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Regent is announcing a partnership to explore the potential of a transportation network, built out of sea gliders in the State of Hawai’i. This is in an attempt to drive innovation in the passenger and freight sectors in support of a more sustainable transportation ecosystem for the State.
Mokuele Airlines, a Southern airline company, is said to be the launch partner for the seaglider transportation network. They have also announced their intent to bring a fleet of REGENTS 12-passenger Viceroy seagliders to the island chain.
“REGENT is committed to helping Hawai’i move toward a sustainable transportation future and knows that the very first step is to listen and learn what the community cares about. The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive and the opportunity to build a seaglider network for Hawai‘i is a dream come true. We’re thrilled to help push the boundaries of innovation in clean transportation for the state,” said Billy Thalheimer, CEO and co-founder of REGENT.
Thalheimer added: “We recognize that Hawai‘i is a special place, with a sacred culture, sensitive environmental ecosystems, and unrivaled biodiversity. The feasibility study continues our commitment to engage with local communities, civic organizations, and all appropriate private and public sectors leaders to understand how seagliders can help improve the daily lives of the residents. We are excited and humbled to be a part of this team accelerating Hawai’i’s push toward a zero-emission future.”
REGENT have been on this journey since 2021, engaging with stakeholders across the public, private, and civic sectors to understand the needs of residents, the unique ecosystems associated with the region, and support the islands sustainability and resiliency goals.
The partnership between REGENT and Pacific Current, a Hawai’i based sustainable energy solution provider, is hoped to boost Hawai’i towards its sustainability goals as it will create an unparalleled end-to-end transportation service.
Local operators providing cargo, passenger, and emergency services to Hawai’i will be able to easily transition to a new, sustainable form of transportation without having to spend large amounts of capital to get a new service up and running. Local operators will have access to vehicle leasing and financing solutions from Pacific Current as well as dock and charging infrastructure that will map to important inter and intra island commercial routes.
“Joining forces with REGENT represents a huge opportunity for Pacific Current and HEI to significantly increase our clean energy and clean transportation impact,” said Scott Valentino, president of Pacific Current.
He continues to say: “The upfront capital costs associated with a transition of this magnitude are immense and often this is a gating factor for wider adoption. We hope to enable local service providers in passenger, freight and emergency services to lower the price of passenger travel, and the costs of moving goods and services throughout the State. We are proud to play a small role in the State’s transition to a clean energy future.”
REGENT and Pacific Current have already begun work to make this vision a reality, but it has not been said when this will be completed.
