Results for: lilium

Lilium, the Munich-based eVTOL maker, has announced that it’s secured an additional $119M USD in capital from existing shareholders, new investors, and strategic partners.

Investing participants include Honeywell and Aciturri as well as LGT and its affiliated impact investor Lightrock, Tencent, B. Riley Securities and certain affiliates thereof. Lilium’s new CEO, Klaus Roewe, as well as three additional board members, Barry Engle, David Wallerstein and Niklas Zennström, are also participating.

The fundraising is a concurrent private placement and registered direct offering (RDO).

Citigroup, B. Riley Securities and Piper Sandler are acting as placement agents for the offerings.

Lilium agreed to issue and sell: (a) an aggregate of 91,524,936 of the Company’s Class A ordinary shares at a price of $1.30 per share; and (b) warrants exercisable for an aggregate of 45,762,463 Shares, with an exercise price of $1.30 per share in the private placement and registered direct offerings.

The offerings are expected to close on November 22, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions. Lilium and its officers and directors have agreed to a lockup of 30 days subject to customary exclusions.

Lilium continues flight testing in Spain of its Phoenix 2 technology demonstrator and has announced its intentions to certify its production model eVTOL in 2025.

Why it matters: In 2021, Lilium reported a loss of ~$420M with the lion’s share of costs coming from research and development. Lilium has spent a good deal of 2022 building strong industry partnerships for manufacturing and operation of its eVTOL jet. This latest round of funding should provide an additional boost to Lilium’s flight testing and certification efforts to begin commercialization near the same time as other leading eVTOL competitors in the aerial mobility space.

Related:

• GlobeAir to serve Southern France and Italy with the Lilium Jet (October 2022)
• Lilium and Helity to Develop High Speed Electric Air Mobility Network in Southern Spain (August 2022)
• Lilium Completes Transition from Hover to Winged Flight (June 2022)

Lilium, developer of the all-electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) Lilium Jet, has announced a partnership with GlobeAir. Under the agreement, GlobeAir intends to purchase 12 Lilium Jets to provide premium and business eVTOL flights to its customer base in the French Riviera and Italy.

GlobeAir is Europe’s leading and award-winning private jet operator offering on demand charter services to over 900 airports. GlobeAir is renowned for its innovative leveraging of data analytics for the optimization of operations, pricing and empty legs to benefit its discerning end customers.

Related:

• Lilium and Helity to Develop High Speed Electric Air Mobility Network in Southern Spain
• AAP Aviation to develop electric regional air mobility in Norway with the Lilium Jet

Bernhard Fragner, CEO GlobeAir, said: “We are proud to be partnering with Lilium as they are changing how we think about aviation and revolutionizing how people travel. Technological breakthroughs, a forward-thinking mindset and a drive to deliver quality time that fits customer expectations have propelled Lilium to the forefront of next-generation air travel.’’

Sebastien Borel, SVP Commercial, Lilium, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with one of the leading European providers in on-demand air mobility, GlobeAir. The French Riviera and Italy are key markets, and we are confident that our shared commitment to innovation and partnership will result in a premium customer experience.”

Lilium has also recently achieved key milestones in its progress toward testing and certifying its production aircraft. The current Phoenix 2 prototype was shown in a short video to have completed transition in June 2022. Just weeks ago, another video was published demonstrating the vehicle reaching winged flight speeds of over 180 kph (112 mph).

Why it’s important: The Lilium Jet will complement GlobeAir’s current offerings in the French Riviera and Italy with a first and last mile service. Enabling considerable time savings for customers, the partnership will exemplify the all-in-one travel experience GlobeAir specializes in. With high demand for a sustainable, efficient and flexible mode of transport, Italy and southern France also offers many opportunities for point-to-point travels where travel time can be significantly reduced, and vertical landing is required.

Lilium, developer of the all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) Lilium Jet, has signed an agreement with Helity Copter Airlines to develop an eVTOL network in Andalusia. Under the agreement, Helity intends to initially purchase five (5) Lilium Jets to provide premium and business charter flights to its customers.

Helity currently offers helicopter shuttle flights between Ceuta, Algeciras, and Málaga as well as private charter flights in southern Spain. With approximately 300,000 passengers transported to date between Ceuta and the Spanish peninsula, Helity provides a critical transportation service to its customers and the region. The Lilium Jet, with its premium cabin, expected physical range of 250 km, and anticipated performance capabilities in various weather conditions, is well suited to meet the transportation needs of the region.

Antonio Barranco, CEO and owner of Helity said: “With its zero operating emission and low noise profile, the Lilium Jet is a great addition to our existing helicopter fleet. Thanks to the large and spacious cabin, the aircraft is very well-suited to address the premium and business traffic in the region. I have no doubt that in the medium-term it will revolutionize the concept of short-range commercial and business aviation.”

