Startup Alef Aeronautics responded to the Tesla Roadster flight showcase by publishing a video of its electric flying car hovering over a Roadster in California. CEO Jim Dukhovny welcomed Tesla’s entry into the flying car race after eleven years of working alone, revealing that more than 3,600 pre-orders worth $1 billion have been registered.
Demonstration flight over Tesla Roadster and sarcastic welcome to competition
Behind the scenes of the Tesla Roadster showcase in Texas and production delayed to 2028
Shared investor and fundamental differences in propulsion, licensing, and pre-orders
Frequently asked questions
Demonstration flight over Tesla Roadster and sarcastic welcome to competition
California-based startup Alef Aeronautics responded on Thursday, October 15, 2026, to the long-awaited demonstration of the Tesla Roadster flight in its own dramatic fashion. The company published a video showing its electric flying car hovering directly above a Tesla Roadster, announcing in its statement that “today, the Tesla Roadster became the second flying car in history, after the Alef car,” according to Electrek.
Jim Dukhovny, CEO of Alef, said in statements reported by Electrek: “Welcome, Tesla, to the flying car race; we have been here alone for 11 years.” Dukhovny described the entry of a new competitor as “a good thing,” explaining that “it proves market viability, establishes a separate category for flying cars, creates an industry capable of pushing for customized regulations, attracts investor focus, helps compare technologies, and sets a benchmark for comparison.”
Alef emphasized that the flight over the Roadster marked the 1,000th recorded flight in its flight test log. This is not the first time the company has executed an aerial stunt involving a Tesla-produced vehicle, having published a video last year of its lightweight Model Zero Ultra Light model hovering over a Cybertruck.
Behind the scenes of the Tesla Roadster showcase in Texas and production delayed to 2028
This media skirmish coincided with Tesla showcasing the new generation of its Roadster sports car at the SpaceX test site near Waco, Texas. According to a report by The Verge, during the presentation, the electric supercar managed to drive upside down, hover briefly in the air, and accelerate from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in less than one second, though the car is not expected to enter commercial production before 2028.
Tesla had postponed the event from October 1 due to weather conditions, with the live stream scheduled for 8:55 p.m. Eastern Time, according to CNBC. Reports preceding the event indicated that the demo car would rely on cold gas thrusters developed by SpaceX, would be remotely operated and controlled, and is not licensed for public roads, as reported by Electrek.
Notably, Elon Musk showcased the first prototype of the new Roadster in 2017 and promised deliveries would begin in 2020, according to The Verge. Dukhovny also addressed Tesla’s attempt during an interview on WGN Radio, sharing his engineering perspective on Tesla’s ability to match the Alef vehicle.
Shared investor and fundamental differences in propulsion, licensing, and pre-orders
Both vehicles share being electric and operating on an all-wheel-drive system, and both companies share prominent investor Tim Draper as an early backer of each. However, the engineering approach differs fundamentally; Alef relies on a distributed electric propulsion system rather than compressed gas thrusters, and emphasizes that its lighter vehicle can accommodate a customized ballistic parachute system to protect the entire vehicle, according to the Electrek report.
On the regulatory front, Alef secured a special airworthiness certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2023, while Electrek noted that the Tesla Roadster will still need to obtain type certification from the FAA, a complex process that could take many years.
Alef affirms that it currently holds more than 3,600 pre-order reservations with a total value exceeding $1 billion USD. The company began hand-assembling and building its first flying cars in Silicon Valley last December, and expects to deliver an initial batch to a limited number of early buyers by the end of 2026, scaling up production in 2027 starting at a price of $299,999 USD per vehicle.
Frequently asked questions
Question: How did Alef Aeronautics respond to the Tesla Roadster flight demo?
Answer: It published a video of its electric flying car hovering over the Tesla Roadster on its 1,000th recorded flight, describing Tesla as the second flying car in history after Alef.
Question: What did the Tesla Roadster present in its demonstration show in Texas?
Answer: The car drove upside down, hovered briefly, and accelerated to 60 mph in less than a second using SpaceX cold gas thrusters and remote control, with production anticipated in 2028.
Question: What is the engineering and regulatory difference between the Alef vehicle and the Tesla Roadster?
Answer: Alef relies on distributed electric propulsion, includes a whole-vehicle ballistic parachute, and secured a special airworthiness certificate in 2023, whereas Tesla uses gas thrusters and requires years of aviation licensing.
Question: What is the volume of pre-orders and the price of the Alef flying car?
Answer: The company has recorded over 3,600 pre-orders valued at $1 billion, with limited deliveries beginning in late 2026 starting at $299,999 before expanding production in 2027.
