Seaglider: This boat-plane hybrid could transform inter-city commutes

Boston-based REGENT is working on an all-electric "seaglider," a boat-plane hybrid with top speeds of 180 miles-per-hour. The company hopes it could transform the inter-city commute.

(CNN) — At a time when transportation infrastructure projects seem to be taking center stage in US public debate, a Boston-based start-up backed by some of Silicon Valley's most prominent investors wants to turn the sea lanes along the country's east and west coasts into high-speed transit corridors. LA to San Diego in 50 minutes? What about New York City to Boston in two hours? And all this without road traffic or airport hassle. These are the sort of commutes that may become possible if REGENT's seagliders become a reality. Regent's founders have aviation backgrounds -- including degrees in aerospace engineering at MIT and a stint at Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences -- but they turned to the seas for inspiration when they started looking for new, sustainable ways to transform inter-city travel.