Related:

• Lilium Engages Diehl Aviation for Lilium Jet’s Cabin Interior (July 2022)
• AAP Aviation to develop electric regional air mobility in Norway with the Lilium Jet (July 2022)
• Lilium Unveils Cabin Configurations (March 2022)

Daniel Wiegand, CEO of Lilium said: “Southern Spain attracts a high demand of premium tourism. Combined with Helity’s great local expertise and experience in the operation of helicopters, as well as the hiring of highly-skilled pilots, we have ideal conditions for the development of a sustainable air mobility network in the region.”

Lilium is currently conducting Flight Tests with its 5^th generation technology demonstrator at the ATLAS Flight Test Center in Villacarrillo (Jaen), Spain.

Why it’s important: Lilium, and many other eVTOL developers, are rapidly announcing expansion of intended operations in a myriad of international locations. As these manufacturers and operators grow the presence of aerial mobility services globally, they will be able to take advantage of economies of scale and network effects, thereby reducing costs and increasing operating efficiencies. In effect, this will improve flight availabilities and route offerings, thereby further increasing consumer demand via an overall more desirable service. More frequent trips to a wider variety of vertiport locations is ultimately what will make aerial mobility financially viable for both providers and consumers of the service.

Source // Lilium press release

Lilium, developer of the all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) Lilium Jet, has signed an agreement with AAP Aviation Group to develop an eVTOL network in Scandinavia. Under the agreement, AAP Aviation intends to purchase 40 Lilium Jets and collaborate with Lilium to identify and develop landing sites in the Scandinavian countries, starting with Norway.

Together, AAP Aviation and Lilium plan to offer sustainable travel mobility to Scandinavia using the all-electric Lilium Jet, supplementing existing regional aircraft routes and ensuring flexible and time-saving low-emission travel between cities and communities. AAP Aviation and Lilium expect the market for on-demand aviation services to grow rapidly, pending authority approval of aircraft models and route infrastructure.

Espen Høiby, CEO of AAP Aviation said: “We have disrupted the aviation industry once before and are set do so again. Due to the mix of water, terrain and mountains, Norway is particularly suited to regional air mobility. With its vertical take-off and landing capability, high speed and regional range, the Lilium Jet can achieve hours of time savings compared with today’s transportation modes. The Lilium Jet performance, its low noise profile and its spacious cabin makes the ideal aircraft to develop sustainable air transport in Scandinavia.”

Daniel Wiegand, CEO of Lilium said: “Norway is the world’s leader in sustainable practices, known to have the highest penetration of electric car ownership. Together with AAP’s operational expertise and knowledge of the region, we have the ideal conditions for an eVTOL revolution. We are proud to team up with AAP Aviation to bring electric, high-speed mobility to Norway and the rest of Scandinavia.”

The Lilium Jet, which is currently being developed in Germany, is expected to hold between four and six passengers and have a physical range of approximately 250 kilometers.

Why it’s important: AAP Aviation entered the market in 2013. Offering a wide range of professional services for the aviation industry, including crew management, the company, formerly known as OSM Aviation, quickly established operations in 19 countries worldwide, counting more than 6000 employees. Following a restructuring during the covid-19 pandemic, AAP Aviation is well positioned to now take a lead role in developing the next phase of sustainable regional air mobility.

Related: Lilium Selects Astronics for eVTOL Power Distribution and Charging Management

Source // Lilium press release

Lilium, the German company behind the world’s first eVTOL jet, has announced that it will partner with Astronics for its aircraft’s secondary power distribution system.

Above: Image of Lilium’s eVTOL jet prototype, propelled by 36 ducted fans

While technology by Lilium will distribute power for the propulsion of the Lilium Jet, the secondary system from Astronics will convert high voltage energy from the Jet’s batteries to low voltage to provide energy for the aircraft’s flight controls, avionics, navigation, communication, sensors, internal and external lights, and passenger comfort systems. Astronomics will design, develop, and build these systems.

In addition, Astronics will also provide charging power distribution units which will manage battery charging, and monitor battery insulation. These systems will be able detect and report short circuit risks across the system.

The systems provided by Astronics will be critical for the Lilium jet’s success. According to a recent press release from Lilium, Astronics is one of the leading Tier 1 aerospace suppliers in its field, and provides power, lighting, and connectivity solutions for OEMs such as Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer. Astronics offers complete design, integration, and certification services, making it an expert in both creating and supplying new kinds of systems.

Martin Schuebel, Senior Vice President Procurement at Lilium, commented: “Astronics is our ideal partner for this very important component of our aircraft. It is our intention to collaborate with the best aerospace suppliers and leverage their expertise. Astronics’ expertise is unique, and their collaborative approach makes them a perfect match for us. The partnership will also help pave the way for the coming industrial ramp-up.”

