Technology
Alef Welcomes Tesla to the Flying Car Race By Flying Over Its Roadster
Alef Aeronautics turned Tesla’s dramatic Roadster flight demo into a marketing moment of its own. The California startup released footage of its electric flying car soaring over a Tesla Roadster, calling it a playful “welcome” to the flying-car category Alef says it has pursued for 11 years.
The moment that sparked the jab
Tesla showed its next-generation Roadster at a SpaceX-linked site near Waco, Texas, where the car drove up a curved ramp, briefly became airborne, flipped using cold-gas thrusters developed with SpaceX, and jumped over parked vehicles.
Alef responded with its own video: an electric flying car lifting off vertically and flying over a Tesla Roadster and Cybertruck. The company said the stunt marked its 1,000th logged flight.
“Welcome, Tesla, to the flying car race”
Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny framed the stunt as both a challenge and a compliment. “Welcome, Tesla, to the flying car race; we’ve been here alone for eleven years.”
The company also claimed that Tesla’s Roadster had become “the second flying car in history, following Alef.”
Two very different flying machines
| Alef’s flying car | Tesla’s Roadster demo | |
|---|---|---|
| Main approach | Vertical takeoff and sustained flight using distributed electric propulsion | Brief airborne maneuver using SpaceX-developed cold-gas thrusters |
| Purpose | A road-legal flying car concept aimed at everyday transport | A high-profile showcase of Roadster performance and Tesla-SpaceX technology |
| Milestone highlighted | Alef’s 1,000th logged flight | Tesla’s first public flying Roadster demonstration |
Alef’s vehicle rose vertically and flew over the parked Teslas, while Tesla’s Roadster used thrusters for a controlled, short-duration stunt rather than conventional sustained flight.
Why the rivalry matters
Alef says competition from Tesla could help legitimize the flying-car market, attract investor attention, push regulators to create clearer rules, and give consumers a benchmark for comparing technologies.
The company has already received a Special Airworthiness Certification from the Federal Aviation Administration and says it has more than 3,600 pre-orders valued at about $1 billion. It plans initial hand-built deliveries by the end of 2026, with broader production expected in 2027 and a starting price of $299,999.
The bigger picture
Tesla’s Roadster may have delivered the flashier stunt, but Alef used it to remind audiences that it has been building flying cars far longer. For now, the “flying car race” is less about who wins tomorrow and more about who can prove that personal aerial transport can become safe, certified, and practical.
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