Have you ever dreamed of owning a flying car? Well, Los Altos, California based start up ASKA is working on bringing that dream to life. Founded by husband and wife duo, Guy & Maki Kaplinsky, ASKA is working hard to deliver their flying cars to customers by 2026. Priced from $789,000 USD, The ASKA™ is defined as ‘an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) drive and fly vehicle.’ The thought behind the idea is a solution for individuals who need to work in the city, but have the flexibility to live in a more remote suburb. The Aska is said to allow owners to reside around 100 miles from an urban area and travel ‘into the city in 30 minutes or less!’ Guy Kaplinsky believes this will allow individuals to enjoy nature and affordable housing, while subsequently improving their quality of life.
“It’s taking people to the next level of flying,” says Guy. “A lot of people came from the automotive industry because they want to be in the air, but they like the convenience of the car. It’s like a project for you. You have to go to the airport, park your car, go fly, and then when you land you need to arrange another car, [such as] a taxi or go rent a car. It’s okay for the weekend, but [not] if it’s [on] a daily basis, [while] looking for or [going to] work. [It’s fine if] you want to be 10 miles away from your work, but if you want to be 50, 100, [or] 150 miles [away] and still be within 30 [minutes] to 1 hour, that’s the solution. Because you get there, get to your car [and] go someplace that you can takeoff [from]. You can takeoff from wherever a helicopter or an aircraft [can], so if you takeoff vertical it’s taking more energy, but if you go forward on the runway you can save up to 60-70% of the energy.”
“We introduced what we call ‘ASKA on The Fly’,” says Guy. “It’s a time share program so you don’t need to buy. Until now we were collecting pre-order, people want to own that [for] $789,000. There is [a] $5000 pre-order payment which is deposited in an escrow account, and 100% refundable after 1 year, [and] you get the option to receive one share in the company. That is for limited edition, so you can customize the interior and exterior. [There] is a new program where people just pre-order and say they want it from Tuesday to Wednesday, and you buy 50 hours, 20 hours, 250 hours a year and we maintain that for you. You book ASKA, and get the vehicle .”
Although a pilots license is required to operate the ASKA, requisite training for customers is included in the base price. Customization is also an important element at ASKA, clients will be able to configure their own personalized interior as well as selecting exterior colors. For those who are hesitant to commit to a nearly $800,000 full purchase can enjoy ASKA’s new timeshare/partial ownership service that makes the vehicle available to a wider audience of potential users. ASKA On The Fly is said to become the future online platform for summoning your ASKA through a web based portal if you decide to opt for partial ownership. A hallmark of this service will be the ability to access 24 hour booking data. Through this platform customers will be able to either pick up the vehicle at a central location or have it delivered to their home via VIP service. Another highlight of partial ownership is that a service team takes care of both maintenance and cleaning to ensure that your ASKA is always ready for use.
“We target consumers,” states Maki. “Through various designs, we have the same mission to drive, to fly, vertical takeoff and landing and short takeoff and landing. ASKA can make Air Mobility possible without relying on new infrastructure. ASKA can use the existing landing strips, parking spots, charging stations and gasoline stations; and that is how we are different from other eVTOLs. We are very excited to introduce ASKA to the luxury area of aircraft and cars. Hopefully this is going to be an exciting addition to their collection.”
“Its [weight] is about 5,000 pounds, and can fly up to 250 miles with the weight of 4 passengers,” says Guy. “And if with less people [you can have a greater range. Also, the selection of the batteries is the key issue for us to select the batteries that [are] very safe. So we went more into the direction of existing batteries that we know are safe to use. We don’t want to stress the batteries, [which] is why we are not yet ready for full electric because of safety issues. Because it’s [for] a consumer, you need a private pilot license, you need to learn 40 hours training and the cost for the training is included in the price. It’s very easy to fly, just like [piloting] a drone.”
An air mobility learning center is a cornerstone element of ASKA show room in Los Altos, at this location events are held through out the year for those who have joined the Founder’s Club by placing a $5,000 deposit for their future ASKA. Founders Club members meet every 3-5 months either at the showroom or online to learn about updates around the air mobility industry. According to ASKA, the deposit is held in an escrow account and becomes refundable after one year.
