Flying Car Gets OK to Drive on Roads

The flying car that was recently authorized for test flights has now also been given approval to drive the vehicle on public roads.

ASKA last week received a special air worthiness certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to conduct test flights of its four-seater passenger vehicle.

Now the vehicle has received authorization by the Department of Motor Vehicles to do road testing on public roads.

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“ASKA A5 is the size of an SUV with its wings folded, so it can drive in normal traffic conditions and shares the road with other vehicles,” said Guy Kaplinsky, ASKA CEO and co-founder.

The vehicle has large wings and propellers that can fold and rest on top of the vehicle.

The electric vehicle has a flight range of up to 250 miles with speeds up to 150 mph, according to the company.

It has six motor systems, each with its own battery power source.

"We have achieved a series of technological milestones in the first quarter of 2023; debuting the first full-scale working prototype of the ASKA A5 in January at CES, successfully performing field and driving tests, and obtaining the COA and Special Airworthiness Certification for our pre-production prototype," said Kaplinsky.  "The data we are harvesting from flight testing is enabling us to make progress towards our type certification. We already completed the initial phase and are progressing towards our next milestone."

The electric aerial vehicle (EAV) is designed to be parked in existing parking spaces and charged at EV changing stations.

The FAA recently also approved Alef Aeronautics to test its $300,000 electric flying car.

Both ASKA and Alef are offering pre-orders of the flying vehicles, though the future time of ultimate FAA approval, a complex road ahead, has yet to be determined.

ASKA said it has received pre-orders worth $50 million.

ASKA and Alef Aeronautics join a growing number of companies developing and testing flying vehicles to carry either things or people.