On February 21, 2
025, Alef Aeronautics, a startup from California, shared a video showing their electric car successfully “jumping” over another vehicle on a road in California. This event is significant because it’s the first time a car has driven and then taken off vertically in a real city setting.
Alef Aeronautics aims to address city traffic problems by creating cars that can fly over busy roads. CEO Jim Dukhovny compared this achievement to the Wright Brothers’ first flight, highlighting its potential to change transportation. He stated, “This drive and flight test represents an important proof of technology in a real-world city environment.”
The car is designed for both driving and flying, using four rotors in the front and four in the back for vertical takeoff and landing. Currently, it can only drive up to 25 miles per hour on roads. Despite this, more than 3,000 people have already preordered the vehicle, each priced at $300,000. Alef Aeronautics hopes this luxury flying car will help reduce city traffic and lead to new personal transportation methods.
In July 2023, the company received an “airworthiness certificate” from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for their Model A flying car. This was the first time such a vehicle got U.S. government approval to fly. Alef plans to start selling its fully electric car, which can take off and land vertically and drive on roads, by the end of 2025.
Alef Aeronautics was founded on April 6, 2015, by Jim Dukhovny, Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin, and Oleg Petrov. The company initially relied on financing by its founders and later obtained further seed investment from Draper Associates in 2017, followed by additional investment rounds in 2018 and 2020. Notable investors include Draper B1, Impact Venture Capital, Strong VC, and Luis Scola.
As Alef Aeronautics continues to develop and test their flying car, the once science fiction idea of flying cars is becoming closer to reality. This progress suggests that in the near future, flying cars might become a common part of our daily lives
Please check the videos https://vinnews.com/2025/02/21/alef-aeronautics-makes-historic-strides-in-urban-air-mobility-with-flying-car-test