After 7 years of gestation, Alef’s flying car project receives a strong boost with the investment of Draper B1, a Valencia-based venture capital firm. The Alef Model A takes off and lands vertically.
The flying car project Alef Aeronauticsfirm founded by Jim Duchovny, has received great news coinciding with the presentation of Model A, the flying car that has been developing for 7 years.
The California-based company is taking a novel approach to taking cars from land to the skies, just as movies have fantasized about for decades. Something that has convinced Tim Draper, a well-known American investor, to promote the project with greater investment through the venture capital firm Draper B1founded in collaboration with BBooster Ventures, and which is based in Valencia.
Alef Aeronautics is already working on the Model Z, a sedan with a flight range of more than 300 kilometers at an approximate cost of $35,000
Tim Draper is known in the technology scene for having invested in the launch of large corporations such as Tesla, Space X, Baidu, Hotmail, Skype, Twitter and Twitch, among other. He now reinforces his commitment to the Alef Aeronautics flying car.
“I put in more money when I saw that they had created a small prototype drone that did exactly what they told me it would do”draper said speaking to Reuters. “The design is extraordinary. The sides of the car become wings when the plane goes horizontal.
This is the Alef Model A
Based in Santa Clara, in the heart of Silicon Valley, Alef Aeronautics has designed a relatively conventional looking electric car, with the ability to take off and land vertically. And of course, to fly.
The company intends to begin marketing the Model A in 2025 at a price of approximately $300,000. One of its most striking features is its flight, as it rises vertically, then the cabin rotates and the carbon fiber body is placed on its side, advancing thanks to the intervention of a series of propellers.
The estimated autonomy of this flying electric car on the road is 322 kilometers, with a 160 km flight range. The bodywork has been created by former Bugatti designer Hirash Razaghi.
In addition to finalizing the development of the Model A, Alef Aeronautics is already working on the Model Za sedan with a flight range of more than 300 kilometers at a cost of approximately $35,000 in 2030.
Photos: Alef Aeronautics