Although a number of companies are involved in the race to create the first production flying car, few are as dedicated to making it look like a car, as Alef Aeronautics. The California-based startup is one-step closer to making its vision for 3D mobility a reality, now that it has received a Special Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
While a number of companies are working on vehicles that function both on the road and in the air, Alef claims that it’s Model A is the first that does while actually looking like a car.
Like those other vehicles, the Alef Model A features a small passenger pod that is big enough for two people, and a series of propellers that turn it into an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. However, where others are happy to have their propellers high on the vehicle and clearly visible, Alef hides it all behind car-like body work.
Read: GAC Unveils Flying Pod That Turns Into An Electric Car Thanks To A Wheeled Landing Pad
With body panels that form a mesh over the fans, the Model A allows air to pass through the vehicle and down, in order to generate lift. Powered by eight electric motors, the car will be good for 200 miles (322 km) of range on the roads, and 110 miles (177 km) in the air, the company claims.
Alef Aeronautics will get to see if the concept works for real now that it has received its Special Airworthiness Certification from the FAA. That will allow the company to test the Model A in limited locations for exhibitions, research, and development.
“Our flights were very limited without this certification,” a spokesperson for the company told FLYING. “This certification now gives us the ability to fly in locations we need (for example, near our headquarters in Silicon Valley) and purposes we need (like exhibition, for example).”
One of a series of certificates handed out by the governing body, the FAA is currently in the middle of a push to develop policies for eVTOLs and how they interact with the road. In addition to Alef, companies like Joby (which is backed by Toyota) and ASKA also announced that they have received Special Airworthiness Certifications this week.
In development since 2015, the Alef Model A is expected to go on sale in 2025, at a price of $300,000.
