[Image: Alef Aeronautics]
Move over, sci-fi dreams—Alef Aeronautics just made them real.
The US startup has pulled off what it boldly claims to be the world’s first actual flying car. And no, this isn’t another fancy drone or a plane in disguise—this is a classic car-looking car that drives on roads and lifts off into the sky.
To prove it, Alef dropped a jaw-dropping video of its Model Zero prototype casually taking flight over a parked car on a public road in California. It’s a sight straight out of Back to the Future but with fewer hoverboards and more aerodynamic wizardry.
“This drive and flight test represents an important proof of technology in a real-world city environment,” said Alef Aeronautics CEO Jim Dukhovny. Not stopping there, he added, “We hope it will be a moment similar to the Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk video, proving to humanity that new transportation is possible.”
Unlike many “flying cars” that look like oversized quadcopter drones or tiny planes trying too hard, the Alef Model Zero plays it cool. It looks like an actual car, hiding its rotor blades within the chassis, making it blend seamlessly into traffic—until it takes off, that is.
And it’s not just a gimmick. This fully electric marvel boasts a 320-kilometre driving range and can soar through the skies for 160km. The ultimate goal? To make flying cars accessible beyond the ultra-rich.
Alef, founded in 2015 (ironically, the same year flying cars were promised in Back to the Future Part II), envisions a world where sky-high traffic jams are a thing of the past.
Of course, this future doesn’t come cheap—yet. The upcoming Model A will set you back a cool $300,000 (R5,5 million), but a more “affordable” Model Z is in the works, expected to land at around $35,000 (R640,000). Not quite budget-friendly, but hey, neither were regular cars when they first hit the road.
With more than 3,300 pre-orders already locked in, Alef isn’t just dreaming—it’s delivering. Production of the Model A is set to kick off later this year, backed by a manufacturing agreement with aerospace heavyweights PUCARA Aero and MYC, known for supplying parts to Airbus and Boeing.
“Designed to drive on the street, take off vertically when needed and fly overhead above traffic, we’re building the solution to the issues of modern congestion,” the company’s website states.
“It fits into a regular driving lane and conforms to all traffic regulatory conditions. Alef flying car fits into a regular parking space and inside a regular-sized garage.”
So, next time you’re stuck in bumper-to-bumper gridlock, just imagine looking up—because someone might already be skipping the traffic above you.
[Source: Independent]
