German aerospace company Lilium hopes to revolutionize air travel with its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) jet.
Lilium CEO Klaus Roewe said in an interview with CNBC Tech: “The revolution means absolutely zero emissions.”
“We wanted to build a regional aircraft with good transport capabilities to have a meaningful impact on CO2 emissions reductions.”
The group was founded by four university students and, in less than ten years, has become one of Europe’s leading electric vertical take-off and landing companies. In 2019, Lilium completed a test flight of an all-electric five-seater aircraft. It aims to achieve certification by 2026.
“The efficiency of the structure, system, especially the engine has been greatly improved. However, you can see that it has now entered a plateau period,” Roewe said.
“In terms of CO2 reduction, another 20%-30% reduction is very, very difficult. So you have to make leaps and bounds in terms of technology.”
Lilium is backed by companies including China Tencent and Earlybird Venture Capital have begun taking orders for the high-end market. A jet will cost about $9 million.
The company is also developing a six-passenger version, which will cost buyers about $7 million.
The eVTOL space is highly competitive, with more than 400 companies and innovators registering designs on the World eVTOL Aircraft Catalog.
However, Daniel Wiegand, chief engineer of innovation and future projects at Lilium, said the company’s product is different from its competitors.
“Most of our peers are using propellers. The advantage of these propellers is that they are simpler in design and require less power for takeoff and landing, but are less efficient in cruise flight,” Weigand said.
“We focus on regional flights. We chose jet technology because of its longer range.”
Watch the CNBC Tech video above: The Edge tours Lilium’s facility in Wessling, Bavaria.
About The Author
