San Mateo startup gets federal approval to test flying car

BY KENNY CHOI

SAN MATEO -- Getting stuck in traffic and maneuvering above it was once only a dream. A Bay Area start-up is one step closer to selling a flying car that's fully electric-powered and street legal.

The aerial auto Alef Aeronautics is working on in a San Mateo warehouse is a glimpse of what could be the future of transportation. The company just received federal approval to test its vehicle in Silicon Valley and fly its latest prototype for a public exhibition.

Alef's co-founders, Jim Dukhovny and Constantine Kisly, believe they're getting closer to making the first flying car.

They're even using 3D printers for small parts for the prototype.

"We're trying to replace your existing car with an electric flying car," Dukhovny said.

Alef's engineering team envisions its first model will speed through the sky at 200 miles per hour, have a flying range of 110 miles per charge and a road range of 200 miles.

"You're going to have a shorter, easier and more environmentally friendly commute," Dukhovny said.

The Alef prototype is made of carbon fiber and Kevlar. Electric motors powered by lithium batteries spin 8 propellers.

Kisly, the director of engineering, believes technology has advanced exponentially over the last decade, giving his team even more confidence the parts are falling into place.

"We call it the perfect storm. The technologies were more or less available and known in scientific labs but now they're available for production," Kisly said.

Executives admit there's still a long road ahead before hundreds of flying cars zooming above the Bay Bridge is a common sight. 

Transportation experts agree.

"The wide-scale proliferation for normal, everyday travel in cities is pretty far out," said Billy Riggs.

Riggs is a professor at USF School of Management who focuses on transportation.

He says the cost to build each model and the $300,000 price tag will be barriers.

"We're seeing prototypes out there that have the ability of carrying people safely but we're pretty far away from seeing sustainable business models," Riggs said.

That skepticism isn't slowing the South Bay startup or Dukhovny.

Alef's biggest backer, venture capitalist Tim Drape -- an early investor in Tesla, SpaceX and Cruise -- believes in the product.

They believe each transportation evolution takes time, from horses to the Model-T, from gas-powered to electric.

"It's a slow adoption but I do think it's going to be way faster than everybody thinks," Dukhovny said.

If their vision becomes reality, getting stuck in traffic may one day be a problem of the past.

The company says it plans to fly its latest prototype for a public exhibition by the end of year and begin production around the end of 2025.