Air taxi developer Lilium unveiled a seven-seat version of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft on Friday. Aimed at the regional shuttle segment, the “7-Seater Lilium Jet” is expected to cruise at 175 MPH with a range of around 155 miles. Lilium, which has flown two- and five-seat versions of its eVTOL, reports that it received a CRI-A01 certification basis from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the seven-seat model last year.
Lilium also announced plans to go public via a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Qell Acquisition Corp. Qell is led by former president of General Motors North America Barry Engle, who will be joining Lilium’s Board. As previously reported by AVweb, Lilium is planning to build a network of up to 14 vertiports for an eVTOL-based air taxi service in Florida with the goal of launching commercial operations in 2024.
“We’re incredibly excited to reveal the development of our 7-Seater Lilium Jet and announce the next stage of our growth,” said Lilium co-founder and CEO Daniel Wiegand. “This is a validation of all the hard work over the last five years from our talented team and our world-class partners and investors.”
Ha! The real test for these vehicles will not be batteries, it will be NIMBY’s. Let’s see if the can get their vertiports approved to anywhere near where people actually want to be.
Yes, I believe in engineers and technical solutions, but I’m a real skeptic when it comes to governments at all levels getting this sort of thing right.
Not getting in it unless it can glide down to the ground WHEN the batteries die.
I can’t imagine how loud (and obnoxious) these things would sound. Like a drone from hell.
Likewise I predict a 89 degree glide angle.
I often say that airplane design is like restaurants – everyone wants to have their own, few succeed.
Add in the scam that humans are causing runaway climate warming – which is not happening and cannot happen – and more investors will be suckered.
Runaway climate warming is not happening according to accurate temperature measurements such as weather balloons and satellite sensors, and to sea level gages collated at PSMSL.org. (Some gages show an apparent decline – in either direction tectonic plate movement is a far greater effect than climate temperature.)
Can’t be caused by humans, because the basic physics of greenhouse gas molecules limits the rise that CO2 can create to a small amount most of which has already been realized. (The ‘saturation’ effect of absorption/emission spectra of carbon dioxide and dihydrogen monoxide.) Even the IPCC agrees but theorizes a positive feedback effect that did not occur in past warm eras like the Medieval Warm Period when Vikings farmed southwest Greenland.
T0oo late for scientific thinking.
It’s valuable to remain open minded like we are but I think the battle against the climate hoax is largely lost.
Young people, and our ‘leaders’ in the near future, have been indoctrinated and are for the most part unwavering in their opposition for evidence that counters their propaganda. The government schools, here and abroad, have brainwashed them.