Why it’s important: With this announcement, followers of the electric aerial mobility can get a glimpse into what kind of systems external companies can provide for the development of eVTOL aircraft. By attaining a partnership with an eVTOL aircraft developer as prominent as Lilium, Astronics has put itself on the map as a trustworthy provider of secondary power distribution systems for electric aircraft. As a result, it’s possible the industry may see more electric aircraft developers, whether of VTOL or fixed-wing, forming partnership with Astronics or similar companies.

Source // Lilium

Related:

• Lilium Completes Transition from Hover to Winged Flight (June 2022)
• NetJets to Buy 150 Lilium eVTOL Aircraft (March 2022)
• Lilium Lists on the Nasdaq, Completes Business Combination with Qell Acquisition Corp (September 2021)

Lilium’s Phoenix 2 technology demonstrator has achieved transition from hover modes to fully winge-borne flight, the company said this week in a press release. The first of it kind in the eVTOL space, Lilium has now successfully demonstrated a transition from hover to winged cruise with its eVTOL jet.

Before this announcement, the Lilium jet had moved forward through the air, but had still been in hover mode, generating lift only through its doward facing motors. Now, the jet’s motors have tilted to their fully forward-facing positions, so that the aircraft’s lift is generated by the wing, while the motors provide forward thrust for cruise.

From a flight physics perspective, completing transition means the airflow going over the wings becomes smooth and consistent, allowing the lift to be generated by the wing (as in conventional fixed wing aircraft), rather than by by the downward-facing motors (which is the case during the hovering/VTOL phase). To achieve this, the aircraft needs to moving at a fast enough hover speed to get airflow over the wings to generate sufficient lift. In the case of the Lilium jet, this speed is about 45kts, at which point the aircraft reaches full transition.

Lilium’s Phoenix 2 has now achieved this milestone across the entire main wing while, most importantly, remaining stable and behaving as predicted by Lilium’s proprietary Flight Dynamics Model.

Watch Lilium team members explain the transition process below:

Matthias Meiner, Phoenix Chief Engineer and Lilium Co-Founder of Lilium said: “Main wing transition is a huge step forward on our path to launch and it validates our Flight Dynamics Model. Full credit goes to the outstanding Lilium team who worked so hard to get us here, and who remain laser-focused on the rest of the Flight Test Campaign.”

Lilium will continue its Flight Test campaign throughout the summer, expanding the flight envelope further, including transition of the forward canards and high-speed flights.

Why it matters: Founded in 2015, Lilium’s eVTOL design is unique in that it features in-wing micro jet engine propulsion rather than external propellers as seen in aircraft from Joby Aviation or Beta Technologies. With this major developmental milestone completed, the company has put itself back into the spotlight of upcoming aircraft. Combining this achievement with a large order from NetJets earlier this year and a vertiport network being built in Florida, Lilium’s aerial mobility vision is building ever closer to reality.

Source // Lilium

Related:

• Lilium’s Phoenix 2 Starts Flight Tests in Spain (April 2022)
• Lilium Unveils Cabin Configurations (March 2022)
• NetJets to Buy 150 Lilium eVTOL Aircraft (March 2022)
• Lilium Partners with ABB for Charging Infrastructure (February 2022)

Lilium, the Munich-based eVTOL developer, has selected Aernnova, a leading aerospace component manufacturer, to collaborate on the Lilium Jet’s propulsion mounting system.

A propulsion mounting system or “flap”, the structure that forms the rear part of the wings and front aerofoils, is one of the Lilium Jet’s major components, producing lift by interacting with airflow from the engine. It also houses the propulsion and vectoring systems responsible for vertical and horizontal flight.

Electric jet engines integrated into the wing flaps provide advantages in payload, aerodynamic efficiency and a lower noise profile, while also providing thrust vector control to maneuver the Lilium Jet through every phase of flight.

Aernnova and Lilium will work together on the design, manufacture, and supply of the Lilium Jet’s flap structure.

Aernnova is one of the largest Tier 1 aerospace suppliers, providing aerostructure for companies such as Airbus, Boeing and Embraer. The collaboration represents a significant step towards serial production of the Lilium Jet and Lilium’s goal of making sustainable high-speed regional transportation a reality.

The Lilium Jet’s propulsion mounting system will feature a complex and unique design. The integrated system will serve multiple functions and be modular and scalable. It will utilize lightweight material such as carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy.

Yves Yemsi, Chief Operating Officer of Lilium, said: “Aernnova is an industry leader for customized design and manufacture of metallic and composite assemblies, which makes them an ideal partner. It is important to us that we collaborate with the best aerospace suppliers and leverage their expertise.”

Ricardo Chocarro, CEO of Aernnova, said: “With 28 years of expertise in developing and creating aircraft structures, we are proud to be contributing to a project as exciting and unique as the Lilium Jet. This all-electric jet has the potential to change the aviation industry in a positive, sustainable way, and we are delighted to be a key partner.”

