Alef marks 1,000th flight with flying car video over Tesla Roadster

California-based Alef Aeronautics released a video Thursday showing its electric flying car flying over a Tesla Roadster, marking its 1,000th logged flight and welcoming Tesla to the "flying car race." Alef CEO Jim Dukhovny said the company has been alone in the field for eleven years, and highlighted differences between its vehicle and Tesla's proposed thruster-equipped Roadster. Alef uses distributed electric propulsion and a wing-forming body, while claiming its lower weight allows a full-vehicle ballistic parachute. Alef has received over 3,600 pre-orders worth $1 billion, with its first flying car starting at $299,999. The company began hand-building customer vehicles in December 2025 and targets limited deliveries by end of 2026 for controlled real-world testing.