providers. Laakmann envisions smaller electric hydrofoils acting as flexible supplements to municipal public transportation networks. In dense metropolitan regions such as New York, hydrofoil services could transport commuters between waterfront hubs like Brooklyn and Queens without requiring extensive new shoreside infrastructure.
Beyond municipal transit, Vessev sees immediate commercial applications in tourism and luxury hospitality, while public demonstrations have also generated inbound interest from private buyers. Although the VS-9 displayed in New York remains a singular prototype, the company intends to construct additional units. Looking further ahead, Laakmann noted that Vessev may expand into supplying modular electric hydrofoil kits, enabling third-party shipbuilders to integrate its proprietary lifting and powertrain tech into custom hull designs.
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