Cutting through New York Harbor in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty, the small white boat we were riding on caught the attention of passengers aboard a nearby sightseeing ferry.

“It’s quite a curiosity at the moment,” Eric Laakmann, the chief executive and co-founder of Vessev, said.

His company builds fully electric hydrofoil boats. These vessels use underwater “wings” to lift their hulls above the surface as they pick up speed. By raising the boat out of the water, the design dramatically reduces drag, one of the biggest obstacles to making boats more energy-efficient.

“We’re picking up speed. We’re going for a takeoff,” Laakmann said as the boat rapidly accelerated.

The hydrofoils lifted the hull about a foot and a half above the water. Almost immediately, the ride transformed. The familiar slap of the boat pushing through waves became a smooth, almost airborne glide.

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