See the Alef Model A Flying Car Prototype

The top surface of the Alef Model A flying car is an open mesh to let air flow through. The body houses four propellers on one side of the passenger bubble and four propellers on the other side.

This computer rendering shows how Alef expects its cars to fly horizontally, with the body tilted upward so the propellers inside can move it forward.

Alef Aeronautics CEO Jim Dukhovny, standing in front of the Alef Modal A prototype, shows on a screen how a passenger will stay feet-down in the bubble as the flying car rotates around the bubble into its forward flight configuration.

This single-passenger Alef prototype can fly, but only has small wheels. It's not designed to test the company's eventual plan to make a roadworthy flying car.

Inside this boxy Alef Zero prototype, you can see eight propellers, the passenger compartment and the sides of the car that become wings as the aircraft tilts toward forward flight — a maneuver the company hasn't yet tested with a human pilot.

A second team is creating a second Alef Zero prototype. The startup hopes having two independent teams will mean faster progress.

This Alef Model A doesn't yet have propellers inside its body and so can't yet fly, but the startup hopes that'll happen in the coming months.

Alef Aeronautics' Alef Model A flying car on stage.