5 takeaways from REGENT’s global survey on regional coastal transportation

The idea for seagliders came from need: regional coastal transportation is too often plagued by congested highways, long waiting times, expensive tickets, or a lack of reliable options.  

Our mission is to deliver an efficient, enjoyable, affordable alternative to serve the 40% of the world’s population living in coastal areas, improving the experience for frequent travelers and increasing the accessibility for underserved communities.  

To do that, we set out to understand how coastal residents currently think about travel for short to medium distances (50-200 miles, or 80-320km), which is about the range that the 12-passenger Viceroy seagliders will operate. We surveyed more than 4,000 adults living in coastal areas in the U.S., UAE, New Zealand, and Japan.  

Read the survey results here.

While there were some variations among country results, the similarities of how people travel and what they look for in transportation were striking — and revealed a clear demand for better regional coastal transportation options to augment existing systems.  

1. Cars are king — for now.

Seagliders are a mix between watercraft and aircraft, so it may seem like they would predominately serve as alternatives to ferries or planes, which each service about 4 billion passengers a year. Analyzing the global survey results, however, shows that for regional coastal trips of this length, the primary mode of transportation for most people (67%) is their own car.  

When you consider all types of road travel, including buses and motorbikes, four in five people make these trips by road, compared to 10% who travel by air, 7% who travel by train, and 2% who travel by water.

The survey results show an untapped opportunity for high-speed, over-the-water alternatives like seagliders that get people out of traffic and to their destinations without hassle. Our analysis of different routes that seagliders could service around the globe shows that they consistently offer faster service than existing options and augment multi-modal systems, providing passengers freedom to choose the form of transportation that best meets their needs.

2. Sustainability or novelty isn’t enough.

The survey asked respondents to choose the five factors that are most important to them when deciding on a mode of transportation out of a list of 15. The two least chosen factors were novelty (3%) and sustainability (8%).  

This finding is an important wake-up call for those of us in the electric transportation space.  

Zero-emission transportation solutions are essential to addressing the world’s climate crisis and advancing the energy transition. The transportation industry is responsible for a quarter of the world’s emissions.  

But being “green” or “new” by itself isn’t enough. We must also create transportation solutions that improve the passenger travel experience and unlock new opportunities for connection.  

3. Consumers want convenience, comfort, and low costs.

So, what were the top factors for choosing a mode of transportation? More than half of respondents selected convenience (52%), comfort (51.2%), and cost (50.6%).

These three “C’s” are central to our approach to designing seagliders.  

Seagliders cut out the hassle of bumper-to-bumper traffic or airport security lines by using existing ports to let passengers easily walk on and off the vessels. Once onboard and in open waters, the 12-passenger Viceroy seaglider will reach speeds up to 180mph (300kph), getting people from A to B quickly.      

They’re also designed to optimize the passenger experience, providing a smooth, quiet ride with big windows, lots of legroom, and configurable cargo space.

And they’re competitive on price. Seagliders require less maintenance and have lower operating costs than traditional forms of transportation, which means affordable ticket prices for passengers.  

4. But don’t forget about safety.

Safety was the fourth most cited deciding factor for choosing a transportation option, with 40% of respondents globally selecting it as important to them.  

At REGENT, safety is our number one priority. Without it, nothing else matters. That’s why we’re working to ensure the highest levels of safety for passengers, vessels, and the surrounding environment.  

Read about our pathway to seaglider certification here.  

5. There’s a clear need for seagliders.

More than 1 billion passengers are traveling seaglider-capable routes worldwide today, and millions of others could benefit from new routes that seagliders will make possible.  

Four in five people surveyed said they were interested in using a seaglider.

Regional coastal transportation is long overdue for a new alternative that addresses current issues and meets consumers’ needs. The seaglider promises to be just that.