Alef Aeronautics is the first company to get their Model A electric flying car approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
Plenty of sci-fi depictions of the future envision that humans will be using flying cars at some point—from Back To The Future, Star Wars, Total Recall to Blade Runner. Well, now that future may be closer than we thought. The Elon Musk and SpaceX-backed startup Alef Aeronautics from California has made history. They are the first company in history to earn a test for their Model A electric flying car.
The press release from Alef Aeronautics explained they received an official Special Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Model A. Under the Code of Federal Regulations, Alef is required to report any issues, including malfunctions or defects, to the U.S. government agency during “Model A” development and testing.
While this would still be miles away from actually hitting the roads…skies…or sky roads, it is a significant step forward in the automotive technology industry. The vehicle would also need to meet National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration safety standards before taking flight. The simulated video showed how it took off, and it was very strange, to say the least.
CEO of Alef Aeronautics Jim Dukhovny said, “It allows us to move closer to bringing people an environmentally friendly and faster commute, saving individuals and companies hours each week. This is one small step for planes, one giant step for cars.” It would definitely help those here in Toronto as an alternative to taking the dreaded Gardiner Expressway (the only highway leading into the downtown core).
The FAA has imposed strict restrictions on where and for what purpose the car can fly. The automotive technology company explained their plans to create a flying car that could be used for both road travel and vertical take-off. They noted that they still wanted to keep the design within existing city infrastructures that would still work for parking and driving.The company was founded in 2015 by Dukhovny, Konstantin Kisly, Pavel Markin and Oleg Petrov in Palo Alto, California, and has been testing and flying the car’s prototype since 2019.
If you are wondering how many passengers the Model A can carry, so far it can carry up to two people. It is also expected to have a range of 200 miles on the road and 110 miles in the air. Many car enthusiasts have already started pre-ordering as soon as the approval was given.
So how much does the Model A electric flying car cost? The small matter of $300,000. Crazy, I know! Even crazier is that about 440 people have already paid a deposit for one. Apparently, those who pay a $150 deposit can join the general queue, while those who pay $1,500 get priority access when deliveries begin. Last year, CEO Dukhovny told news agencies that people could expect to see these flying cars in the sky by 2025.
This seems to be a bold project for both Alef Aeronautics and humanity. Although it is fully electric, the struggle to convert all vehicles to electric continues. However, this could be an evolutionary step in finding more alternatives to the whole transport situation. Perhaps the next step will be flying lorries, which would free up so much more space on motorways and roads!
