Flying Cars You Can Preorder: Prices, Deposits and Dates

Flying cars have been "just around the corner" for a century. In 2026 you can finally put money down on a few of them. But a deposit and a delivery are different things, and the fine print is where the two split apart. This guide covers the three flying cars that come up most: the Alef Model A, the Pivotal Helix and the Klein Vision AirCar.

Every fact below comes from the companies' own pages and documents, from the FAA's rules as published, or from named press coverage, read on October 26, 2026. Each source is listed with its date at the end.

Can you preorder a flying car today?

Yes, two of the three. Alef and Pivotal both take reservations online. Klein Vision's pages show no price list and no preorder form. The three are very different machines, so the table below sets them side by side.

What does the Alef Model A cost, and what does a preorder get you?

Alef's own preorder page lists the Model A at "$299,999 expected price" and offers two places in line: $150 for the general queue or $1,500 for the priority queue. It says you can complete your configuration "as production nears."

The preorder terms spell out what the money does and does not buy. They say the preorder is not an agreement to sell a vehicle and does not "lock in pricing, a firm production slot, a firm delivery date, or specific Vehicle configuration." Your price is set when you sign a final purchase agreement. The deposit is fully refundable until then, and Alef says you can cancel at any time. Priority status generally puts you ahead of general preorders in line to sign.

The terms are also candid about timing. They say there is "no guaranteed delivery or delivery date," and that Alef may not have finished developing or started building the vehicle when you preorder. Features, "including without limitation vertical take-off and landing capabilities, are not guaranteed, and may change."

Where is the Alef Model A today?

Alef said in December 2025 that production of the first flying car had started on schedule at its Silicon Valley facility. Electrek reported that the first cars are hand-built and go to a few early customers for testing in the real world. Alef also reports 3,500 preorders worth $1 billion. That is the company's own count, and the deposits behind it are refundable. In May 2026 Electrek reported that Alef expects first deliveries by the end of 2026, with production ramping up into 2027.

On the road, Alef's preorder page says the first cars are planned as a "specially constructed vehicle." In the air, the FAA issued a special airworthiness certificate for the vehicle in 2023. The FAA told CNN it was for "limited purposes that include exhibition, research and development." That is a test-and-show approval, not permission to sell rides or carry the public. Alef gives range figures of up to 220 miles driving and 110 miles flying, according to Electrek.

How does the Pivotal Helix work, and how much is it?

The Helix is a single-seat, all-electric aircraft flown with one control stick and a touchscreen. Pivotal's page says "No pilot's license required." Its listed figures are a maximum takeoff weight of 568 lb, a 220 lb payload, a cruise speed of 55 knots (62 mph), a maximum range of 20 miles and a maximum endurance of 20 minutes. Charging takes about 75 minutes on a 240 V charger. Safety features listed include an aircraft parachute, triple-redundant failsafe systems, automated takeoff and landing, and emergency floats for flights over water.

Pivotal's page gives four steps to buy: a fully refundable $9,000 reservation that locks in your pricing and "secure[s] a 2027 delivery position"; a $50,000 deposit that moves your Helix into production; final payment at least five days before delivery; then you trailer it home from Pivotal's headquarters or arrange delivery.

The current page does not show a total price. The last figure from Pivotal itself in the pages we read is from its January 8, 2024 sales launch: "$190,000 USD before taxes, delivery, or other fees" for Package 1, which included pilot training and a warranty. Ask for the current quote before you rely on that number.

Do you really need no license to fly a Helix?

Pivotal says the Helix "complies with FAA Part 103 (Ultralight)," the category that does not require a pilot's license. That category has tight limits. Under 14 CFR 103.1, a powered ultralight carries one person, is used only for recreation or sport, weighs less than 254 pounds empty (not counting safety devices such as a parachute) and cannot fly faster than 55 knots in level flight. Section 103.15 bars flying over any congested area of a city, town or settlement, or over an open-air gathering of people.

So "no license" does not mean "fly anywhere." Pivotal also says every Helix pilot must complete initial training and periodic recurrent training. And note the dates: Pivotal's January 2024 release said first customer shipments would begin on June 10, 2024, while today's page offers 2027 delivery positions.

What is the status of the Klein Vision AirCar?

AirCar is the one that works like a small airplane. Klein Vision, a company in Nitra, Slovakia, says it converts between road and flight configurations in under two minutes and flies from paved or grass runways rather than taking off vertically. Its September 7, 2026 release says the research prototype has logged more than 170 flight hours and more than 500 landings and holds a Certificate of Airworthiness (the company's own pages date it to January 2022 in one place and to 2023 in another). The production version is being developed with a 280 HP Adept Airmotive aircraft engine and a projected range of up to 1,000 km (about 620 miles). It already flies with a ballistic parachute.

The release does not give a price, a preorder, a delivery date or a certificate for the production car. Its only date is a target: Klein Vision's co-founder said the company is "targeting Q1 next year" for an upgrade built around an AI-native glass cockpit and autoland. In May 2025, New Atlas reported a price between $800,000 and $1.2 million, a certification target of late September 2025 and deliveries in early 2026. The September 2026 release confirms none of those.

