The world's first ‘legal’ electric flying car takes off! Will this revolutionise transportation?
Model A, a revolutionary flying car by Alef Aeronautics, has been given legal permission by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), making it the first flying car.
Highlights
- FAA grants legal permission for the first flying car named Model A
- The first designs for a real flying car were made on a napkin
- The company plans to launch the Model Z sedan in 2035 for $35,000
Alef Aeronautics' flying vehicle prototype has finally received the approvals it needed from the US government. Alef Aeronautics, a California-based aerospace company, became the first company to receive a limited FAA Special Airworthiness Certification for their flying Model A, which was unveiled in October 2022.
The US government's regulatory authority that oversees all aircraft known as the FAA, or Federal Aviation Administration, has given legal permission to the Model A making it the first flying car.
The Story behind the invention of Model A
Alef Aeronautics created its first prototype in 2016 to satisfy a number of criteria, including the capacity for vertical takeoff, affordability, and car-like driving.
Alef Aeronautics was founded in 2015 by Dr. Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin, Oleg Petrov, and Jim Dukhovny. They are a group of technical masters who are on an exciting journey to realise this ambitious objective. The first designs for a real flying automobile were made on a napkin while the creators were having a cup of coffee.
Alef Model A specifications & price
The Model A has a 200-mile driving range and is built to function much like a regular car. The company began pre-sales in October 2022 for an electric flying automobile, and over 440 bookings had already been made by the end of the year. Since 2019, Alef Aeronautics has conducted testing of both its driving and flying prototypes. It is projected that Model A manufacturing will start in the fourth quarter of 2025, and deliveries will start soon.
The company's CEO, Jim Dukhovny, expressed his joy at gaining FAA certification, saying that this permission moves them one step closer to offering consumers a more ecologically friendly and quick journey. He praised the advancement as "one small step for planes, one giant leap for cars."
Alef claims that both individuals and companies have placed a flood of pre-orders for its flying electric vehicle. The automobile can be preordered by interested buyers for $150 for a non-priority general line or $1,500 for a high-priority queue. The automobile is anticipated to cost $299,999 in total, which is equivalent to about Rs 2.46 crore.
With the Model A, Alef Aeronautics has plans for more cars, such as the Model Z, a four-seat saloon with a $25,000 starting price that will make its debut in 2035. The flying and driving ranges of the Model Z are expected to be over 300 miles and 200 miles, respectively.
While Alef Aeronautics leads the way for flying automobiles, other companies throughout the world are also investigating related ideas. For instance, early this year, China's first manned eVTOL, the Aero HT from EV startup XPeng, received flight approval.
According to the company's official statement, the FAA is actively working on its policies for electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, as well as governing interactions between eVTOLs and ground infrastructure. By approving Model A, the US government has taken a significant step towards the transportation of the future and signified the emergence of a new era.
