Flying car receives approval in the USA

Alef Aeronautics has received approval for public test drives and test flights from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its Model A flying car. According to the start-up, the range of the flying electric car is up to 320 km on the road and up to 180 km in the air.

The all-electric Model A flying car, which can transport up to two people, can be used on the road as well as take off and land vertically. For the first time, a vehicle of this type has now been granted permission to fly in the USA.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently working on its guidelines for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles and on regulating the interaction between eVTOLs and ground infrastructure. Therefore, the special approval for the Model A is a restricted approval, limiting where and for what purposes it can be used.

Since Alef unveiled two functional demo vehicles of the Model A last autumn, the company says it has received numerous pre-orders for the flying car from private individuals and companies. However, the vehicle is not cheap: it is expected to cost around 275,000 euros and be delivered as early as the fourth quarter of 2025.

»We are very pleased about this certification by the FAA. It brings us closer to our goal of providing people with an environmentally friendly and faster commute. This is a small step for planes and a big step for cars,« says Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef.