Siemens Digital Industries Software has announced that Regent has adopted the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio of cloud-based software and services to help pioneer a new category of vehicle called the seaglider. The seaglider is a high speed zero emission vehicle that operates exclusively over the water to drastically reduce the time and cost of moving people and goods between coastal cities.
With 40 percent of the world’s population living in coastal communities, Regent’s electric seagliders will be the first vehicles to offer safe, low cost, high speed, zero-emission vehicles for this segment. As a manufacturer or OEM, Regent has launched customers spanning aviation, ferry and logistics transportation operators.
The Regent seaglider operates exclusively over the water as an all-electric wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) vehicle. It travels the sea in one of three modes, floating on its hull near the dock, foiling on its hydrofoils at up to 40 knots as it comes in and out of port, or flying above the waves at 160 knots while cruising to its destination.
When in flight, it operates a few metres off the surface of the water, relying on the ground effect phenomenon, flying on a cushion of air. It combines the high speed and comfort of an airplane with the low operating cost of an electric vehicle. Seagliders differ from past WIGs due to their hydrofoils, distributed electric propulsion and aerospace fly-by-wire controls. These elements enable safe harbour operations, increased wave tolerance and a comfortable passenger experience.
At the heart of its design, engineering and development toolset is the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, which has been fundamental to Regent since its founding in 2020.
“At Regent we are focused on bringing a revolutionary new vehicle to the transportation market with the potential to change how both people and freight move over the water,” said Mike Klinker, CTO and co-founder of Regent. “As our seagliders approach certification and full-scale commercial production, we need a robust, modern digital tools platform that supports the pace of our innovation cycles with the rigour to encompass a product as complex as ours. Siemens Xcelerator as a Service was a perfect fit for a digital-first startup like ours. Cloud native solutions, such as Teamcentre X, minimise administrative overhead and allow us to focus 100 percent on design, engineering, manufacturing and innovation. Siemens’ valued collaboration and the subscription model provide significant cash flow benefits that are vital to any startup.”
Regent’s flagship seaglider, the 12-passenger Viceroy, will be built to the highest safety standards. It will be able to service routes up to 280 km with existing battery technology and routes up to 800 km with next-generation batteries, all via existing dock infrastructure. Additionally, its operation as a wing-in-ground effect vehicle above the water enables maritime testing and certification. This is an efficient pathway to entry-into-service, allowing customers to experience high speed, zero-emission coastal mobility sooner than electric aviation options, while maintaining similar levels of safety.
“The revolution of both mobility and electrification is continuing at an exciting pace across the entire spectrum of the industry, but it’s not often that the two combine with such spectacularly innovative product design to address a specific challenge like the one faced by coastal communities across the globe,” said Dale Tutt, vice president of Industry Strategy, Siemens Digital Industries Software. “Regent is pioneering innovative high speed coastal transportation while targeting net zero from the very beginning. Our Xcelerator as a Service portfolio is instrumental in helping them get there faster.”
Siemens Digital Industries Software is driving transformation to enable a digital enterprise where engineering, manufacturing and electronics design meet tomorrow. The Siemens Xcelerator portfolio helps companies of all sizes create and leverage digital twins that provide organisations with new insights, opportunities and levels of automation to drive innovation.
For more information contact Siemens South Africa, jennifer.naidoo@siemens.com, www.siemens.co.za
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