Alef flies its Model A over a Tesla Roadster and says first cars reach early buyers by year end

The same day Tesla showed its thruster-equipped Roadster, Alef Aeronautics released a video of its own electric flying car flying over an older Tesla Roadster. Alef said the stunt was to "welcome it to the flying car race," Electrek reports.

"Welcome, Tesla, to the flying car race; we've been here alone for eleven years," CEO Jim Dukhovny said. He argued that competition proves the market and helps create a separate flying-car category for regulators and investors.

The 1,000th flight

According to Electrek, Alef has just completed its 1,000th logged flight, which happened to be the one over the Roadster. The two vehicles take different approaches. Alef uses distributed electric propulsion and a body that forms a wing, with a rotating cabin. Tesla's Roadster uses compressed-air thrusters. Alef says its vehicle is light enough to carry a full-vehicle ballistic parachute.

Alef revealed the full-size Model A in 2022, quoting a 220-mile driving range and a 110-mile flight range. Electrek notes that by 2023 the vehicle had received an FAA Special Airworthiness Certification. That is a permit for experimental flight, not a type certificate approving the design for general sale and use.

Where deliveries stand

Electrek's May 19 report said Alef began hand-building the first customer vehicles at its Silicon Valley facility in December. The plan hasn't changed since then:

• The first batch is expected by the end of 2026, for a limited number of early buyers.
• Alef says those vehicles are "for the purpose of testing flying cars in the real-world environment, under very controlled conditions."
• Production is set to ramp in 2027, with Alef training early adopters.

Price and orders

The Model A is expected to start at $299,999. Buyers can pre-order with a $150 deposit or join a priority queue for $1,500. Alef claims more than 3,600 pre-orders worth $1 billion, up from the "over 3,500" it cited in May. In May, Alef also opened public investment through Wefunder.

Our take

Alef is the closest thing to a car-shaped flying car with a delivery date this year. But "delivery" here means a small, hand-built test batch under controlled conditions, not general sale. Pre-order counts are company-reported figures, backed by deposits as small as $150. With about 11 weeks left in 2026, the next milestone is simple: whether any customer actually takes delivery before December 31. We'll update the tracker when that happens or if the date moves.

Sources

• Electrek: Alef welcomes Tesla to the electric flying car race by flying over the Roadster (Oct 15 2026)
• Electrek: This 100% electric flying car that jumped over a Tesla Cybertruck is coming soon (May 19 2026)