A Legit Flying Car That Can Take Off in Traffic Got Approved by the FAA

Could flying cars actually be a thing soon?  One just got approved for testing by the FAA for the first time ever:  A company called Alef is behind it.  People are excited, because it takes off VERTICALLY like a helicopter.

That means you wouldn’t need a long stretch of road to use as a runway.  You could take off in the middle of a traffic jam . . . fly past the traffic . . . then land and keep driving.

It also LOOKS like a car.  So it’s not just a helicopter that they’re CALLING a “car.”  (Here’s a photo of their prototype . . . renderings of it flying and driving . . . and what a future commute might look like.)

They unveiled their “Model A” prototype last fall, and they’ve been taking pre-orders.  They’re expected to cost $300,000. Even with that price tag, a bunch of people have already put down deposits.  You can get in line for $150, or skip the line and join their “Priority Queue” for $1,500.

It might be a while before we see them on the roads though . . . or ABOVE the roads.  They’re only approved for test flights right now.  So the FAA gets to decide when and where those tests can happen.

CNET covered the unveiling, the audio is terrible, but you can watch it HERE.