Alef Aeronautics, the Californian startup that is working on an all-electric flying car, says that it received 2,500 pre-orders for the zero-emissions vertical take-off and landing machine representing $750 million in revenue upon delivery.
The company claims that 2,100 deposits came from individual customers, while 400 cars have been ordered by business entities, including an agreement with a California car dealership that will supposedly result in it selling Alef’s flying car when it reportedly goes on sale sometime in 2025.
Pre-orders of the $300,000 Model A eVTOL began in October 2022 with two queue options: a $150 deposit for the “regular” line or $1,500 for the “priority” line.
Gallery: Alef Model A electric VTOL flying car
"We're excited to see such strong initial demand for the Alef flying car,” said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef. “We're thankful for the notes of gratitude and inspiration we received with some of the pre-orders. We still have a road to go before starting deliveries, but where we're going, we don't need roads."
Alef says that its all-electric vehicle could theoretically take off anywhere thanks to its wingless design and then fly horizontally for up to 110 miles (177 kilometers) on a single charge. Alternatively, it can drive on the ground for up to 200 miles (322 km).
Capable of carrying one driver/pilot and one passenger, the Model A received a limited special airworthiness certificate from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), with the startup claiming it is the first-ever traditional electric car to be certified in this manner.
Founded in 2015, the San Mateo-based firm is backed by investors such as Draper Associates, Impact VC, Draper B1, and Bronco Ventures, and it recently announced the opening of a new fundraising round.
With this being said, however, Alef didn’t offer any technical details about the propulsion system of the Model A eVTOL, such as battery type, battery capacity, or motor power.
If it will become a reality, the Model A will be the flying car we’ve all been waiting for for the last century or so, but it will have to compete with the yet-to-be-finalized flying vehicles developed by Xpeng and GAC, among others.
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