A startup is developing an electric flying ferry that's part plane, part boat and can go as fast as 180 mph- see how it works

Brittany ChangApr 23, 2021, 19:04 IST

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider.Regent

Regent is building the Seaglider, an electric flying ferry that will bring people across coastal cities.
The Seaglider can shuttle passengers 180 miles at up to 180 mph.
Investors include Mark Cuban, the Founders Fund, Thiel Capital, and James Park, Fitbit's founder.

Gone are the days of slow ferries and seasickness, if Regent has its way.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

The Boston-based startup is building the "Seaglider," an electric flying vehicle that will bring passengers to different coastal cities.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

The Seaglider fits somewhere in-between an aircraft and a boat.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

Seaglider's ground effect allows the vehicle to hover just a few feet above the surface of the water.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

And its speed is comparable to that of an aircraft, while its operating costs are more similar to a boat, according to its makers.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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 …

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

… while its "next-gen batteries" will allow the Seaglider to navigate up to 500 miles.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

This means the aerodynamic flying ferry will have twice the range of an electric aircraft at its size, according to its maker.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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.

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.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

This concept isn't as futuristic as it seems: Regent's flying ferries will be on the market by 2025.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

Both formerly worked at Boeing's Aurora Flight Sciences, which specializes in autonomous aircraft.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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.

Other investors have also included Mark Cuban, Y Combinator, Thiel Capital, and James Park, the founder of Fitbit.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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.

Renderings of Regent's Seaglider. Regent

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.

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A startup is developing an electric flying ferry that's part plane, part boat and can go as fast as 180 mph- see how it works

Gone are the days of slow ferries and seasickness, if Regent 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.

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.

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.

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.