While most existing ‘flying cars’ resemble helicopters, U.S. company Alef Aeronautics’ flying prototype is designed to look like a real car. It’s an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle, which means that, similarly to a drone or a helicopter, the car can launch vertically using electric power, as opposed to an airplane, which needs a long runway to take off.
The company claims that the vehicle, whose current model only fits one passenger, can fly in all directions. The car has undergone a number of tests so far, one of which was witnessed by NBC News, though the news outlet notes that those present didn’t see a driver enter or exit the vehicle. The flying car can also be driven on roads, though it is classified as a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) and it only goes as fast as 25 miles per hour.
According to Alef, there have been over 3,200 preorders of the $299,999 car so far, and the company expects to enter mass production within the next year. We’re yet to see if Alef will manage to turn science fiction into reality, and what flying car regulations will look like in the near future.
