HayesX to debut single-seat HayesX-250 foldable eVTOL at 2026 SEMA Show in Las Vegas
Why It MattersA Part 103 ultralight eVTOL launched at an automotive aftermarket show points to personal aircraft being marketed as recreational vehicles to consumers, outside the certified-aviation channels that govern most eVTOL programs.
What happened
Las Vegas-based personal aviation company HayesX announced on Nov. 2, 2026 that its HayesX-250 will make its public debut at the 2026 SEMA Show, held Nov. 3-6 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The company will exhibit in Central Hall, Booth 24655, and will host a product unveiling and press conference presentation on Wednesday, Nov. 4, from 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.
The HayesX-250 is a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Its vertical-flight capability removes the need for a runway, and four folding arms reduce the aircraft to approximately 4.25 feet by 9.1 feet for transport in a suitably sized pickup or trailer. It weighs 245 pounds including batteries and has a published top speed of 62 mph. Construction combines an aviation-grade aluminum chassis with carbon-fiber components.
Safety features include eight electric motors, dual power and control buses, dual inertial measurement units and an integrated whole-aircraft ballistic parachute system. A companion HayesX Pilot Support App provides an interactive flight guide, digital logbook and pre-flight checklist.
Reservations are open at a listed price of $146,600. A $6,600 deposit secures an order and is refundable within six days. HayesX is accepting a limited number of orders for 2026 delivery, subject to availability and final configuration. The company was founded by Ciaran Hayes, co-founder and CEO, and Tim Hayes.
Part 103 positioning
The aircraft is designed to comply with FAA Part 103. In the United States, an FAA pilot certificate is not required to operate a vehicle that qualifies under Part 103, though operators remain responsible for complying with all applicable operating restrictions, airspace rules and local requirements.
Industry impact & what to watch
Most eVTOL programs in the news are organized around type certification, air-operator approvals and commercial passenger service, with years of regulatory work ahead of any revenue. A single-seat aircraft designed to Part 103 sits on a different track: no certificate for the pilot, no airline-style operator, and a sale that looks closer to a powersports or recreational-vehicle purchase than to an aircraft acquisition. Choosing SEMA, a show centered on automotive and vehicle products, as the debut venue fits that consumer-vehicle framing.
That positioning shifts where the risk sits. Part 103 shields the pilot from certification, but it does not remove operating restrictions, airspace rules or local requirements, and those fall on the owner. For a buyer paying $146,600, the practical questions are where such an aircraft can legally and safely be flown, how it is stored and trailered, and how insurance and training are handled. A limited-order 2026 delivery slot with a deposit refundable for six days means the first real signal will be how many reservations convert into deliveries.
The Nov. 4 unveiling and press conference is the next dated milestone, and it is where any additional specifications, range or endurance figures, and delivery details would be put on the record.
