TAHOE CITY, Calif. – FlyTahoe is teaming up with New Zealand-based manufacturer Vessev for the upcoming launch of new electric hydrofoil ferries aiming to debut on Lake Tahoe in early 2028.
Ryan Meinzer, Founder and CEO of FlyTahoe, has been recreating in Lake Tahoe for 15 years. Like many locals who enjoy shredding on Tahoe’s surrounding slopes, Meinzer dreamt of more efficient ways to get from North to South Shore.
“I initially had this vision when I was driving the hour, hour and a half, around the lake for countless days every year to snowboard, wondering, ‘Why the heck isn’t there a ferry?'” said Meinzer.
Meinzer knew that due in part to the fact that passenger and cargo ferries are among the worst polluters of any mass transportation entities, strict regulations that aim to maintain Lake Tahoe’s water clarity simply wouldn’t allow it. Financially, ferries also pose as expensive enterprises and without the proper foundation and infrastructure, they become extremely difficult to fund.
After discovering the already existing electric hydrofoil surfboards, Meinzer wondered whether someone was innovative enough to attach that concept to a vessel.
“Sure enough, there’s about four manufacturers in the world that are that crazy, and we’ve partnered with two of them,” Meinzer said as he referred to manufacturers Candela and Vessev.
The Candela P12 launched in Stockholm in November 2024 as the world’s first hydrofoil ferry line. It can seat up to 30 passengers along with their personal gear like skis, snowboards and bicycles. Route goals for Lake Tahoe are designed to connect North and South Lake Tahoe on a fixed corridor in approximately 30 minutes going 25 knots.
FlyTahoe, in addition to their goals to operate Candela’s 30 passenger e-ferry, has just announced a partnership with New Zealand-based manufacturer Vessev to operate their VS-9 models on Lake Tahoe as well.
The Vessev VS-9 is an award-winning, premium commercial electric hydrofoil catamaran seating up to 10 passengers. Featuring panoramic windows, the full standing-height cabin also showcases ergonomic seats with comfortable armrests. The model was first launched in mid-2024 and went into commercial service in 2025.
“There’s a lot of new tech on board, but we have the benefit now of operating these vessels for a couple of years in commercial service, which has given us an awful lot of really valuable insights and a lot of valuable data,” said Fearghal O’Connor, Chief Commercial Officer at Vessev.
FlyTahoe’s vision is to have both hydrofoil vessels run alongside each other in a complimentary way, meeting different transportation needs depending on the experience people are seeking.
Both vessels align with Lake Tahoe’s environmental standards and have been included as a highlight in the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s Connections 2050 Regional Transportation Plan.
Notably, the watercrafts’ zero-emission propulsions prevent chemical pollution, and their hydrofoil technology produces an elevated ‘flying’ effect by using underwater wings attached to the mast or hull that generates an upwards lift as speed increases, reducing wake and drag, which in turn, reduces shoreline erosion and sediment resuspension.
The vessels are charged using DC fast charging, capable of charging to 80% of a battery in less than 20 minutes. Currently, there are only two DC fast chargers located at marinas on the lake – Homewood High & Dry Marina and the Tahoe City Marina.
“There’s a saying, ‘ABC: Always Be Charging’. We want to incorporate DC fast charging capabilities into all of our partners around the lake,” Meinzer said.
While FlyTahoe is in talks to partner with multiple lakefront properties, they have not announced who those partners are just yet. It’s no secret that operating these vessels will likely result in attracting even more visitors to our highly sought-after basin, and FlyTahoe is aiming to ensure locals also benefit.
“We can not only get the hiring clients to have this amazing, luxurious experience to get around the lake, to go to their endpoints and spend however much money they spend, but also make this affordable for the locals to be able to rely on this service to get across the lake faster than they would by car,” Meinzer explained.
Resort, restaurant and retail workers, casino employees, park rangers and guides, all the vital roles that make up Lake Tahoe’s workforce may be able to skip the parking fees and hop on one of FlyTahoe’s ferries.
“Ideally, we will find a way for partnerships that allow commuter and worker solutions to be viable for the workers.”
FlyTahoe and Vessev are currently working to adhere to U.S. legislative and certification requirements such as the Jones Act, a Merchant Marine Act that requires all goods transported by water between U.S. ports be carried on ships that are built, owned, registered and mostly crewed by U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
“As we think about developing these vessels and deploying these vessels for FlyTahoe, these vessels will be built in the U.S.,” O’Connor said.
Projections for launch are set for early 2028. For more information about FlyTahoe or to follow along for updates, visit https://www.flytahoe.com/.
