Many companies, mainly startups, have designs or prototypes of vehicles that can drive on the road like conventional cars but become flying at the push of a button. The American company Alef Aeronautics, which is known to be backed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has created such a vehicle, which is the closest thing that has been presented in terms of design to a flying car, and has carried out a test in real conditions in Los Angeles.
In the video that was released, the Alef Model A, as the vehicle is called, is seen driving on the road like a regular car and then the vehicle flies over another car. The two-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle costs approximately $250,000 and the company claims to have received approximately three thousand pre-orders, but it should be noted that the deposit to place a pre-order is symbolic since the interested party must pay only $150, which can be withdrawn at any time.
It is a two-seater car called the “Alef Model A.” Customers can pre-order the “Model A ” online and will need to make a nominal $150 deposit for the vehicle. They can withdraw the deposit at any time. Alef has announced that it is separately working on a four-seater sedan, the Model Z, which is scheduled to be released by 2035 at a price of around $35,000.
Most companies involved in the flying car field have designed models that have wings attached to the sides or large rotors that make the vehicle look like a helicopter. Alef decided to try to make a vehicle that looks as much like a conventional car as possible. Its model does indeed look like a regular car. The vehicle features a mesh shell that protects rotors inside that allow air to flow through the vehicle, with company executives claiming it is “the first flying car”.
