Lockheed Martin (LMT) invests in electric seaplane company to expedite use in defense
Leading defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin (LMT) revealed Wednesday a new investment in pioneering electric seaplane maker REGENT to expedite use in defense situations.
With over $66 billion in sales last year, Lockheed Martin remained one of the top US defense manufacturers in 2022.
Best known for making some of the most lethal, advanced defense innovations like the F-35 Fighter Jet, Lockheed Martin looks to modernize and streamline its operations to remain competitive in the future.
One of the biggest trends currently is the move to fully electric technology, offering more power with lower operating costs.
Through its venture arm, Lockheed Martin Ventures, the company invested in Electra’s Series A fundraise in January of last year.
Electra is developing a hybrid electric eSTOL aircraft capable of carrying nine passengers, two pilots, and 50 lbs of baggage per person for over 400 nautical miles. Perhaps, more importantly, the aircraft will be able to take off in as little as 300 feet.
Taking a deeper plunge into electric technology, Lockheed Martin, through its venture division, revealed Wednesday it has invested in electric seaplane maker REGENT.
Lockheed Martin invests in electric seaplane maker REGENT
REGENT develops and manufactures all-electric seaplanes to promote fast, efficient, and emission-free travel.
The company has sold over 400 sea gliders to date to customers across the globe, with over $7.9 billion in orders for its 12-passenger sea glider, Viceroy.
Lockheed Martin says it will use the electric seaplanes “to expedite the development of seagliders for defense missions.”
REGENT’s all-electric, zero-emission seagliders combine the maximum speed of an airplane with the low operating cost of a boat with the ability to carry people and goods (3,500 lbs payload) quickly up to 180 miles at 180 miles per hour. CEO of REGENT, Billy Thalheimer, explains:
We see defense strategy evolving toward an island-hopping force featuring agile, affordable, and distributed craft.
He added the investment shows EV seagliders can fill the immediate need for high-priority missions within the Department of Defense.
VP and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures, Chris Morgan, explains:
We believe that REGENT seagliders can bring tailored solutions to the future battlespace.
The 65-foot wing-span electric seagliders will use eight redundant electric motors for an output of 120 kW.
REGENT says the electric seaplane will enter service by 2025, with full-scale prototypes beginning sea trials by the end of the year.
Electrek’s Take
Electric seaplanes for defense can be a great idea due to the ability to take off and land quickly and stealthily, being 30DB quieter than an aircraft or helicopter.
Lockheed Martin sees the opportunity to use fully electric technology to enhance defense. We’ll keep you updated as we hear more about the collaboration.
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Hyundai is about to launch a new electric SUV in China. With its big debut coming up, Hyundai just dropped a sneak peek, and it looks like it could be the IONIQ 4. Check it out for yourself in the video below.
Is Hyundai teasing the IONIQ 4?
We caught our first glimpse of the new EV model last month after Beijing Hyundai released a few official “spy” photos.
Despite the camouflage, you can see a few design elements, like a light bar across the front, slim LED headlights, and a closed-off grille. At first, it almost looks like a smaller version of the IONIQ 9, Hyundai’s first three-row electric SUV, but with a much sportier, shaped profile.
Beijing Hyundai released a new teaser for the upcoming electric SUV this week. The video shows “a wave of high-end operations” as the vehicle dances across the snow.
The video highlights features like real-time torque control, high-speed cornering, and the SUV’s impressive body control while driving around cones.
Hyundai’s new electric SUV is being called “OE” internally, according to The Korean Car Blog, suggesting it could be an IONIQ model.
All other Hyundai IONIQ EV models were also codenamed with an “E” internally, which is raising speculation that this could be the IONIQ 4.
Like most global OEMs, Hyundai is fighting to compete in an intense Chinese EV market, which is dominated by domestic automakers like BYD.
Hyundai opened its first overseas R&D center last year in China to spearhead its comeback. It will work with local suppliers and tech companies to develop EVs designed for Chinese buyers. The new electric SUV is expected to launch in China later this year, followed by three new energy vehicles, including EVs and EREVs.
Beijing Hyundai will release more information on April 16, with the electric SUV set to “challenge the limit of driving performance.”
What do you think of Hyundai’s new electric SUV? Is this the IONIQ 4? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
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Charge point provider char.gy has secured a £130 million contract to install 6,000 curbside EV chargers for Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) – the UK’s largest installation of its kind.
London-based char.gy has also been awarded a 15-year contract to operate and maintain the charging network.
Installing Level 2 chargers curbside, where most drivers in the UK park, will enable more people to take advantage of cheaper charging rates while juicing up their EVs overnight. (charg.gy’s pay as you go night tariff, between midnight and 7 am, is £0.39/kWh, compared to its £0.59/kWh day tariff.)
John Lewis, chief executive of char.gy, said the project is “a huge moment for the UK and its EV ambitions. This partnership alone will empower thousands of residents to confidently make the switch to electric vehicles, knowing they have easy access to chargers.”
Brighton and Hove City Council is among the first to tap into the government’s Local EV Infrastructure (LEVI) Fund, designed to help English local authorities roll out charging solutions for residents without off-street parking. Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said making EV charging as accessible as possible is “crucial to making the switch to electric a success.”
The UK now has over 75,000 public EV chargers, according to the Department for Transport—and it looks like the country’s on pace to hit its 2030 target. Back in December, the National Audit Office said the rollout is “on track” to meet the DfT’s estimate that at least 300,000 chargers will be needed by the end of the decade.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
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