The World's First Flying Cars Are Finally Coming, And Travelers Can First Spot Them In This Coastal California Region
Self-driving cars once epitomized science fiction, and Waymo's driverless Uber rides across American cities have transformed that fantasy into reality. Now, more mind-blowing futuristic dreams are coming true in California. Fans of the 1960s cartoon "The Jetsons" will appreciate the arrival of the world's first commercially available flying car: the Alef Model A. Based in San Mateo, in the heart of Silicon Valley, where you can rub elbows with tech billionaires, Alef Aeronautics has revealed the first vehicle with vertical takeoff ability to receive the FAA's airworthiness certificate, a document greenlighting flight in the United States. Currently, operations for the vehicle are only allowed at the Hollister and Half Moon Bay airports just south of San Francisco.
How cool would it be to see this streamlined Model A in the sky? With a carbon-fiber mesh body concealing the car's eight propellers, the prototype had liftoff in February 2025 in California. Catching a glimpse of it will probably be the cheapest way to enjoy it. With production expected to begin next year, the Model A's price tag will cost about $300,000 — although the company has already received more than 3,200 preorders.
Whether you're seeking hovercars or checking out San Fran's futuristic advancements, day trips to Hollister and Half Moon Bay are fairly easy. From San Francisco, Half Moon Bay is just a 30-minute drive, and Hollister is about 1.5 hours away (depending on California's infamous traffic). While there is still a long way to go before you can see these futuristic machines hovering overhead, the tech-forward city is one of the best places to spot them.
Cars take flight in the backyard of tech's epicenter
It's only natural that cars are taking flight in San Francisco's backyard, where futuristic technology is already in operation. After all, this is where robotaxis really got their start when Google began working on self-driving technology in 2009. Waymo became the first company to offer the service to the public without human safety drivers in the vehicle in 2020. Today, Waymo's all-electric Jaguar I-PACE sedan is a tourist attraction in and of itself. A ride is just one adventure you can enjoy in the city's playground of gadgets.
San Francisco is a dream come true for art lovers, and hands-on science, technology, and arts exhibits are on display at the Exploratorium at Pier 15. The nearby Autodesk Gallery occasionally opens for public events, showcasing experiments with walking cars and 3D-printed sneakers. Escape rooms at Reason Future Tech employ high-tech touches, where users interact with 3D printers, robotics, holograms, and VR. For a far-out experience, visit the wall of lava lamps at Cloudfare, a tech encryption firm converting the lamps' random swirling patterns into an unhackable code.
If you're looking for grub, you can even find tech-forward restaurants. Stop in at Kura Sushi, where you can serve yourself from the revolving sushi bar, and robot servers will bring your beverages and condiments. For a pick-me-up, enjoy a latte crafted by a barista bot at Artly Coffee.
Ultimately, such technologies are driving growth. For global air mobility alone, researcher Custom Global Insights predicts that the market will grow from $15 billion this year to about $115 billion in 2034, via Yahoo! Finance. Most likely, though, Alef's Model A and its competitors won't collapse into a briefcase upon one's arrival at work like George Jetson's saucer.