Watch the world’s first electric flying car hop over another vehicle as it takes flight [Video]

Who said electric flying cars are only for the movies? Alef Aeronautics made history after posting a video of its electric car driving and vertically taking off in public. The video shows the electric flying car jumping over another vehicle as it takes flight. Watch “the world’s first real flying car” take flight below.

Electric flying car takes flight in California

Is this the next Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk moment? Alef’s CEO, Jim Dukhovny, said the company is “proving to humanity that new transportation is possible.”

The company has been developing flying cars for about a decade. After showing a prototype to Tim Draper in 2017, an early investor in Tesla and SpaceX, his venture capital firm Draper Associates, backed Alef with $3 million in seed funding.

Alef shook the internet after unveiling a prototype of its flying car, dubbed the Model A, in 2022. The company claimed the 100% electric flying car can drive up to 220 miles with a 110-mile flight range.

Less than a year later, the Model A became the first vehicle of its kind to obtain a Special Airworthiness Certification from the US Federal Aviation Administration. Alef even became the first company with pre-orders to sell an aircraft through a car dealership.

The company made history again this week after releasing a video of an “ultralight version” of its flying car taking flight in California.

Alef said it’s the “first-ever video in history of a car driving and vertically taking off.” Although previous videos have shown tethered flights, cars using a runway to take off, and eVTOL flying taxis taking off, this is the first public video of a car actually driving and taking off vertically on a city street. The road was blocked off for safety.

The video almost seems fake, like something out of a Sci-Fi movie, but this really took place. You can see the flying car take flight and jump over another vehicle.

In a separate video, Alef showcased the flying car driving off-road to prove it can still drive like a typical vehicle.

Alef claims its flying cart is “100% electric, drivable on public roads, and has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities.” The company has mass manufacturing agreements with PUCARA Aero and MYC, which supply industry giants like Boeing and Airbus for aviation-grade parts.

To date, the electric flying car has secured 3,300 pre-orders. Prices are expected to start at around $300,000. You can pre-order yours on Alef’s website for a $150 deposit. For $1,500, you can reserve a spot in the priority queue.

The company plans to begin Model A production later this year, with the first deliveries scheduled to follow. Alef is already working on its second flying car, “Model Z,” which is expected to start at around $35,000. It’s set to launch in 2035.