Futuristic £235,000 Flying Car Soars Over Traffic in California’s First Public Street Flight Test
Skip Traffic Jams with Alef’s £235,000 Flying Car
[Image: Alef Model A hovering over a city street]
Tired of traffic? Alef Aeronautics’ Model A—a £235,000 electric car—could soon let you soar over gridlocked roads. Combining road-driving capabilities with vertical takeoff, this futuristic vehicle promises to redefine urban mobility.
Drive and Fly
The Model A operates like a standard electric car on roads but transforms into a flying machine using hidden propellors in its front (bonnet) and rear (boot). Recently, Alef conducted its first successful city test on a closed public street. Captured footage shows the car driving forward, lifting off vertically, gliding over traffic, and landing seamlessly. CEO Jim Dukhovny hailed it as a milestone comparable to the Wright Brothers’ historic flight, proving “new transportation is possible.”
[Image: Model A’s propellor system in bonnet and boot]
How It Works
The car uses distributed electric propulsion, with four wheel-mounted engines for road travel and eight independent propellors for flight. The lightweight carbon-fibre frame (17ft long, 7ft wide) fits in parking spaces or garages. On roads, it drives at 25–35 mph (limited for regulatory compliance) but can cruise at 110 mph in the air. Its 200-mile road range and 110-mile flight range make it viable for short trips.
Affordable Sci-Fi?
Currently priced like a luxury Rolls-Royce, Alef aims to slash costs to £25,000 as production scales. Though the Model A is a two-seater, its ultralight design (850lbs) classifies it as a “low-speed vehicle,” skirting complex aviation regulations. Dukhovny claims it’s as easy to fly as a consumer drone, requiring just 15 minutes of training.
[Image: Model A’s cockpit and drone-like controls]
Flying Cars vs. eVTOLs
Unlike eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff aircraft), which only fly, the Model A functions as a road-legal car. Alef’s team, inspired by Back to the Future, began developing the concept in 2015. While competitors focus on air-only designs, Alef envisions a future where cars switch seamlessly between road and sky.
Pre-Orders Open
Available for pre-order, the Model A targets everyday buyers, though early adopters will pay a premium. For now, it’s a glimpse into a sci-fi future—one where flying cars aren’t just for Hollywood.
[Image: Concept art of flying cars in a cityscape]
Alef’s test marks a leap toward freeing cities from traffic snarls. If costs drop
