Flying car prototype receives airworthiness certificate from FAA

Flying car prototype overview: 

• Who: The Federal Aviation Administration has certified for testing a flying car prototype manufactured by California startup company Alef Automotive. 
• Why: The certification is the first of its kind for a fully electric flying car, which Alef says has a driving range of 200 miles and a flying range of 110 miles. 
• Where: Nationwide.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has certified for testing what is being described as a flying car prototype designed by a California startup company, making the fully electric vehicle the first of its kind to receive approval from the U.S. government. 

Alef Automotive, the flying car prototype manufacturer, said it has already received more than $250 million worth of preorders for the electric vehicle, which has a price of $300,000, Business Insider reports. 

The company reportedly said the majority of the preorders for its Model A vehicle — which went on pre-sale in October — are from consumers, but that it also has several business-to-business agreements in place as well. 

The Model A is fully electric, has a driving range of 200 miles, a flight range of 110 miles, and is small enough that it can be parked in the confines of existing driving and parking infrastructure, according to Business Insider. 

“Designed to drive on the street, take off vertically when needed and fly overhead above traffic, we’re building the solution to the issues of modern congestion,” Alef states on its website.

FAA confirms it granted flying car company special airworthiness certificate

The FAA has confirmed it granted Alef special airworthiness certificate, which allows the company to test the vehicle in limited purposes, such as exhibition, research and development, CNN Business reports. 

“We’re excited to receive this certification from the FAA,” Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny told CNN Business. “It allows us to move closer to bringing people an environmentally friendly and faster commute, saving individuals and companies hours each week. This is a one small step for planes, one giant step for cars.” 

The company said it is expecting to begin delivering the vehicles — which will be certified as a “low speed vehicle” and not able to go faster than around 25 miles per hour on a paved road — to buyers around late 2025, according to CNN Business. 

In other car news, several automakers — including BMW, Jeep, Honda and Ford — announced recalls last month over issues with their vehicles’ cruise controls, rearview cameras, rear coil springs and engines. 

Would you be interested in purchasing a flying car? Let us know in the comments!

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