The Alef Aeronautics company also plans to offer a cheaper version, called the Model Z, which will sell for just $35,000. This model will be ready by 2030
Alef Aeronautics, a company based in Santa Clara, California, announced that it will have a car ready that can take off in the air vertically and fly like a helicopter up to 110 miles. And this will have it ready to deliver to customers by the end of 2025.
The car, known as Alef’s Model A, will cost $300,000 and advance sales are currently open. Interested customers can pay a deposit of $150 to get on the waiting list, or $1,500 for a priority spot on the waiting list.
Alef says the company has been testing and flying its prototype since 2019, and the version it plans to deliver to customers will also have a 200-mile ground handling range.
Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny told CNBC that the car is made for primarily highway driving, ideally only flying short heights and distances and only avoiding specific obstacles. Dukhovny refers to such cases as ‘jump’ scenarios, where the customer primarily uses the vehicle’s flight mode to ‘jump’ obstacles when necessary.
In a statement he made in October, Dukhovny cited road conditions, weather and infrastructure as possible reasons for taking a short flight.
The car’s design includes a carbon fiber bodywork with an open mesh-like top that houses four propellers on each side.
Once the car takes off vertically, the entire vehicle turns on its side, and the two-seat cabin also turns , allowing the propellers to steer it like a large flying drone.
Alef says the vehicle is designed to comply with automotive laws and regulations, making it legal to drive on the road.
The Model A isn’t the only flying car Alef plans to offer, as Dukhovny has also announced his intention to build a cheaper version, called the Model Z, which will sell for just $35,000 by 2030.