According to Fox Business, the first step in “flying car” technology is under way. Alef Aeronautics, a California based company, has received FAA certification to test the concept.
The car, which would be able to vertically lift and then fly, would be powered by electric energy. A hydrogen option would also be possible, harkening back to the days of Airships. Preorders are available for $300,000, though a finished product is far in the future.
Fox Business describes the initial moment the co-founders decided to start their company:
Dukhovny and co-founders Constantine Kisly, Pavel Markin and Oleg Petrovwere were first inspired to first try to create a flying car in 2015, when they realized it was the same year when Marty McFly drove one in “Back to the Future II,” the website says.
Developing the technology for personal flying vehicles which could fit at home is only the first step in a long process for the “flying car” dream to be realized. Once a functional prototype is in place, the government will have to put in place “rules of the sky” for them. Bringing the price down from $300,000 will also make this technology accessible to a broader class of people.
The “Flying Car” category is not currently regulated by the FAA and other Federal lawmakers. Current personal flying vehicles, namely small planes and helicopters, are already subject to regulations, which include communication and landing protocols. Unmanned drones, a comparatively new category, also require FAA registration.
