Molicel Batteries Will Power Vaeridion's Electric Microliner

Electric regional aircraft developer Vaeridion has teamed up with battery maker Molicel to power its on-development Microliner model. Under a  partnership agreement signed on February 27, the companies will select and qualify a suitable lithium-ion cell optimized for the nine-seater. 

Molicel’s batteries are set to complement an electrical system being developed in-house by the European startup, including thermal control, mechanical protection, battery monitoring elements, and system safety architecture. A first flight of the twin-powerplant, single-propellor prototype is due in 2027.

Vaeridion’s propulsion system testing will take place at its newly-acquired manufacturing facility at Germany’s Operpfaffenhofen airport. The company hopes the former Lilium site – expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2026 – will leverage “key assets for battery industrialisation” acquired from the defunct German eVTOL developer.

Last year, Vaeridion CEO and co-founder Ivor van Dartel reported that battery tests could take place from the second half of 2026. These are set to be conducted on the Dornier D328 UpLift flying test bed made available with the support of the DLR German Research Agency.

Other airborne applications for Molicel’s battery cells include beVTOL aircraft concepts being developed by Archer Aviation and Vertical Aerospace, as well as various drones. In December 2024, the Taiwan-based company achieved aerospace-grade quality certification for its batteries.

Vaeridion describes its aircraft’s “advanced architecture” as defined by a “wing-integrated battery system,” a configuration intended to reduce weight and boost performance. The Microliner’s long, glider-inspired wing is designed to reduce drag and maximize lift, offering up to 400 kilometres (216 nm) of range excluding reserves.

Although Vaeridion isn't targeting EASA type certification until the end of the decade, it is already considering how they will be recyled by operators through an alliance with specialist group Cylib.