Startup backed by Tesla investor says is building the first real flying car

The Alef Aeronautics flying car conducts its first flight test in a city environment around Santa Mateo, California, in the US. The startup says this is the first publicly released video of a car driving and taking off vertically. For the test, the team closes off the road so no people are under or near the flight path. The area around isn’t also densely populated, and all safety equipment and personnel are on standby. An ultralight version of the Alef Model Zero is used for the flight, and the test is completed without any safety issues.

The first Alef Aeronautics flying car set to be commercialized is the Alef Model A. Since it has the body of a conventional car, owners can park it in spaces and drive it on roads. So far, the team says it has a driving range of 200 miles and a flight range of 110 miles. The vehicle comes with a gimbaled cabin design to keep it stable as it moves through the air as well as an elevon system to control the vertical and horizontal movement of the Alef Aeronautics flying car and its tilting. The team opts out of adding exposed propellers for safety.

March 30, 2025 | 4:16 am