Is a flying car deposit refundable?

For the two that take money, yes, in the sources we read. Alef's terms say the deposit is "fully refundable until the Purchase Agreement is signed," and Pivotal calls its $9,000 reservation "fully refundable." The step to watch is the next one. Pivotal's $50,000 deposit moves the aircraft into production, and the pages we read do not describe its refund terms. Alef's final purchase agreement will carry its own terms, including a waiver of certain risks related to the vehicle and its operation.

Before you pay anything beyond the first deposit, read the purchase agreement, not the website. Websites change. Agreements are what you sign.

Can you legally drive and fly them?

Each one has a different answer. Alef's Model A has an FAA certificate for limited purposes, not for general use, and Alef describes the road side only as a plan for the first cars. The Helix fits the ultralight rules only while it stays under their weight, speed and place limits, and Pivotal requires training. The AirCar prototype has an airworthiness certificate from Slovakia, and the production version has no certificate that we found announced. None of the three is an air taxi: the machines in our guide to air taxis are piloted aircraft planned for ride services, and none of them sells tickets yet.

How can you tell a real flying car from hype?

Four checks separate a product from a promise:

• A price with a source. "Expected" and "starting at" are not quotes.
• A refund rule you can read. Look for the word "refundable" in the terms, not on the banner.
• A certificate and what it covers. "Certified" can mean a research prototype, not a car you can buy.
• A delivery date in a contract. Targets move. When the FAA certificate was announced in 2023, Alef expected first deliveries at the end of 2025. The target is now the end of 2026.

Clips of cars lifting off with no registration, no test location and no company address deserve the checks in our guide to spotting a fake gadget video. Another vehicle with dates that keep moving is Tesla's new Roadster, covered in our release date guide. If you want to leave the ground this year, the jet suit is the one you can book, and our real hoverboard guide covers boards that float. You can also browse every Future Transport article.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a flying car cost?

Alef lists its Model A at an "expected price" of $299,999. Pivotal's January 2024 release put the Helix at a starting price of $190,000 before taxes, delivery and fees, but its current page shows no total. Klein Vision's pages show no price, and a May 2025 New Atlas report cited $800,000 to $1.2 million for the AirCar.

How much is the deposit on an Alef flying car?

Alef takes $150 for the general queue or $1,500 for the priority queue. Its terms say the deposit is fully refundable until you sign a final purchase agreement, and that the preorder does not lock in price, delivery date or configuration.

When will flying cars be delivered?

No maker commits to a date. Electrek reported in May 2026 that Alef expects first deliveries by the end of 2026, with a ramp-up in 2027. Pivotal offers 2027 delivery positions. Alef's own terms say there is "no guaranteed delivery or delivery date."

Do you need a pilot's license to fly a Pivotal Helix?

Pivotal says no pilot's license is required, because it says the Helix complies with the FAA's Part 103 ultralight rules. Those rules limit it to one person, recreation only, no flying over congested areas, and Pivotal requires every pilot to complete training.

Is the Alef Model A approved by the FAA?

It holds a special airworthiness certificate issued in 2023 for limited purposes that include exhibition, research and development, according to the FAA statement reported by CNN. That is not approval for general sale or passenger use.

Can the Klein Vision AirCar take off vertically?

Not according to Klein Vision. It says AirCar operates as a conventional aircraft from paved or grass runways rather than relying on vertical take-off infrastructure.

Is a flying car the same as an air taxi?

No. Air taxis such as Joby and Archer are piloted aircraft planned for ride services, and none sells tickets yet. Flying cars like the Alef and the AirCar are vehicles you would own, and the Helix is a single-seat personal aircraft.

Sources

• Alef: pre-order page, $299,999 expected price, $150 and $1,500 queues (read Oct. 26, 2026)
• Alef Aeronautics: Preorder Terms and Conditions (read Oct. 26, 2026)
• CNN via ABC7: A flying car prototype just got an airworthiness certificate from the FAA (July 4, 2023)
• Electrek: The "world's first flying car" is now being hand-made in California (Dec. 9, 2025)
• Electrek: This 100% electric flying car that jumped over a Tesla Cybertruck is coming soon (May 19, 2026)
• Pivotal: Helix, specifications and how to buy (read Oct. 26, 2026)
• Pivotal: Pivotal starts selling Helix (Jan. 8, 2024)
• eCFR via Cornell LII: 14 CFR 103.1, Applicability of ultralight rules (read Oct. 26, 2026)
• eCFR via Cornell LII: 14 CFR 103.15, Operations over congested areas (read Oct. 26, 2026)
• Klein Vision: press release on Stefan Klein's Living Legends of Aviation induction (Sept. 7, 2026)
• Klein Vision: newsroom, including "Flying Car Certified to Fly!" (Jan. 19, 2022; read Oct. 26, 2026)
• New Atlas: Klein Vision's AirCar set for certification with deliveries in 2026 (May 12, 2025)