Alef Aeronautics CEO Jim Dukhovny discusses flying car technology and explains how the company’s propulsion system meets FAA requirements on ‘The Claman Countdown.’ #fox #foxbusiness #media #breakingnews #us #usa #new #news #breaking #theclamancountdown #alefaeronautics #jimdukhovny #dukhovny #flyingcars #flyingcar #tesla #elonmusk #musk #aviation #technology
Flying Car Showdown: Alef’s CEO Says Tesla Just Showed Up to a Race They’ve Run Alone for 11 Years
Elon Musk stood at a SpaceX site in Texas on October 15 and watched a redesigned Tesla Roadster blast off a curved ramp on compressed-air thrusters. The car flipped in midair and set back down on its wheels. No one was inside. Musk later posted that the future has flying cars after all.
The same day, California startup Alef Aeronautics released its own footage. Their electric flying car rose straight up from a grassy field, flew forward, and passed cleanly over a parked Roadster and a Cybertruck. The company called the clip its 1,000th logged flight. Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny’s line was simple: “Welcome, Tesla, to the flying car race; we’ve been here alone for eleven years.”
Alef Aeronautics, the Silicon Valley startup behind the world’s first street-legal flying car, has threw down a cheeky challenge to @Tesla 🔥
The company dropped a video showing its all-electric Model A lifting straight off the pavement and gliding smoothly over a lineup that included a Cybertruck and a Tesla Roadster.
The timing could not have been sharper, landing the exact day Tesla showcased its next-gen Roadster.
More than just a viral stunt, Alef confirmed the liftoff marked a massive milestone: its 1,000th recorded flight.
CEO Jim Dukhovny greeted the newcomer with a memorable one-liner: “Welcome, Tesla, to the flying car race; we’ve been here alone for eleven years.”
He added that heavyweight competition is always a win because it validates consumer demand and sets an industry benchmark.
What makes this rivalry fascinating is how differently each team plans to conquer gravity.
Alef relies on distributed electric propulsion (DEP), using ambient air and internal propellers to hover and transition into forward flight. Tesla, meanwhile, plans to blast the Roadster airborne using cold-gas thrusters powered by compressed air.
Yet beneath the surface, both contenders share surprising common ground. Each vehicle runs on an all-electric, all-wheel-drive powertrain, and both secured pivotal early backing from venture capitalist Tim Draper.
Flying cars were supposed to stay trapped in retro sci-fi movies. Now, an agile startup and the titan of EVs are taking to the skies with completely different playbooks, and the race to own the air just shifted into high gear!
— Ming (@tslaming) October 18, 2026
The two vehicles are not doing the same job. Tesla’s thrusters come from SpaceX hardware and produce short hops and stunts. The demo car was empty and remote-controlled. Musk said that was to keep anyone from getting killed if something went wrong. The rocket package is invitation-only and is not cleared for public roads. Roadster production is set for 2028. Musk has called the thruster version “not necessarily a safety optimized car.”
Alef’s machine is built as a car that also flies. It uses eight electric rotors for vertical takeoff and forward flight. The body can rotate while the cabin stays level. Company figures put driving range near 220 miles and flight range near 110 miles, with a starting price around $300,000. Alef says it has more than 3,600 pre-orders worth about $1 billion. Hand-built customer vehicles began in Silicon Valley in late 2025. Limited early deliveries for controlled testing are expected by the end of 2026, with wider production in 2027.
Some humor on it all…. article continued below it
@skscartoon @stevenmarkryan @cb_doge @Tesla @niccruzpatane You can never second guess Elon Musks abilities
Elon Musk literally makes flying EV cars 🤷♂️ https://t.co/EqG2xwCFoy
— 🌋🌋 Deep₿lueCrypto 🌋🌋 (@DeepBlueCrypto) October 21, 2026
On Fox Business’s The Claman Countdown, Dukhovny walked through the regulatory gap. Tesla received an FAA exception for its single demonstration. Full type certification for sustained passenger flight takes years and billions of dollars. Alef designed its current vehicle to fit ultralight rules. That lets it fly without a full type certificate and without a pilot license, though with location and use limits. The company already holds a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the FAA issued in 2023 for testing. Dukhovny has said the electric rotors also let the vehicle operate closer to people and in cities, where thrusters cannot.
Both companies share an early investor in venture capitalist Tim Draper. Dukhovny has called the competition useful. It shows the market exists, creates a clearer flying-car category, draws investor attention, and gives the industry something concrete to compare. He has also noted the obvious size difference: Tesla has far more money and resources.
Musk’s thruster hop made the headlines. Alef has the longer flight log, the FAA testing paper, and a vehicle already moving toward limited customer hands. One is a high-performance sports car that can jump. The other is built to drive on regular roads and then take off vertically as a daily tool, even if the first ones carry a high price and plenty of rules.
The race is open. Alef has the head start in the air. Tesla has the money and the name.
—- The Whatfinger News Team: Luke and Sgt R, with Grok on edits
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