A flying car prototype just got an airworthiness certificate from the FAA

Alef Automotive, a California startup, has received certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to test its innovative vehicle, which it describes as a flying car. This achievement marks the first time a fully electric vehicle capable of both flying and traveling on roads has gained US government approval.

Dubbed the “Model A,” Alef Automotive’s vehicle/aircraft is designed to be drivable on public roads and park like a conventional car, while also possessing vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. It is intended to accommodate one or two occupants and boasts a road-range of 200 miles and a flying range of 110 miles.

The company aims to sell each vehicle for $300,000, with the first deliveries projected to take place by the end of 2025.

The FAA has issued Alef Automotive a special airworthiness certificate, allowing for limited purposes such as exhibition and research and development. While the FAA acknowledged that Alef is not the first aircraft of its kind to receive such certification, the company asserts that its vehicle stands out due to its ability to function both on roads and in the air, resemble a regular car, and park in a standard parking space.

Alef Automotive’s CEO, Jim Dukhovny, expressed excitement about the FAA certification, stating that it brings the company closer to providing individuals and companies with an environmentally friendly and faster commute, potentially saving hours each week. Dukhovny characterized the achievement as “one small step for planes, one giant step for cars.”

The company’s website specifies that the flying car will be certified as a “low-speed vehicle,” limiting its maximum speed on paved roads to around 25 miles per hour. Alef Automotive suggests that if drivers require faster transportation, they can utilize the vehicle’s flight capabilities. However, the company still requires approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to operate the vehicle on roads.

Development of the vehicle began in 2015 when four friends, Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin, Oleg Petrov, and Dukhovny, inspired by the “Back to the Future” movies, embarked on creating flying cars envisioned in the film for that year. Alef Automotive conducted an initial successful automated test flight of a skeleton version in 2018, followed by a flight of a full-scale prototype the following year. However, the company needed the FAA’s special airworthiness certificate to continue its research and development efforts.

Earlier this year, Alef Automotive announced that it had received refundable pre-orders for over 400 vehicles, with prices set at $150 for the general queue and $1,500 for the priority queue. The company’s progress marks a significant step toward realizing the concept of flying cars and represents a new frontier in transportation.