California startup Alef Aeronautics has announced the start of production of what the company calls the world's first true flying car - the Alef Model A Ultralight. Deliveries to the first customers are expected in early 2026.
"We are pleased to announce that the production of the first flying car has started right on schedule," quotes the New York Post CEO of Alef Aeronautics Jim Duchovny. "We have finally managed to lift production into the air."
The assembly of the Model A is taking place at the company's facility in Silicon Valley and will take several months. The electric vehicle, which is already being compared to the fantastic Pegasus, combines the functions of road transport and an aircraft.
The 'Real' Flying Car
The Alef Model A Ultralight is positioned as the first true flying car, as it is capable of:
- taking off and landing vertically,
- flying without wings,
- remaining legal for public roads.
The car is fully electric and designed for use in dense urban traffic. If necessary, the pilot can simply land and continue on the road - just like in a James Bond movie.
Technical Features
- 8 independent rotors, rotating at different speeds, provide maneuverability in the air;
- 4 electric motors, built into the wheels, are responsible for ground movement;
- takeoff is possible without a runway or helipad.
The range is:
- 354 km when driving on the road;
- 177 km in flight mode.
Price and Availability
Pre-orders for the Alef Model A Ultralight are already open, with a starting price of $300,000. At the initial stage, the car will be available to a limited number of customers who will test it in real conditions before it hits the mass market.
Despite the high cost, interest in the novelty is enormous: the company has already received about 3,500 pre-orders totaling around $1 billion.
A New Stage in Transportation
Alef emphasizes that their development is different from the eVTOL projects of Honda, Hyundai, BMW, and other automotive giants, which are essentially electric helicopters. The Model A combines a full-fledged car and an aircraft in one body.
Thus, the launch of the Alef Model A Ultralight production could become an important milestone in the development of personal transportation - when the sky truly ceases to be the limit.
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