First Electric Flying Car To Receive FAA Approvals To Take To The Skies

Forget ride-sharing services; what about traveling in a vehicle that transforms from an ordinary road car into one that flies above traffic? That’s what California-based electric transportation company Alef is one step closer to achieving.

In a first for the United States, the firm’s Model A flying car recently received special airworthiness certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This is the only time “a vehicle of this nature has received legal approval to fly from the US Government.”

However, it’s important to note that the agency is still working on the regulations guiding electronic vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and how automotive models interact with infrastructure on the ground.

As such, this could mean that the special airworthiness certification awarded to Alef may eventually restrict the locations and purpose for which Model A is permitted to fly. The firm has opened preorders for the vehicle at US$300,000.

The flying car, which is all-electric, will be drivable on public roads while equipped with eVTOL capabilities. It’s expected to hold one or two occupants. If everything goes as planned, the sedan-sized vehicle will operate via battery power and launch vertically using eight propellers.

At the moment, the company claims the flying car has a driving range of 200 miles and a flight range of 110 miles. Production of the actual vehicles is scheduled to start at the end of 2025, with deliveries possibly in the following year.

“We’re excited to receive this certification from the FAA. It allows us to move closer to bringing people an environmentally friendly and faster commute, saving individuals and companies hours each week. This is one small step for planes, one giant step for cars,” said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef.

[via Electrek and Interesting Engineering, cover image via Alef / PR Newswire]