Aerial car orders flying out door

A SpaceX-backed maker of flying cars that carry a price of $300,000 said Monday it has a pre-order backlog of 2,850 units, with the first prototypes scheduled to be in the air as early as next year.

Alef Aeronautics, a Silicon Valley startup, said the pre-orders for its Model A total more than $850 million.

The 850-pound, twoseat car, first unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show last year, is an electrical vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) capable of reaching speeds of 110 mph in the air and up to 35 mph on the ground, and an estimated range of 100 miles in the air and 200 on the road.

A fully refundable deposit is $150.

Last year, the Federal

Aviation Administration granted the Model A a Special Airworthiness Certification, allowing the company to fly the car in limited locations. It also still needs approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

There are many unresolved questions surrounding the practical aspects of flying cars being used in cities.

Last April, the FAA published a report titled “Concept of Operations: Urban Air Mobility” which envisioned “air taxis” operating within corridors between vertiports built in city centers and airports.

As of now, there are no legal or regulatory provisions governing the routes and trajectories of flying cars within cities.

Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny told CNBC that he expects regulatory approval for what he calls the “first flying car in history.”

“If everything goes right, we plan to . . . start production of the first one by the end of 2025,” Dukhovny said.

The Model A differs from earlier versions of flying cars in how it flies.

Once it lifts off the ground, the cockpit swivels 45 degrees horizontally, the carbon-fiber body turns over on its side and then moves forward, driven by an array of propellers. Most other recent attempts by competitors resemble giant drones and are not capable of wheeled travel on the ground.

Alef is planning a $35,000 Model Z by 2035 with a flight range of 200 miles and a driving range of 400 miles.

Alef Aeronautics’ Model A differs from previous flying-car concepts in that once airborne, it turns on its side while the passenger compartment remains level (above). Alef says it has nearly 3,000 pre-orders for the $300,000 vehicle.