Lilium yesterday at EBACE 2024 unveiled the first full-scale model of the eVTOL aircraft it plans to bring to market in 2026. The German manufacturer is targeting business aviation companies as early adopters of the Lilium Jet, which it is offering in a four-passenger Pioneer Edition for corporate and private charter applications, as well as with a six-seat cabin for commercial regional air services.
The most eye-catching feature of the mockup revealed at Geneva’s Palexpo exhibition center is the array of 30 ducted electric vectored thrust engines integrated into the Lilium Jet’s wing and canard. Factoring in anticipated energy reserve requirements for the all-electric vehicle, Lilium anticipates an initial maximum range of around 95 nm, but this is expected to increase as battery technology improves.
At its headquarters near Munich, Lilium is now assembling the first production-conforming examples of the aircraft as it prepares to start flight testing later this year. It has started building a certification test facility to support its work to achieve EASA approval by the end of 2025.
Earlier this month, German federal and state officials launched the due diligence process that Lilium hopes will unlock up to around €100 million (about $109 million) in loan guarantees to fund the program. At the same time, the company is negotiating with the French government to secure financing for a planned high-volume production facility it wants to build in France.
Several private flight providers are among the early prospective customers for the Lilium Jet. These include Volara, EMCJet, Air-Dynamic, Globe Air, Bristow, and NetJets. Key suppliers include Garmin and Honeywell.
On the Innovation Stage at EBACE 2024, Lilium’s head of flight operations and crew training, Andreas Pfisterer, will address how the company’s design team is factoring in human factors in a session, dubbed “Future of Flight—the Balance Between Technology and the Human Touch,” today at 1 p.m. The company’s chief commercial officer, Sebastien Borel, is scheduled to discuss the integration of sustainable aviation in a Thursday 11:30 a.m. session entitled “Going the Extra Mile—Will Intermodal Transportation Expand Business Aviation?”