FAA Approves the First Flying Car

Image: Alef flying car rendering  (Photo Credit: Alef Aeronautics)
Image: Alef flying car rendering (Photo Credit: Alef Aeronautics)
Rich Thomaselli
by Rich Thomaselli
Last updated: 8:40 AM ET, Mon July 3, 2023

"Meet George Jetson." 

The future is here.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the world’s first flying car, and it’s 100 percent electric. The future is environmentally conscious, too.

Hey, if cars can drive into the water and become a boat, then this is not so far-fetched.

Alef Aeronautics produces the flying car, dubbed the ‘Model A’, and said it has received legal permission from the FAA to test the car on the open road and in the skies. The car is not yet available to the general public but you can pre-order the vehicle.

 

 

The car has received a Special Airworthiness Certification from the FAA.

"The historical significance of this cannot be overstated," CEO Jim Dukhovny told USA TODAY. "While there have been pioneers like Terrafugia, Paul Moller, and Henry Ford, this is the first time a vehicle, in the traditional sense (parks and drives like a car, functions like a car, looks like a car), has received permission to fly. It's also important that Alef is the first electric car which received permission to fly. And, last but not least, the ability for vertical takeoff is central to most people's conception of a 'flying car.'"

The car is expected to cost $300,000 when it hits the market. You can get on the pre-order list now for $150 or $1,500 for a priority spot.

No word yet from George, Jane his wife, daughter Judy or his boy Elroy.


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Rich Thomaselli

Rich Thomaselli

Associate Writer

Editor Associate Writer true 9281 14744 Rich Thomaselli has written for TravelPulse since 2014 and has been a professional journalist for nearly 40 years. His work has appeared in USA Today, the New York Times and New York Yankees publications. He is an 11-time writ

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