Flying Electric 'Seaglider' Ferry May Be the Best Way To Travel Between Coastal Cities
Flying shuttles and taxis are likely to buzz overhead in the coming years, offering sustainable and smooth travel options. You can now add Regent's "Seaglider" to that ever-increasing list of futuristic travel options.
The Boston-based startup is creating an all-electric flying ferry to link up coastal communities, which it's aptly calling the Seaglider.
One of the Seaglider's top-selling points is that it can dock and leave from existing dock infrastructure, allowing its 10 passengers to bypass frustrating airport checks, or long train and bus journey times.
On top of that, it can travel at speeds of up to 180 mph (290 km/h) over 180-mile distances (290 km). And the cherry on top of the cake is that it runs on zero emissions.
Regent's goal is to minimize the headache of regional transportation — with the added benefit of traveling in a safe, smooth, and, quite frankly, cool way.
Hello World! pic.twitter.com/ld5JQ6pZpD
— REGENT (@regentcraft) March 21, 2021
The CEO Billy Thalheimer said that the team is currently working on a prototype that will be ready by the end of the year hopefully. Thalheimer told CNBC that "The prototype will have about a 15-foot (4.57 m) wingspan, and will weigh about 400 pounds (181 kg). We need to make sure it works in representative operational environments, like in waves and different weather."
Following the successful tests of the prototype, the hope is to have one of Regent's Seagliders transporting people as early as 2025, as Digital Trends reported.
Just imagine cruising from Boston to New York City, or from San Francisco to Los Angeles on an electric plane hovering just above the waves? All the while knowing you're not contributing to carbon emissions, and that your trip will be faster and smoother than traditional land-based or flight options. Pretty neat.