Alef flying car

[pmbug]

Alef Aeronautics, a sustainable mobility company that is designing and developing a flying car, announced today that it reached 2,500 pre-orders representing $750,000,000 in revenue upon delivery. This includes 2,100 deposits from individuals, and B2B agreements with businesses for sale of 400 cars, including an agreement with a California car dealership.

These deposits signify a proof of market demand from both individuals and corporations for the new mode of transportation, and gives the company valuable insights into future market demographics and breakdown of the initial customer base for flying cars.

Alef Aeronautics reports pre-orders of $750M worth of flying cars.

On October 19, 2022 Alef emerged from stealth mode and unveiled the first flying car with functionality and look of a traditional car and vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. Pre-orders were opened on the same day on company's website https://alef.aero/preorder.html

On June 12, 2023 Alef became the first traditional electric car to receive a limited Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA).

Alef's flying car is 100% electric, drivable on public roads and has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities. The car will carry one or two occupants.

"We're excited to see such strong initial demand for the Alef flying car. We're are 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," said Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef.

About Alef: Alef, based in San Mateo, CA, is a sustainable electric transportation company designing and developing a road-legal passenger car capable of achieving vertical takeoff and forward flight. Alef was founded in 2015 by Jim Dukhovny, Konstantin Kisly, Pavel Markin, Oleg Petrov in Palo Alto, California. Alef's investors include Draper Associates, Impact VC, Draper B1, Bronco Ventures, Strong VC, Louis Scola, Jim Boettcher, Jim Hurd, Jason Gorrie, Chinney, Knollwood Advisory and others. Alef recently announced the opening of a new fundraising round. More information can be found at https://alef.aero.

Alef reports pre-orders of $750M worth of flying cars

/PRNewswire/ -- Alef Aeronautics, a sustainable mobility company that is designing and developing a flying car, announced today that it reached 2,500...

www.prnewswire.com

...
The Model A’s blue underbody encases its four tires, each with an individual motor for the flying-car’s drive mode. A silver, lightweight carbon-fiber mesh overlays its eight propellers, each with an independent, software-controlled electric propulsion system to spin at different speeds for redundancy and control.

“You need airflow so obviously we cannot have a solid top, but we can’t have it completely open for safety reasons,” says Dukhovny ...

More (pics):

This Flying Car Just Wowed the Detroit Auto Show. It Could Be in the Skies by 2025.

Forget the Big Three or even the European automakers. The wild-looking, gull-wing Alef Model A attracted a mob of viewers at its first public debut.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Goldhedge]

Yeah, what could go wrong flying in a drone...?

 

[Viking]

I already got one.

 

[Casey Jones]

Just imagine what happens when you find your range is 40-percent shorter because of the ambient temperature.

Which is going to be colder, aloft, BTW. Another little thing to think about.

...for potential buyers to think about. Me, I think this is about separating rich fools from their money.

Remember the Amphicar? The West German "car that swims."

It was a tall, tippy, funny-looking car, with a top speed of 60 mph. In the water, it could only do 15 knots.

It was a poor car and a lousy boat, cost more than a good car and fishing boat together...and only sold a few thousand before the 1966 Highway Safety Act kicked in, regulating it off the market.

This is a rehash of the same theme: Fools with moar money than sense.

 

[pmbug]

I hear you @Casey Jones , but I have to tell you - any realistic option for avoiding rush hour traffic jams in Houston, LA or any big metropolis is going to find interest. If time is money and this car lets people save time, then it's gold. Remains to be seen if they can build one of these that works though. They've only shown prototype frames so far - not a full working model.

 

[Casey Jones]

I hear you @Casey Jones , but I have to tell you - any realistic option for avoiding rush hour traffic jams in Houston, LA or any big metropolis is going to find interest. If time is money and this car lets people save time, then it's gold. Remains to be seen if they can build one of these that works though. They've only shown prototype frames so far - not a full working model.

Okay. I don't mean to be a Donny Downer...you and the mods, pull up all sort of offbeat stuff that's often interesting to read.

But I've never understood this fascination with flying cars.

Let's assume it's practical for a niche market. It sells; and people use them.

Imagine, say, 3000 of these coming in from North Houston or Katy into downtown Houston every day.

There with Hobby Airport just down the road, and Intercontinental right between Conroe and downtown.

Is the air-traffic-control system going to even ALLOW these flights, to raise just one issue?

How about the chaos of unregulated, amateur oversized-drone pilots flying without any traffic pattern or lane, trying to land on whatever heliports are there?

I can't see it. Frankly, the traffic situation almost suggests a commuter motorcycle would work better. Honda makes one that has an automatic, for those who refuse to learn to shift; but; HOV lanes, lane-splitting (if/when Texas allows it) and easy to park.

And cheaper. Lots cheaper.

 

[pmbug]

.....
But I've never understood this fascination with flying cars. ...

I guess you didn't enjoy The Jetson's?

.....
Is the air-traffic-control system going to even ALLOW these flights, to raise just one issue?

I suspect these cars will only go so high - like toy (not military) drones.

.....
How about the chaos of unregulated, amateur oversized-drone pilots flying without any traffic pattern or lane, ...

That's where the fun is. Imagine the nightly news when folks are shooting shotguns at these things as they fly over their house.

I assume they can land verticaly right on a driveway or parking spot, but we'll have to see if they actually build one that works.

 

[Viking]

I could see if they were fully automated where the user just programs the destination. All flying objects would have to have an avoidance system that communicates with each other. There would have to be programmed restrictions on where they can operate, not close to powerlines or towers, etc.

But any hiccup in the weather, and you’re gonna be stranded wherever you’re at for a while or end up taking ground transportation.

 

[Casey Jones]

That's where the fun is. Imagine the nightly news when folks are shooting shotguns at these things as they fly over their house.

I assume they can land verticaly right on a driveway or parking spot, but we'll have to see if they actually build one that works.

That's where you and I agree.

Let's meet at the ammo store. Maybe we can split a volume buy.

Happy hunting!

 

[Casey Jones]

I could see if they were fully automated where the user just programs the destination. All flying objects would have to have an avoidance system that communicates with each other. There would have to be programmed restrictions on where they can operate, not close to powerlines or towers, etc.

But any hiccup in the weather, and you’re gonna be stranded wherever you’re at for a while or end up taking ground transportation.

And right away comes Social Credit Scores as a determinant as to whether you're "eligible" to use them.

Doesn't matter that you own the hardware. USE is determined by ATC and/or LE; and THAT is de-facto ownership.

Have you used Uber, where they required you to take a selfie for them to prove you're you? As an Uber Eats driver for a year, I had to do it about once a week.

Imagine having to scan your CDC Vaccination Record to fly. Or, drive your battery-powered device home.

 

[Viking]

If you can afford one of those things, I’d imagine you have a substantial bank account and social credit score. Just sayin’

 

[Casey Jones]

If you can afford one of those things, I’d imagine you have a substantial bank account and social credit score. Just sayin’

The social-credit score is not a given.

What would you suppose Trump's would be?

How about the Koch Brothers? Or Richard Mellon Scaife...he was rich, his family and also his ownership of a newspaper.

These are people who made money the old-fashioned ways - worked for it, or got it from parents, or both. But no seigniorage involved.

None of them would be allowed to fly, even TOURIST, if The Party ever completes its Grate Reset.