California startup Alef Aeronautics has introduced the Alef “Model A,” the only flying car with street driving and vertical take-off abilities. The Alef Model A flying car fits within the existing urban infrastructure for driving and parking.
The car design seems to give drivers a stable ride with its car-like exterior. It has a distributed electric propulsion system, no exposed propellers for added safety, extensive software flight stabilization and safety system, elevon stabilization system, and all-wheel driving. Key safety components include triple to octuple redundancy of all key components, real-time thousand-point diagnostics, pre-flight reject start diagnostics, obstacle detection, and avoidance, among others.
The Alef Model A’s mesh-topped body houses one or two people inside bubble-like compartments, but most of the space is empty. Eight propellers are housed inside a body roughly the size of a big automobile. Four propellers are housed in the hull on one side of the passenger bubble and four on the other. The vehicle’s top surface – an open mesh – allows air to move through the flying car.
The concept flying car has a driving range of 200 miles (322 km) and a flight range of 110 miles (177 km).
The company plans to begin production and initiate the first deliveries in the fourth quarter of 2025. The first Alef flying car is available for pre-sale to consumers for $300K, with a $150 regular queue or $1,500 priority queue deposit, on the company website.
“The Alef Model is a modern solution for both urban and rural transportation needs in the 21st century because it is the fastest and most convenient transport ever created from the point of origin to the final destination,” Alef’s CEO Jim Dukhovny says. “By enabling consumers to choose driving or flying mode, the Alef flying car allows the optimal path depending on road conditions, weather, and infrastructure.”
With additional models in development, Alef is working towards the four-person sedan, Alef “Model Z,” scheduled for introduction in 2035, priced at $35K. It will be capable of flying over 300 miles (483 km) with a driving range of more than 220 miles (354 km).
