It takes a lot to stand out in a crowded field of high-tech cars, but the Aska A5 is the only one that flies.
On Wednesday, the Silicon Valley upstart unveiled the first fully functional prototype of the A5 which the company claims will hit both roads and skies in 2026. It only showed a small-scale prototype.
After many years of promises that never came to fruition, the Aska may be more reasonable than its predecessors. It doesn't need to run away. It can take off vertically anywhere a helicopter could, using six electric motors that fan out from its body to make it look like a drone. Two of the arms act as wings after they reach altitude.
The A5 can be used as a car on the ground with an electric motor. It should be possible to take off from a runway in less than five seconds, and to whisk it to 70 mph, according to Aska.
The A5 has a claimed range of 250 miles in the air. It uses a gasoline engine to extend the range of the batteries. Since the engine can act as a generator in the event of battery failure, the dual-power arrangement is a safety feature. A parachute deploys to float the whole thing back to earth.
Pre-orders for the A5 are already taking place, with a $5,000 deposit getting you a place in line to pay over $800,000. Aska plans to sell access to the A5 in major cities and their surroundings in which a certified pilot will pick you up and ferry you to your location.
Cars are usually the center stage, but that isn't always the case. Electric aircraft were shown off by both Bell andHyundai in the year 2020. Before the ride share service sold off that department, both were supposed to be partners.
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