Gone are the days of slow ferries and seasickness, if REGENT — an acronym for "regional electric ground effect naval transport"— has its way.
The Boston-based startup is building the "seaglider," an electric flying vehicle that will bring passengers to different coastal cities.
The seaglider fits somewhere in-between an aircraft and a boat.
Seaglider's ground effect allows the vehicle to hover just a few feet above the surface of the water.
And its speed is comparable to that of an aircraft, while its operating costs are more similar to a boat, according to its makers.
The vehicle will also be six times faster than a ferry with its ability to travel up to 180 mph with a 180-mile range …
… while its "next-gen batteries" will allow the seaglider to navigate up to 500 miles.
This means the aerodynamic flying ferry will have twice the range of an electric aircraft at its size, according to its maker.
REGENT is looking to use the flying ferry to shuttle passengers between Boston and New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, and across different Hawaii islands, to name a few route options, according to a report from CNBC.
Source: CNBC
Similar to other EVs, the electrification of the seaglider means relevant costs — such as maintenance, taxes, and environmental "costs" like emissions — will be significantly decreased.
But unlike other forms of electric transit that are reliant on the rapid expansion of new infrastructures, the seaglider can use docks that already exist.
This concept isn't as futuristic as it seems: REGENT's flying ferries will be on the market by 2025.
And by the end of this year, REGENT will be testing its first prototype at a quarter-scale, which will weigh 400 pounds with its 15-foot wingspan, according to CNBC.
Source: CNBC
All of this work is the brainchild of two MIT graduates Billy Thalheimer and Mike Klinker, who now serve as REGENT's CEO and CTO, respectively.
Both formerly worked at Boeing's Aurora Flight Sciences, which specializes in autonomous aircraft.
The company recently raised $9 million in a seed round with Founders Fund — which previously invested in Airbnb, SpaceX, and Facebook — and Caffeinated Capital, which has invested in Clubhouse, Boom, and Wish.
Source: Caffeinated Capital, Founders Fund
Other investors have also included Mark Cuban, Y Combinator, Thiel Capital, and James Park, the founder of Fitbit.
REGENT's first vehicle will likely be overseen by the US Coast Guard, and the company is currently in talks with both the Coast Guard and the Federal Aviation Administration with the goal of working with both for the mass use of Seagliders.
