Alef Aeronautics expands test network for road-legal flying car
Half Moon Bay and Hollister airports join three existing sites to form a five-location test footprint as company outlines Model Zero Ultralight and Model A plans.
Alef Aeronautics announced formal agreements with Half Moon Bay and Hollister airports to begin test operations of its road-legal, vertical-takeoff flying car, expanding the company’s test network to five locations. The new agreements add to three existing test sites and set the stage for limited flight testing under Federal Aviation Administration oversight as Alef moves toward broader testing and eventual production.
Under the plan, Alef said initial testing would use its light, road-legal aircraft design, with the company’s commercially oriented model expected to follow. The vehicle, known as the Model A when fully developed for market, would drive on roads, take off vertically, fly forward, land vertically and then operate on both roads and runways. Alef has said the car would alert other aircraft before moving on the ground or in the air, and conventional aircraft would retain priority and right of way over its operations.
The company describes the Model A as fully electric, with a range of up to about 200 miles on roads and roughly 110 miles in flight. Flight operations are currently restricted to daylight hours and not permitted over crowded areas or cities. Alef has already secured the Federal Aviation Administration’s Special Airworthiness Certification for limited testing, a step that enables controlled, early-stage flight activities while broader regulatory needs are addressed. The aircraft’s light weight is cited as a factor in reducing the extent of traditional FAA certification hurdles during these initial tests.
Pre-orders for the Model A were first opened in 2022. Since then, Alef says more than 3,300 deposits have been placed, with $150 refundable deposits for the regular queue and $1,500 for priority, depending on the buyer’s place in line. The company has pegged the current per-vehicle price at roughly $300,000 and has indicated production could begin toward the end of 2025, subject to regulatory and testing milestones being met. The Special Airworthiness Certification allows limited testing but does not replace broader certification requirements that would come with commercial operation.
The expansion to Half Moon Bay and Hollister comes as Alef aims to demonstrate how a flying car could be integrated into existing air and road networks while safeguarding air traffic. The company says the five-test-site network, which now includes the new airports alongside its other locations, is designed to validate ground-to-air transitions, traffic management, and collision avoidance in real-world settings. Current rules governing ultralight or light aircraft also influence where and when the vehicles may operate, underscoring that any path to broader commercial use would require continued regulatory updates—and potentially new safety standards—before widespread adoption.
The practical implications of Alef’s approach could be substantial if testing proceeds as planned. Advocates of road-air mobility say a future where drivers start on a highway, transition to air, and complete a commute with fewer stops could reshape suburban and rural travel. Critics caution that the regulatory framework, airspace integration, noise and safety concerns will determine how quickly such technologies move from tests to daily life. In the near term, however, the focus remains on controlled testing at established sites and ensuring that new operations do not disrupt existing air traffic patterns.
Industry observers say the development highlights a broader push to explore hybrid road-air mobility, with several startups pursuing variants of terrestrial cars capable of einigen aerial hops or flight. The FAA’s evolving stance on airworthiness for light, mixed-use aircraft will shape how quickly these efforts mature from pilots’ demonstrations to consumer products. As Alef continues its testing program and expands its airport partnerships, watchers will look for data on safety, reliability, battery performance, and the smoothness of ground-to-air transitions as critical indicators of feasibility for real-world operation. The company has indicated that more test locations could be added as milestones are met, and that production goals remain tied to regulatory progress and the achievement of consistent, safe flight testing.
If Alef’s timeline holds, the first kits of the Model A could enter production late in 2025, with the broader market still navigating a patchwork of daylight-only operations, flight-path limitations, and city-perimeter restrictions. The company’s airport-based test program represents a critical early step in validating mixed-use operation and establishing routine air-ground communication protocols before any large-scale introduction. As with any emerging technology, the pace of innovation will depend on continued regulatory clarity, safety performance in tests, and consumer interest as pre-order inventories remain a barometer of demand.
