You may soon drive to an airport, then fly home. Alef Aeronautics announced formal agreements with Half Moon Bay and Hollister airports to begin test operations of a road-legal, vertical-takeoff flying car. This vehicle will drive and then take off vertically, operating alongside other aircraft. Those airports now join the company's three existing test locations, making five in total.
Alef will start with its "Model Zero Ultralight" and eventually move to its commercial Model A. The Model A will drive, take off vertically, fly forward, land vertically and maneuver on both roads and runways. Alef will alert other aircraft before its carplanes move on the ground or in the air. The agreements also require conventional aircraft to retain priority and right of way over Alef's operations.
Alef designed the Model A to be fully electric. It will travel up to 200 miles on roads and 110 miles while flying. The vehicle would be required to follow certain rules: only daylight flights are permitted, and no flying is allowed over crowded areas or cities. Alef has already received the Federal Aviation Administration's Special Airworthiness Certification for limited testing.
Alef opened pre-orders for the Model A in 2022. Interested buyers have placed over 3,300 pre-orders. Buyers must place a $150 refundable deposit to join the regular queue or $1,500 for priority. The expected price per vehicle stands at roughly $300,000. Alef plans to begin production around the end of 2025.
You could someday bypass traffic by driving just a few miles, then lifting off to fly the rest. These tests could spark a shift toward mixed road-air travel in suburbs or rural areas. Still, current rules limit ultralight flying to daylight and sparsely populated routes. Regulations will need updates to allow broader use. Nevertheless, these tests show that future commutes might blend highways and air corridors.
