The Alef Model A car made its first test flight in California (1 photo + 2 videos)

Since 2015, the American startup Alef Aeronautics has been developing an electric car with a vertical takeoff and landing function, which at the same time allows two people to move along the road in conditions close to other vehicles. Recently, the company demonstrated how its first-born Model A flies around another car parked on the road in California.



This startup already has a certificate from the American FAA, allowing it to test the flying electric car and even operate it. Model A is capable of driving about 350 km on the road without recharging, and its air routes can be up to 176 km long.

In a new video, Alef Model A "flies around" a Lexus SUV parked on a public road in California, literally flying over it and landing on the road after this improvised obstacle. From the outside, it looks a little unrealistic, but the swaying of the flying electric car's body and the clouds of dust it raises suggest that such a flight actually took place in reality.

As stated, Model A is completely electric, but if someone is not satisfied with its range and flight radius, in the future the manufacturer may provide a modification with a hydrogen power plant. The electric version will be available for $300,000, and orders are already being accepted. Potential buyers who want to languish in the general queue must pay $150 in advance, and if you want to get a fancy vehicle faster, you need to pay $1,500 for a place in a shorter queue. According to Alef, the brand's firstborn has already collected 3,300 pre-orders.

The Model A will be released before the end of this year, and Alef is already developing a more affordable flying electric car, the Model Z, for $35,000, but its announcement will not take place before 2035. During this time, a lot can change in the fate of the project and the company itself.