When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward. For there you have been, and there you will always long to return.
Leonardo Da Vinci
Back in the 15th century, flight was a rare experience for humans and often ended with a hard landing. Today, if a Silicon Valley startup has its way, you may soon be able to park a flying car in your garage.
Alef Aeronautics is working on making flying cars a reality. Their first model, dubbed the Model A, is expected to have a driving range of 200 miles and a flying range of 110 miles. The Model A uses eight different propellers to achieve flight. On earth, wheels keep the car rolling. Alef expects the Model A to hit the skies in the coming months for test flights and hopes it will be ready for consumers by 2025.
As is often the case with emerging technologies, those looking to spread their wings will have to pay handsomely to do so, with the Model A expected to cost $300,000. In the long run, Alef hopes to launch a Model Z in 2030 that will cost a mere $35,000 and require only a drone license to operate.
The biggest challenge to flying cars might not be the sky-high mechanical impediments but instead regulatory issues. Authorities are still grappling with how to manage flying personal craft and delivery drones. Car accidents claim thousands of lives each year, with human error causing or contributing to 93 percent of accidents, according to Indiana University. If folks start colliding midair, not only will flyers be endangered, but also everyone below them. Still, the day may come when you can skip rush hour traffic simply by flying over it.
