Brittany Ferries partners with American startup Regent

Zero-emission, sea-skimming flying ferries by Regent & Brittany Ferries

Brittany Ferries and American startup Regent are collaborating on the development of a new 100% electric mode of transport called Seaglider, halfway between hydrofoil and plane.

A Boston-based startup Regent is working on a "electric seaglider" that can take off on a hydrofoil from a harbor using the water as a runway, and soar at a top speed of 180 miles per hour over the waves. Caffeinated Capital, an early backer of supersonic jet startup Boom, as well as Mark Cuban, Peter Thiel's Founders Fund, Y Combinator, and others, has invested $9 million in the company.

Brittany Ferries has signed a partnership agreement with Regent to develop 100% electric Seagliders (capacity of 50 to 150 passengers) and establish travel routes between the United Kingdom and France by 2028. Seagliders would combine the maneuverability of ferries with the air efficiency of hovercraft and the speed of planes. Equipped with wings and propellers they could cross between Brittany and the south of England at record times.

Brittany Ferries ecological transition

Based in Roscoff, Brittany Ferries operate 12 ships between France, UK, Spain and Ireland via 14 shipping routes, employing 2,474. Seagliders will offers a new efficient means of transportation that can transport travelers and goods over vast distances at high speeds. They will be equipped with electric batteries for power instead of fossil fuels. Flight safety is ensured by redundant propulsion and flight control systems, as well as next-generation sensors that detect and avoid traffic at sea automatically. Energy transition is a top concern for forward-thinking businesses like Brittany Ferries, and it's critical to the company's post-Covid recovery. The company has already invested in the delivery of two new LNG (liquefied natural gas) ships, the Salamanca and Santoa, which will be delivered in 2022 and 2023. 

Seagliders, like electric cars, become greener as more renewable energy is used to power them.  And thanks to the inherent efficiency of travelling above water, speed need not be sacrificed to help lower emissions, slow-steaming being one of the solutions proposed for traditional sea-going vehicles to limit environmental footprint.