Alef puts its flying car on airport runways

Everyone stuck in traffic has dreamed of hitting a button and just flying away.

San Mateo-based startup Alef is trying to make that dream real. The company just signed agreements with two Silicon Valley airports, Hollister and Half Moon Bay, to begin test operations for what it calls the world's first flying car.

Instead of testing in an isolated sandbox, Alef plans to fly its vertical takeoff and landing vehicle alongside traditional aircraft in live airspace.

Skipping the red tape with an ultralight

The operations will kick off with the Model Zero Ultralight, testing driving, vertical takeoff, forward flight, and landing.

Classifying the test vehicle as an "ultralight" is a clever move. It lets Alef take to the skies without waiting years for standard legal airworthiness certifications from aviation authorities.

The catch? Regulatory restrictions mean it can only fly during daylight hours, and it is strictly banned from flying over congested towns or populated urban areas.

Alef claims the all-electric vehicle delivers 200 miles of driving range and 110 miles of flight range. Earlier this year, the company shared a video showing an ultralight Model A prototype casually hopping over another car in its path.

A decade in the making with 3,300 pre-orders

Alef has been quietly working on this vehicle for nearly ten years, aiming for a commercially available consumer model called the Model A.

It won't come cheap. The target price tag sits around $300,000, though Alef says it has already racked up more than 3,300 pre-orders. Potential buyers can secure a spot for a $150 deposit or drop $1,500 for the priority line.

According to CEO Jim Dukhovny, the novelty is not reinventing aviation, but fitting an automobile into standard air traffic. The vehicle also incorporates AI-driven safety systems borrowed from autonomous driving tech to handle tricky maneuvers.

Why it matters

Alef moving into public airports is a big deal because it pulls flying cars out of flashy CGI renders and forces them to interact with real air traffic control.

For regular drivers, you definitely shouldn't throw down a deposit hoping to skip tomorrow's morning commute. At $300,000, this is strictly a toy for the ultra-wealthy. More importantly, ultralight regulations mean it can't legally fly over cities where actual traffic jams happen.

Industry-wise, Alef is playing a smart game. While other eVTOL makers spend years and millions waiting on FAA commercial certs, Alef used an ultralight loophole to get off the ground, test mixed-traffic operations, and build airport partnerships today.

However, we think this shortcut has an expiration date. An ultralight classification works great for pilot programs, but selling a production consumer car that flies over streets requires the full weight of commercial aviation approval. Dodging the FAA playbook gets you into an airport, but it won't get you into suburban driveways.