SpaceX backed startup, Alef Aeronautics, recently announced it has received close to 3,000 orders for its under-development, two-seater ‘Drive and Fly’ vehicle, the Alef Model A, reports a press release.}
The company’s first working prototype was unveiled last September to critical acclaim at the Detroit Auto Show. It has been described as “one of the most promising attempts at creating a Drive and Fly personal vehicle for the public.”
Jim Dukhovny, co-Founder and CEO of Alef, stated in a recent interview with CNBC, that the company had achieved, “a little over 2,850 pre-orders with deposits already down.” He pointed out that pre-orders were more than competitors like Wisk, CityAirbus and Joby Aviation.”
The Model A is currently available for pre-order on the company’s website, offering two options.
- A cheaper USD150 choice for the “general queue.”
- USD1,500 for a “priority queue.”
Although, Dukhovny pointed out, “Production will be slow…one, another, then more… if everything goes right and we have enough funding, we then plan to start production of the first Model A by the end of 2025.”
Jim Dukhovny Unveiling the Model A at the Detroit Auto Show
Alef Aeronautics is financially backed by investor Tim Draper, who previously funded Tesla and SpaceX when both companies were in their infancy, therefore, helping propel Elon Musk into the limelight and popularising electric cars.
Once commercially available, Alef is looking to charge customers USD300,000 for each drive and fly vehicle. Based on this, the present order book offers a combined value of over USD850 million.
The Model A is designed to drive on roads, with a top speed of between 25 and 35 miles per hour and a range of 200 miles. In flight mode, this decreases to 110 miles. After vertical liftoff, the vehicle rotates on its side and the seating area moves position, so the driver can face forward and fly the craft.
Meanwhile, the futuristic-looking mesh design on the top and bottom of the car plays an important role. It provides air to be fed to the vehicle’s eight propeller motors in the front and back, while allowing it to flow through the craft when it is flying facing forward, mimicking a bi-plane design.
The Model A weighs only 850 lbs. This means that in the U.S and Canada, the vehicle is classified as an ultralight aircraft, meaning it can be classified in the same category as golf carts and other small EVs.
Inside of the Model A, in Rotation Mode
In 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) granted Alef Aeronautics a special airworthiness certificate, allowing the vehicle to go through the all-important trialling process. Presently, the car’s various prototypes are undergoing testing and research in and around the Californian Silicon Valley.
While Dukhovny has said Alef’s main target demographic are commuters in congested cities, understandably, there are valid safety concerns that ask the question: How realistic is it for air regulators to allow such a vehicle flying at a low altitude, to fly over tens of thousands of people? While, he bullishly describes the Model A as “One step for planes, one giant leap for cars,” reality can somehow get in the way of such futuristic visions.
Alef has also stated it is working on a USD35,000 four-seater sedan — called the Model Z — set for release in 2035.
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