A German-engineered electric jet should be carrying passengers by 2026, according to a Bloomberg report about Lilium's revolutionary vertical takeoff craft.
It's a milestone for a company that's been working on cleaner air travel for about a decade. But don't expect Lilium to linger long on the accomplishment. That's because leaders there plan to bring an even bigger version — increasing the passenger count from around six to 100 — to market sometime in the next decade. That model would also increase the range from 109 miles to 620 miles, per Bloomberg.
"At this point it's a vision, but there's huge potential," company co-founder Daniel Wiegand told the news site.
Lilium's own news section is filled with updates on deals around the world, including in Saudi Arabia and Milan. The Middle East headline is about a purchase order for up to 100 jets.
The first full-size test craft is now being put together in Munich, with the first flight next year and deliveries in 2026, as detailed by Bloomberg.
Lilium's take on electric vertical takeoff and landing craft (eVTOL) is a little different looking than some others in development. Ones already in the air from California's Joby Aviation use propellers to achieve lift.
Lilium uses ducted jet engines. Batteries are stored in the side walls. From certain angles, its wings look like serrated blades that change orientation to guide the aircraft.
Inside, the plane is as modern and accommodating as you'd expect for a state-of-the-art craft. Its safety ratings are superior to helicopter requirements, at a theoretical failure likelihood of one in a billion flight hours, compared to one in a million for the propeller models, all per Bloomberg and Lilium.
A basic version of the carbon-fiber planes costs about $7.6 million. Lilium can construct about 80 planes in Munich to meet existing demand. Company officials are working to line up more funding to increase production, Bloomberg reported.
A Lilium video clip shows the potential upside for travelers. An approximate 100-mile trip (in road miles) from New York City to Philadelphia takes about an hour and 10 minutes for about $200. A high-speed train clocks in at 1:55, and a taxi labors on the road for more than two hours. Those two conveyances could cost about $150 and $280, respectively, per Lilium.
Importantly, the battery-powered trip emits no planet-warming air pollution. Our World in Data noted that the aviation sector has contributed to about 4% of the planet's overheating to date. If more eVTOLs can take flight, a portion of that burden can be reduced, limiting increased risk for severe weather and human health concerns linked by experts to the dirty air.
It's part of the transformation of our transportation sector happening on the roads as well. A record 1.2 million electric vehicles were sold in the U.S. last year, according to Cox Automotive. Those cleaner rides are more easily attainable thanks to robust tax credits worth up to $7,500.
If all goes according to plan for Lilium, its eVTOLs will be zipping around more places, carrying ever-increasing amounts of passengers, in coming years.
"The potential of electric aviation to contribute to solving the broader environmental issues and challenges in air transportation is significant," Lilium CEO Klaus Roewe said in a press release.
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