What’s standing in the way of the flying car?

A new era of flight is about to take off. On 12 June 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Special Airworthiness Certificate to a flying car model developed by Alef Aeronautics, allowing the aircraft to fly in limited locations for exhibition, research and development.

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is an umbrella term for passenger or cargo-carrying flying aircraft that are highly automated. Often referred to as air taxis or vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft, these vehicles in theory offer faster, safer door-to-door transport. Neither physical infrastructure or traffic jams on the ground will slow them down. Although the flying car is still somewhat pie-in-the-sky, Alef’s recognition by the FAA marks a turning point in the future of air mobility.

But there may still be plenty of challenges to solve before flying cars become reality in cities around the world – not least the constant drone and whoosh of flying cars as they pass by, take off or land.

Alef’s founders began working on the concept in 2015 and created their first full-size flying-car prototype in 2019: the Model A. This road-legal passenger car will fit two occupants and boast a driving range of 200 miles (322km) and a flight range of 110 miles (177km). Sleek and compact, the vehicle is designed to look much like a regular car, will need no runway for lift off, and should even fit into a traditional parking space. Model A’s novel approach to design is as much about function as form: the company claims the car’s proprietary technology allows it to achieve vertical take-off and transform into a biplane midflight, with doors that will convert into wings, all in an effort to dramatically change the everyday commute.

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So far, however, only a handful of investors have actually seen the Model A fly in a demonstration in 2019, according to the company’s website.

But a host of technological challenges still remain. “Some of the components which we need simply do not exist in the world today,” explains Jim Dukhovny, the chief executive of Alef Aeronautics. “For example, to avoid differential stress we need highly specialised propeller motor systems.” Size, weight, and price constraints will dictate how soon these vehicles are available to the public, and whether they’ll be safe to ride.