Regent, the company developing electric seagliders for sustainable maritime transportation, has revealed the full-scale mock-up of its human-carrying seaglider prototype.
Regent seagliders are a new category of maritime vehicle that combines the high speed of an airplane with the low operating cost of a boat. These all-electric, zero-emission vessels operate exclusively over water and leverage existing dock infrastructure to carry people and goods up to 180 miles (290 km) at speeds of 180 mph (290 km/h) between coastal destinations.
Last year, the company announced the successful flight of its quarter-scale seaglider technology demonstrator. Furthermore, Lockheed Martin made a strategic investment in the company, highlighting the potential of the company’s innovative technology.
The mock-up represents a key next step in the build journey for Regent that will enable customers to begin interfacing with the full-scale vehicle design and think about the passenger experience. The prototype is slated for flight testing in 2024.
The company also announced the plans to expand its global headquarters in Rhode Island to include up to 600,000 square feet of new manufacturing and test facilities to start fulfilling $8 billion in commercial orders by mid-decade. The orders received from a variety of companies around the world reflect the need for fast, reliable, and sustainable maritime transportation, according to Regent co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer.
As it looks ahead to the future and brings its products to market, Regent confirmed that Southern Airways/Mokulele Airlines would receive the first commercial passenger seagliders once they hit the market, promising to increase their commitment to serving coastal and island residents around the globe.
“Since shortly after our founding, Southern Airways has been working toward the day when all of our flyings would be green,” said Stan Little, chairman, and CEO of Southern Airways. “During that time, we’ve been approached by dozens of companies seeking our participation in their efforts, as well. It wasn’t until we saw the work being done by REGENT that we decided to commit to a vehicle outside our current fleet. The seaglider is truly transformative, and Southern Airways is incredibly proud to be the launch customer through our Mokulele brand.”
Regent unveils full-scale mock-up of its electric seaglider prototype
Source: Tambay News
0 Comments