Until the Tesla Roadster, “there was only one car in the flying car market,” Alef said. To welcome Tesla to the race, Alef released a video of its flying car flying over the new Roadster.
Alef flies over Tesla Roadster as flying car race heats up
Does it drive like a car, or fly like a plane? Alef’s flying car can do both. After a video of its electric flying car went viral last year as it jumped over a Tesla Cybertruck, Alef Aeronautics is at it again.
Alef released a new video of its flying car on Thursday flying over a Tesla Roadster to “welcome it to the flying car race.”
The California-based startup threw a slight jab, saying that the “Tesla Roadster today became the second flying car in history, following Alef.”
Alef just completed its 1,000th logged flight, which happened to be a Tesla Roadster. The Tesla Roadster and Alef’s flying car share several things. Both use electric powertrains, are all-wheel drive, and share the same early investor: Tim Draper.
How do they differ? Alef uses distributed electric propulsion (DEP), while Tesla’s Roadster is expected to use thrusters.
Alef’s flying car has a wing-forming body, a rotating cabin, and uses air rather than stored compressed gas for liftoff. According to Alef, its vehicle is lighter, allowing for a “full-vehicle ballistic parachute.”
A flying car is not the same as an eVTOL (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing) vehicle. The main difference is that it can drive, park, and be used like any other car.
Alef developed its first flying-car prototype in 2019. In 2022, it revealed its first full-size prototype, the Model A, with a 220-mile driving range and a 110-mile flight range.
By 2023, Alef’s flying car received an FAA Special Airworthiness Certification, making it the first real flying car recognized by the US government. The Tesla Roadster still has to go through the FAA Type Certification, which can take several years.
Last year, Alef released the first public video of its Model Zero Ultralight driving and flying, including over a Tesla Cybertruck.
“Welcome, Tesla, to the flying car race; we’ve been here alone for eleven years,” Jim Dukhovny, Alef’s CEO, said.
Having competition is “a good thing,” he said. “It proves the market, establishes a separate flying car category, creates industry for lobbying specific regulations, brings investor focus, helps compare technology, and creates a benchmark to measure against.”
Alef has received over 3,600 pre-orders worth $1 billion. In December, the company began hand-building the first flying cars to deliver to customers from its facility in Silicon Valley, California.
The first batch is expected to be delivered to a limited number of early buyers by the end of 2026. According to Alef, they will be for “the purpose of testing flying cars in the real-world environment, under very controlled conditions.”
As production ramps up in 2027, the company plans to train and help early adopters use the flying car.
While owning a flying car sounds fun. It likely won’t be cheap at first. Alef’s first flying car is expected to start at $299,999. You can pre-order one on its website with a $150 deposit, or you can secure a spot in the priority queue for $1,500.
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