NORTH KINGSTOWN – REGENT Craft Inc. has taken “a key step forward” in bringing its Seaglider product to market, the company announced on Tuesday, with the implementation of hardware and systems updates that will allow human trials later this year.
In the next few months, the manufacturer will install onboard systems such as motors, batteries, electronics and other mechanical and vehicle control systems in preparation of trialing its Seaglider technology with humans on board, the company said.
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“We’re moving more quickly than any other advanced electric mobility platform to create the world’s first passenger-carrying seaglider,” REGENT Craft co-founder and CEO Billy Thalheimer said in a statement. “We’ve proven seagliders can successfully float, foil, and fly – the integration phase is a major moment that brings us closer to experiencing float, foil and fly firsthand. I’m looking forward to getting on board myself.”
The announcement comes on the heels of REGENT Craft securing an additional $4 million in incentives from the R.I. Commerce Corp., as announced on Sept. 30.
That funding, a combination of financing and tax incentives, will support the facility’s planned 255,000-square-foot manufacturing facility at the Quonset Business Park in North Kingstown.
REGENT Craft, founded in the Greater Boston area, relocated to the business park in 2022. Prior to the move, R.I. Commerce approved the company for $13 million in tax credits, conditional upon meeting Qualified Jobs Incentive Act requirements.
REGENT Craft’s flagship vessel, the Viceroy, will combine “the speed of an aircraft with the convenience of a boat” while producing zero emissions, according to the blue-tech company. Using hydrofoiling and wind-in-ground technology, the company says the planned vessel can carry people and goods up to 180 miles over water on a single charge.
In late August, the U.S. Coast Guard approved the Seaglider for prototype testing.
Jacquelyn Voghel is a PBN staff writer. You may reach her at Voghel@PBN.com.
