ASKA is a flying car company headquartered in California, USA, focusing on developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft capable of both road driving and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL). The brand name originates from the Japanese word 'Hisho' (flight), symbolizing the dream of free flight.The company was founded in 2018 by Guy Kaplinsky and Maki Kaplinsky, initially operating in Mountain View, California, before relocating its headquarters to the historic Eagle Field in Fresno County in 2025. The new headquarters spans 350 acres.Employee count is approximately 11—50.
ASKA is committed to developing 'true flying cars' — enabling door-to-door land-air integrated travel without changing vehicles. ASKA A5 is the world's first flying car to simultaneously receive a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and a road test permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), marking a breakthrough in both aviation and highway dual certification for the company.
In 2018, ASKA was officially founded in California. Focusing on financing and conceptual R&D in the early stages, it opened the world's first flying car showroom and learning center in April 2021, and announced the launch of on-demand booking service ASKA™ On-Demand in August of the same year.
From 2022 to 2024, the company entered the technical verification and airworthiness certification stage. On June 30, 2023, the ASKA A5 prototype (Registration No. N901NF) received the Special Airworthiness Certificate and Certificate of Authorization (COA) granted by the FAA, and simultaneously obtained road test permission from the California DMV, becoming the world's first flying car to receive dual aviation and road certification.In July 2024, the prototype received a second FAA airworthiness certificate renewal.As of the end of 2024, the prototype has completed over 500 unmanned hover tests and numerous road driving tests.
2025 was a year of accelerated growth for ASKA. In January, several senior advisors from the elite military field were appointed to expand its strategic advisory board, focusing on market penetration in the defense sector.In March, a partnership was established with East Japan Railway Company (JR East), showcasing ASKA A5 models and promotional videos at Tokyo Takanawa Gateway City.In May, the FAA renewed the Experimental Research Airworthiness Certificate for the A5 prototype and issued a COA designating Eagle Field as an approved testing site.In July, the founder acquired Eagle Field, moving the electric hybrid VTOL project from Mountain View.In December, ASKA was selected for the sixth cohort of the Dimension X Global Open Innovation Challenge under Singapore's HTX Innovation Centre Hatch, to explore emergency response applications for A5 across Singapore's 64 islands.
Entering 2026, the company advanced both product certification and market expansion. In February, news of ASKA A5 receiving dual FAA and DMV certification attracted significant attention in Chinese-speaking regions.Currently, the company is actively cooperating with the FAA to advance the 'Type Certification' program, striving to reach the G1 Baseline Review stage, which is a critical step towards obtaining formal commercial marketing qualifications.
ASKA's core product is currently ASKA A5, a 4-seater (1 pilot + 3 passengers) electric hybrid flying car with both Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) and Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) capabilities.
In Road Driving Mode, ASKA A5 folds wings and propellers, with a size comparable to a typical SUV, can be legally driven on ordinary public roads, and is compatible with existing EV charging stations and gas stations for refueling.Ground top speed is 70 miles/hour (approx. 113 km/h). In Flight Mode, 6 tiltable propulsors are deployed, large wings optimize flight efficiency.Flight range is approx. 250 miles (approx. 400 km), max flight speed up to 150 miles/hour (approx. 240 km/h).In a full charge and full fuel state, airborne range can reach approx. 402 km.
ASKA A5 adopts an extended-range hybrid system — pure electric drive system paired with a range extender, combining lithium batteries and internal combustion engines, balancing environmental protection and range requirements.Flight and road driving share the powertrain, power can be allocated on demand between wheels and propellers.Interior uses a 4-seat layout, steering wheel is an integrated design combining aircraft control yoke and traditional steering wheel, cabin equipped with multiple displays and supports AR-HUD augmented reality navigation.
In terms of Safety Configuration, A5 is equipped with six sets of independent motor systems, each with an independent battery power source, to reduce single-point failure risks.In emergencies, the aircraft can rely on large wings for gliding landing, and is equipped with a ballistic parachute system as the last line of defense. ASKA is also planning an on-demand mobility platform, ready to operate fleet services once commercial operation permits are obtained.
ASKA is still on the eve of commercialization, not yet achieving mass production delivery, but has made significant progress in pre-sales and strategic cooperation. As of now, the company has received over 100 pre-order orders with a $5,000 deposit each, with estimated total order value exceeding $50 million.Official A5 price is $789,000 (approx. 5.43 million RMB), planned for mass production delivery in 2026.Analysis agencies such as Roadable Times predict ASKA will launch on-demand mobility services after obtaining FAA Type Certification in 2026.
In terms of capital, the company completed an incubator accelerator financing round on November 27, 2025. In 2026, the University of Alabama in Huntsville and ASKA signed a joint development and public-private partnership agreement, conducting preliminary discussions on intellectual property ownership of flying cars.The company is listed as one of the leaders in aerospace technology in Expert Collections, alongside companies like Honda and Beta Technologies on the list of leading enterprises in the VTOL market.
