According to Fox News, a California-based company manufacturing electric flying cars is currently accepting pre-orders. Alef Aeronautics announced in a press release that its flying car has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), meaning the company is permitted to test the vehicle on roads or in the air.
As per the car’s website, this all-electric vehicle (along with a pricier hydrogen-fueled variant) is a low-speed transport that can travel 200 miles on public roads, fit in a standard garage, and also take off vertically, with a flight range of 110 miles.
The company, headquartered in San Mateo, states that its “Model A” car “can fly forward over obstacles until it reaches the desired destination.” The “unique omnidirectional rotating cockpit design keeps the driver and cockpit stable.”
Alef praises the vehicle’s ability to bypass traffic congestion, fly in any direction, and provide a “cinematic view of over 180 degrees for a safe and enjoyable flight.” The car can accommodate up to two people.
The company’s official website shows that customers can now pre-order the car, with an estimated price of around $300,000.
An FAA spokesperson stated that the FAA “issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate for the Armada Model Zero aircraft on June 12, 2023. This certificate allows the aircraft to be used for limited purposes, including exhibition, research, and development. This is not the first time the FAA has issued such a special airworthiness certificate for this type of aircraft.”
The report points out that Alef first launched this car in October of the previous year and has received “a large number” of pre-orders from individuals and businesses. The company says that the FAA is formulating policies related to the takeoff and landing of electric cars.
The company’s website states that Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny and co-founders Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin, and Oleg Petrovwere were first inspired in 2015 to attempt to design and manufacture a flying car. They realized then that Marty McFly, the protagonist of the movie “Back to the Future II,” had driven a flying car that same year.
Dukhovny added that the certification “brings us closer to providing people with an environmentally friendly and faster way to commute, saving time for individuals and companies each week. It’s a small step for aircraft, but a giant leap for cars.”
