Silicon Valley-based startup, Alef Aeronautics, a company gaining recognition through its financial backing from SpaceX, recently announced that it has received a total of 2,850 pre-orders for its flying car, the Model A. The car, carrying a hefty price tag of $300,000, was first introduced last year at the Detroit Auto Show.

Utilizing electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) technology, the Model A is a two-seater vehicle, weighing 850 pounds, and capable of achieving a top speed of 110 miles per hour in flight and up to 35 miles per hour on the ground. The company touts this car as the first ever flying car.

The reservation for the car requires a fully refundable deposit of $150. While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the Model A a Special Airworthiness Certification, the vehicle still awaits approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to be legal on roads.

The FAA had earlier published a report titled “Concept of Operations Urban Air Mobility,” envisioning air taxis operating within corridors between airports and built-in vertiports in city centers. However, there are still no laws or regulations that govern the routes and trajectories of flying cars within cities.

Despite these hurdles, Alef’s CEO, Jim Dukhovny, remains optimistic. Dukhovny expects regulatory approval and suggests that, if all goes as planned, Model A will begin production as soon as the end of 2025.

Another distinctive feature of the Model A is its mechanism for flight. Once off the ground, the cockpit swivels and the vehicle’s body, made of carbon-fiber, flips to its side and moves forward, powered by a series of propellers. This aspect differentiates Alef’s design from several competitors, whose flying cars resemble large drones and are not capable of terrestrial movement.

The company estimates the flying range to be 100 miles and the driving range to be 200 miles. Nearing 2035, Alef plans on introducing the Model Z sedan, with a flight range of 200 miles, a driving range of 400 miles, and an estimated price of $35,000.

In 2022, Alef received $3 million in seed money from early Tesla and SpaceX investor, Tim Draper. He cited his further investment as a reaction to Alef’s successful creation of a drone prototype that met his expectations.

Source: SpaceX-backed flying car startup says it hit 2,850 pre-orders.