Seaplanes and I have something in common. We burn most of our energy just getting up, and after that we barely need a thing to coast. Maxwell's M1 Hybrid has been designed to work like a triple espresso with six sugars and a bowl of porridge: electric motors give it a six-minute rush to leave the water, then small diesel engines calmly carry a ton of cargo up to 1,150 miles (1,852 km).