This Alef Aeronautics Sports Car Will Let You Actually Jump Over Traffic

Alef Aeronautics wants to make your commute easier—even if that means momentarily taking flight to “hop” over anything that might be in your way. As CNN reports, the Santa Clara-based company has recently debuted a prototype for a new flying car, Model A, which would allow drivers to take off vertically into the air, similar to a helicopter, for up to 110 miles. For those eager to lift off, the company also said it plans to deliver the vehicles by the end of 2025. 

Though the goal to get cars flying isn’t new—it’s been in people’s mind for decades thanks to shows like the Jetsons or movies like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang— regulations, technology, and other factors have kept the possibility from reality, at least until now. Companies like Samson Sky, which was approved for flight testing in July, or Terrafugia have been working to bring their own versions of flying cars into the sky, which in many ways are similar to those ideated in movies so many years ago. However, the Alef Aeronautics version is different from these competitors in that the developers expect the car to stay on the ground for the most part. 

As Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny told CNBC Make It, the car would ideally only take flight for short periods to avoid road obstacles: Adding road conditions, weather, and infrastructure could be reasons to take flight. Once in the air, the body and two-person cockpit swivels onto its side, flying similar to a drone. According to the Alef Aeronautic’s website, the company first flew a prototype of its Model A in 2019 before turning to the aesthetic design of the car’s interior and exterior in 2021. 

Still, the production and delivery timeline is ambitious and, as CNN shares, meeting safety and regulatory requirements, as well as mass producing the vehicles, could be a lengthy challenge. However, when Alef Aeronautics delivers Model A, it will cost $300,000. And by 2030, the company also hopes to debut a simpler, less expensive model, Model Z, that will cost $35,000.