wthalheimer

6 ms·

1.
by wthalheimer 2y ago
REGENT is building wave-tolerant, all-electric WIGs called “seagliders”! https://www.regentcraft.com
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Acela and Virgin Trains are not high speed rail…
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Ah I see the confusion - that overflight wave tolerance is defined by an emergency landing condition. In the extremely low probability chance that the seaglider needs to perform an emergency landing, the passengers need to be safe. That d
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
No loophole nor exceptions - we're following guidance from the International Maritime Organization on the maritime regulation of Type A WIGs ( https://wwwcdn.imo.org/localresources/en/OurWork/Safety/D
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
With today's tech you're spot on. As batteries advance though, we expect ranges closer to 500 miles by the end of the decade, which would indeed enable SF<>LA!
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Definitely considered. Swapping means specialized training, specialized equipment (these batteries are thousands of lbs), and mass storages of batteries to be on-hand at your docks. All drive the cost higher. So far our customers have no
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
The greatest intro to an investor email interested in REGENT that I have ever received: "I would love to tell you that my first job was working under my Uncle Ros ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rostislav_Alexeyev )
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Kind of a mix of both really. Anywhere near significant boat traffic (e.g. in harbors), we'll be on our hydrofoils at speeds of 20-50 mph. So in these environments, we're just another boat (albeit a very comfortable, wave toleran
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
That's what distinguishes seagliders from a GEV! We read the wikipedia article before setting off on this path too ;) Seagliders are different from all GEVs (aka WIGs) and seaplanes of the past because of our hydrofoils. They lift us
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Yes we'll have several sensor systems onboard that augments the captains visual perception, including radar, AIS, and we're looking into computer vision systems as well. We've been testing these sensor suites in helicopters t
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Acela tried... $150B pricetag :( https://www.railway-technology.com/features/featuregrand-pla...
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
We looked into this! If you want to go regional range, you really need high speed rail (who's trying to sit on a train that goes slower than cars on the highway...) High speed rail is prohibitively expensive. Besides the rail itself,
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Previous ground effect craft absolutely were killed by their poor wave tolerance. That's where our hydrofoils come in. 5ft of wave tolerance through the harbors and in takeoff and landing. Means we can operate with very high confide
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
We're using lithium-ion batteries (for now), so charging is like any electric car. As long as you have the power to fast charge it, you can do a full batter in ~45 mins. That's max range (=180 miles) at 45 min charge. So let&#x2
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
The specific tolerance within that 8-13ft range is driven by wave period. Long period waves lets us operate more towards that 13ft end because you can contour the waves.
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
This is one of those "let me connect you with our sales team" questions ;) Operating cost is about half that of an aircraft though. 100% battery electric propulsion system!
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Depends on the price. All electric means we operate for about half the cost of an aircraft (and about 1/10th of a helicopter). Combine that with similar speeds to aircraft, convenience of not having to use an airport, and zero emissi
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Applied to YC! :)
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Superferry was a huge case study for us. We went to Hawaii, interviewed everyone involved, and learned the lessons. We're taking a different approach that focuses on community and environmental considerations first. Look for more exc
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
To be clear, seagliders are limited to ground effect in that it is physically impossible for the captain to remove the vehicle from ground effect. The flight control system locks the vehicle to within a wingspan of the surface.
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Andrew is a genius. He's the man!
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Oh ya we have open water covered. Coastal travel = coastal destinations. The trips themselves can be coastally proximal or over open water.
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Lots of examples! To pick a few: - Manhattan to the Hamptons - Los Angeles to San Diego or Santa Barbara - Interisland in Hawaii, New Zealand, Japan, Caribbean, Pacific Northwest - The global ferry market, huge in places like the Mediterra
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
We're exploring foil-mounted sensors (e.g. sonar) for whale (and manatee, turtle, etc) detection. So far in our 1/4 scale experiments, the foils have shed kelp pretty well. Kelp is something the America's Cup boats and even
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by wthalheimer 3y ago
Seaglider entry to service is slated for mid-decade so you're spot on, all these are pre-launch sales. We're one of the few companies in the space with firm, nonrefundable deposits and contractually obligated pre-delivery payments
26.
by wthalheimer 3y ago
Hey guys - Billy Thalheimer, Co-founder and CEO of REGENT here. A friend reached out to say this is blowing up - so cool! (Thank you beefman lol) Here to answer any questions
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by wthalheimer 5y ago
Hi, I’m Billy, CEO of REGENT, happy to answer any questions!