Startup Regent says it has secured hundreds of pre-orders for its electric, 12-passenger flying boat that uses the wing-in-ground effect to gently hover above the water as it whisks along at 180mph. The company hopes its technology could create a new, zero-emission alternative to short haul coastal flights and ferries.

Regent may have flown a Seaglider test model, but what will it take for this business to actually take off?

0:00 What will it take for Regent’s Seaglider to take off?
0:44 Seaglider could connect coastal cities, like New York and Boston
1:12 What is the Wing-in-Ground effect, and how can it extend range?
2:23 Regent have flown a quarter-scale test model
3:03 Could Seagliders really connect L.A. to San Francisco?
4:12 Building, testing and certification: Seagliders path to commercial reality

“Not Quite There Yet” is a series in which I explore emerging futuristic transport technologies that are yet to make it to prime-time, and dive deeper into what it will take to turn these concepts into a commercial reality.

I'm George Downs, a WSJ video journalist fascinated by how technology is changing how we get from A to B. If you're interested in the future of mobility or how modern transportation can impact our lives– from EVs to eVTOLs, and beyond – then don't forget to subscribe.

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