Drive-and-Fly Architecture is the core differentiating advantage of ASKA A5 compared to pure eVTOL aircraft. The vehicle adopts a 'Drive -> Fly -> Drive' seamless task chain mode, wings and propellers can be fully folded when driving on roads, reducing ground size to SUV level.The shared power system mechanism enables on-demand switching between wheels and propellers.Vehicle compatible with existing EV charging stations and gas stations on the market, supporting flexible energy replenishment in various infrastructure scenarios.A5 supports both VTOL and STOL takeoff and landing modes, capable of vertical takeoff from small spaces like helipads, and using traditional runways for rolling takeoff to improve range efficiency.
In terms of Safety, six sets of independent motors and independent battery power sources build a basic fault-tolerant architecture; large fixed wings provide gliding capability in case of engine failure; ballistic parachute system can achieve overall soft landing in extreme conditions.A5 has passed FAA certification and DMV dual road test permits, becoming the world's first flying car to receive both aviation and road dual official certifications.
In terms of Smart Cockpit and Human-Machine Interaction, the vehicle adopts an integrated design combining aircraft control yoke and traditional steering wheel, driver seat equipped with 'yoke' style steering wheel.Central control integrates multiple displays, can simultaneously show navigation maps and flight radar information, supports AR-HUD augmented reality navigation, driving information can automatically adapt display content according to mode switching.
As of early 2026, ASKA has cumulatively completed over 300 miles of road tests, accumulating extensive driving data for subsequent certification applications.In addition, the company has submitted 4 patent applications involving semiconductor manufacturing, fluid dynamics, and integrated circuits, gradually building a core technology patent moat.
United States Domesticis ASKA's core R&D and manufacturing base. In July 2025, the company moved its all-electric hybrid VTOL project from Mountain View to the self-acquired Eagle Field airport, which features a 2300-foot runway, helipad, and hangars and support buildings exceeding 70,000 square feet.New location is near the Silicon Valley and Los Angeles metropolitan areas, only 35-40 minutes flight distance from Silicon Valley.
Asian Market is an important part of ASKA's global strategy. In March 2025, ASKA and East Japan Railway Company (JR East) exhibited A5 models and played promotional videos at the Tokyo Takanawa Gateway City urban development project, jointly exploring the feasibility of using flying cars to develop high-end tourism services.JR East also plans to integrate flying cars with existing transportation networks such as highways and railways to build a multimodal transport system.In December 2025, ASKA was selected for the sixth cohort of Singapore's Hatch Innovation Centre's Dimension X program, to utilize HTX AI and sensing technology to test A5's emergency response capabilities in complex terrain across Singapore's 64 islands.ASKA also plans to explore deployment in natural disaster emergency management — flying cars can achieve delivery and last-mile transportation under minimal infrastructure conditions, a scenario helicopters or traditional eVTOLs cannot effectively cover.
European and Middle Eastern Markets: Leveraging its unique 'Land-Air Integrated' architecture, ASKA A5 has been evaluated by institutions such as the US Department of Defense as suitable for VTOL logistics support solutions in distributed and contested environments, highly matching combat requirements in the Indo-Pacific region, opening a channel for future entry into defense and government-level markets.
Mass Production and Commercialization is the core goal for ASKA at this stage. The company plans to officially launch ASKA A5 mass production and delivery in 2026, and launch on-demand mobility services.A single A5 pre-sale price is $789,000, over 100 pre-order orders received, estimated total order value exceeding $50 million.The company is actively cooperating with the FAA to advance the 'Type Certification' (Type Certification) program to obtain formal commercial marketing qualifications.
In terms of Application Scenario Expansion, ASKA is accelerating from initial point-to-point private travel to diversified business scenarios. Emergency Medical Transport and Emergency Response — A5 tested in the Singapore Hatch Dimension X program the feasibility of shortening emergency rescue times, estimated to shorten evacuation time by 35%, improving survival rates and releasing emergency service resources.Defense and Logistics Support — Six independent motor architectures, multi-scenario takeoff and landing capabilities, and land-air integration make it suitable for operation in contested environments, strategic needs of the Indo-Pacific region highly match this capability.High-end Tourism Services — Cooperation with JR East targets the Japanese high-end aviation tourism market, integrating flying cars into the ground transport network composed of railways and highways.In addition, ASKA can also serve more scenarios such as disaster emergency transport, offshore island connection, and Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
Technology Iteration and Future Product Lines, currently A5 is ASKA's first-generation product. As type certification is gradually passed and scaled mass production starts, the company plans to develop a lighter, longer-range second-generation flying car version, and consider launching a dedicated freight model for logistics distribution. At the same time, ASKA on-demand mobility service platform will go online after airworthiness certification is passed, the first fleet will serve North America and major Asian cities.
In terms of Industry Synergy and Standard Co-construction, ASKA has joined the NASA Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign (AAM National Campaign), jointly participating with the FAA in the formulation of relevant policies and test standards, laying technical and regulatory foundations for the social application of flying cars.
Overall, from the land-air integrated drive architecture and dual official certification technology accumulation, to exploring new application scenarios such as emergency rescue and tourism sightseeing, ASKA is gradually transforming flying cars from sci-fi dreams into feasible commercial products. In the critical window period of the UAM industry transitioning from conceptual prototypes to scaled commercial deployment, ASKA, with its unique 'true flying car' concept, is expected to carve out a differentiated development path in the flying car track.
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