Alef's Model A Electric Flying Car Moves From Prototype to Airport Runways

Key Highlights:

Alef's Model A merges car and aircraft technology in one sleek design.
Test flights at real airports show how it handles takeoff, flight, and landing.
Early FAA rules shape how flying cars could operate in everyday skies.
Thousands of preorders hint at strong interest in the future of electric flying cars.

It seems we're one step closer to living out our Jetsons fantasy, as the first flying car is taking off...literally.

Alef's Model A is unique in that it can drive like a regular car on the street while also being able to vertically take off into the sky, and it has now begun testing at two Silicon Valley airports: Half Moon Bay and Hollister. These airports bring Alef's total test flight sites to five, though they mark the first official airport locations. The other test sites include two of Alef's offices and a test field that Alef declined to disclose the exact locations of.

Alef Model A at Half Moon Bay airport with an airplane taxiing in the background. — Alef Model A at Half Moon Bay airport.

The car will operate alongside other aircraft at the airports with planned operations including driving, vertical take-off, forward flight, vertical landing, and air and ground maneuvering. Additionally, this test period will allow Alef to see how well its systems integrate with air traffic patterns—a crucial step if flying cars are ever going to move from a sci-fi dream to an everyday reality.

"Working in safe, controlled, non-towered airport environments will help Alef, FAA, airport operators, and pilots see how this will work in the future at scale," the company said in an interview with KTVU Fox 2 news channel.

And while the vehicle currently falls under the FAA's "ultralight" classification, meaning no certification is required to legally fly it today, that classification comes with certain limitations: daylight-only use and restrictions against flying over congested or densely populated areas.

What the Model A Can Do

On the ground, the 100% electric car has a driving range of 200 miles, while in the air, it can cover 110 miles, powered by a distributed electric propulsion system that avoids bulky external propellers in favor of extensive software flight stabilization and an elevon system that helps balance the craft in motion. Safety measures include real-time diagnostics, obstacle detection and avoidance, and multiple redundancies of all key components, and others.

Pre-orders for the Model A opened in 2022 for $300,000, with the option to make a $150 deposit for a regular queue spot or $1,500 to secure a priority queue spot. Production is scheduled to start in late 2025, and to date, more than 3,300 preorders have rolled in.

Black and white photo of Alef's Model A flying car showing its scissor doors. — Alef's Model A flying car.

Of course, placing a preorder doesn’t mean you’ll be driving—or flying—one anytime soon. Alef's deposits are essentially reservations for future sales, giving interested buyers a place in line if and when the Model A enters production. The FAA has only granted Alef a special airworthiness certificate for limited purposes like exhibition, research, and development, so broader consumer use will require additional approvals and likely new regulations altogether.

Alef's CEO Jim Dukhovny stated in a press release, "The Alef Model is a modern solution for both urban and rural transportation needs in the 21st century because it is the fastest and most convenient transport ever created from the point of origin to the final destination. By enabling consumers to choose driving or flying mode, the Alef flying car allows the optimal path depending on road conditions, weather, and infrastructure."

From Prototype to Airport Runway

The idea for this car started a decade ago in 2015 when four friends who tout themselves as "technical geniuses" decided they had the technology and know-how to make a flying car a reality. Before they started on their engineering, they had a few guidelines for this car:

It needed to be an actual car that could drive (or fly) in lanes, park in parking spots, etc.
It needed to be able to actually vertically take off.
It needed to be affordable for most consumers, not just the ultra-wealthy

That last point may sound strange given the $300,000 price tag, but Alef has argued that as mass production scales, costs will come down dramatically, with the company even suggesting prices could eventually dip below those of today's popular compact cars.

Black and white photo of Alef's founders pictured in a column collage. — Alef's four founders.

The first prototype arrived in 2016—no bigger than an arm, but fitted with Alef's proprietary propulsion system. It was enough to win over early investors like Tim Draper (the first venture capitalist to back Tesla), giving the team momentum to keep building. Two years later, they had flown the first skeletal frame of the car, followed in 2019 by a full-size prototype. By 2021, Alef was confident enough to bring in Hirash Razaghi, a designer from Bugatti and Jaguar, to shape the car's sleek, sporty exterior, and a year later, they officially rebranded as Alef.

What's Next for Alef and Flying Cars

The Model A is only the start. Alef is already developing a four-person sedan called the Model Z, scheduled for 2035, with a target price of $35,000 and a flying range of 300+ miles.

Some of Alef's concept videos, though, highlight just how disruptive flying cars could be. In one, the vehicle simply shifts into flying mode to hop over an overturned truck blocking the road. While undeniably futuristic, it also raises questions about noise, environmental disruption, and how regulations might keep up. Watching these demos, it's clear that Alef has a lot to prove beyond just "can it fly?" For instance, the takeoffs shown so far kick up dirt, grass, and debris, and while they may be quieter than a helicopter, they're far from silent.

You can see what I mean in a similar video below:

CEO Jim Dukhovny calls electric aviation "more environmentally friendly, quieter, and less space-intensive." While that's true compared to gas-powered vehicles or helicopters, there are still environmental and community impacts to sort out.

And then there's the question of safety. Car crashes are already one of the leading causes of death worldwide, and even non-fatal accidents clog streets and insurance lines every day. What happens if you have a "fender bender" in the sky? What happens if someone isn't paying attention while landing? Could you speed in one of these the same way you can on the highway? It's questions like these that make it clear there's a long road—or perhaps runway—ahead before we're casually commuting in flying cars.

And then there's the question of who will be allowed to operate one. We already have special licenses for motorcycles, commercial truck drivers, and even boating, so it seems inevitable that flying cars will require their own category of operator certification. Since the Model A doesn't currently offer an autopilot function, future owners would be fully responsible for takeoffs, landings, and in-air navigation. That raises the question of whether regulators will require a full pilot's license, a pared-down version, or maybe an entirely new "flying car" license

Also, every video I've seen shows the Model A lifting off from a complete stop. What’s unclear is whether it can take off at higher speeds—say 30 or 40 mph—or if, at least for now, vertical takeoff is only possible from a standstill.

Alef test flying the Model A at a low altitude.

Final Thoughts

Whether or not Alef pulls it off, the Model A is the closest thing we've seen yet to a true flying car. With test flights now happening at real airports, the company is moving beyond prototypes and into a space where regulators, pilots, and the public have to start taking this seriously.

It may be decades before flying cars are mainstream—but for the first time, it feels like they're not just science fiction. Whether the Model A becomes a household name or simply paves the way for whatever comes next, it’s proof that the Jetsons future is inching closer, runway by runway.