Flying Electric 'Seaglider' Ferry May Be the Best Way To Travel Between Coastal Cities

Its cruising speed of 180 mph will have you comfortably gliding above waters.
Fabienne Lang
The SeagliderRegent

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.

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.