AUTONEWS

Check out Regent's electric sea glider

A peculiar vehicle is one step closer to becoming a reality. Regent's electric sea glider – a kind of cross between a boat and an aircraft – has received authorization from the United States Coast Guard to begin testing a full-size version.

The company has already been testing prototypes and hopes that the model can facilitate (and reduce the cost of) transportation in coastal areas.

Regent's model is described as a sea glider. According to the New Atlas website, it is a cross between a seaplane and a hydrofoil, a type of boat.

The main advantage of the vehicle is that it takes advantage of the aerodynamic effect of movement. In practice, this saves battery power and gets around some of the current challenges of electric navigation systems, such as range and efficiency.

It works like this:

The hydrofoil pulls the electric glider out of the water;

Then, the ground effect kicks in. It occurs when an aircraft flies relatively low and uses the air created between the wing and the ground (in this case, water) to generate extra lift;

The low resistance of this process results in increased range and efficiency of the system.

Regent founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer explained this advantage to The Wall Street Journal:

''When we fly low over the surface of the water, we're flying on a cushion of air. That's what pelicans or other birds in the sea [rely on]… it's aerodynamically advantageous, so that's why you get these range extensions''...Billy Thalheimer, founder and CEO of Regent

Electric glider is closer to being implemented...The model authorized to begin full-size testing is the Viceroy Seaglider, an electric glider with capacity for 12 passengers and a top speed of 180 mph. The range on a single charge is 180 miles, but the company believes it can reach 500 miles.

The glider has been in development since 2021, but so far, the most advanced prototype is a scaled-down version. A full-size version capable of holding 12 passengers is expected to become a reality later this year, as Regent has received approval from the U.S. Coast Guard for testing.

A press release issued by the company said that full-scale testing of the prototype with humans on board will begin later this year. The first flight is planned for early next year.

Previous flights have already been conducted on the scaled-down prototype. Here's how it went:

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