Why it’s important: Aernnova is a leading aerostructure company specializing in the design and manufacture of composite and metallic structures for aeronautical programs. Technological Development and Innovation is one of Aernnova’s strategic growth vectors to achieve its goal of a net zero aviation industry, and this partnership with Lilium further propels that initiative forward.

Lilium has partnered with Honeywell and DENSO, who will co-develop and manufacture the Lilium Jet’s electric motor (e-motor) that will power the Lilium Jet’s engines. Honeywell is already developing the Lilium Jet’s avionics and flight control systems and has been invested in Lilium since 2021.

The Lilium e-motor is a proprietary, high-performance system, on which Lilium, DENSO and Honeywell teams have been working for nearly two years. It is expected to bring exceptional performance and reliability with zero operating emissions typically associated with commercial jet engines. An air-cooled design offers structural simplicity and ease of maintenance compared with traditional liquid cooling systems, and therefore has the potential to significantly reduce aircraft operating costs.

The e-motor has its rotor and stator in a centrifugal or ‘radial’ configuration, compared to traditional axial designs. This lowers the component’s weight, manufacturing costs and susceptibility to foreign object damage. It also boasts industry-leading power density, with the first prototypes designed to extract over 100kW of power from a system weighing just over 4kg.

Yves Yemsi, Chief Operating Officer of Lilium said: “Lilium’s Procurement strategy is to engage with the technology providers with the most suitable expertise. We are already making great progress with Honeywell on its Honeywell Anthem integrated flight deck and flight control computers, and we are delighted to deepen our relationship by also partnering with Honeywell and DENSO on our e-motor. The collaboration with these two powerhouses takes us further along the path to revolutionizing regional air mobility.”

Stéphane Fymat, vice president and general manager of Urban Air Mobility, Honeywell Aerospace said: “Honeywell has been at the forefront of innovation in aviation for a century, and we are proud to closely collaborate with DENSO and help usher in the age of electric flight. Lilium’s innovation, combined with our experience in aerospace, will help to bring about cleaner, more sustainable ways for people to travel for centuries to come.”

Koji Ishizuka, senior director of the Electric Sora-Mobi Business Promotion Department at DENSO, said: “DENSO’s focus is powering the shift to a green, safe and seamless mobility future for all. We’re grateful to work with Honeywell and Lilium on making air travel cleaner and more efficient, and in doing so, we have the opportunity to apply our electrification expertise to vehicles on land and in the sky.”

Why it’s important: Honeywell is a leader in aerospace technologies with over 100 years of experience, and already has an alliance with automotive giant DENSO to develop aerospace electric propulsion solutions. Through this collaboration, the Lilium Jet’s e-motor will benefit from Honeywell’s aerospace expertise as well as DENSO’s experience in high-quality volume production.

Lilium has grown from Germany to Spain ahead of the next phase of flight testing of its Phoenix 2 technology demonstrator in the country. The testing will be based out of Spain’s ATLAS Flight Test Center. According to a company press release, Lilium plans to expand the flight envelope of the aircraft through full transition and high-speed flight. These developments come after successful flight testing with the same aircraft in southern Germany last year.

Daniel Wiegand, Co-Founder and CEO of Lilium said: “We are excited to have kicked off our next phase of flight testing in Spain. This step takes us even closer to reaching our goal of creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, low noise regional air mobility.”

Together with excellent weather conditions, the ATLAS Flight Test Center provides optimal infrastructure and enables aircraft to fly over a large, unpopulated area while transitioning fully to high-speed wing-borne flight. The modern facilities and support from the Andalusian Foundation for Aerospace Development (“FADA”) and Center for Advanced Aerospace Technologies (“CATEC”) have been instrumental in setting Lilium up for a successful flight test campaign.

Lilium also plans to introduce an additional demonstrator aircraft, Phoenix 3, which is scheduled to arrive in Spain for a first flight this summer. This aircraft is expected to significantly accelerate the flight test campaign, allowing Lilium to increase learnings and reduce program risks.

In other news, Lilium recently announced it has delayed its expected entry to commercial service by 12 months to 2025 in a communication to investors. Lilium expects to begin construction of its first certifiable prototype in 2023.

Why it matters: The move to Spain offers excellent year round weather for Lilium to conduct testing of its flight test prototypes. This will allow more regular testing throughout the winters, which are normally cold and rainy in southern Germany. What remains to be seen is if the move will help Lilium ensure its new expected delivery dates.

German eVTOL developer Lilium, having recently partnered with NetJets to begin integrating eVTOL aircraft into its fleet, has now released renderings of the various cabin seating configurations that may be ordered for the aircraft. So far, the three types of cabins include a six-passenger version, a ‘club’ version with a four-passenger more luxurious and spacious seating arrangement, and a cargo version.

Above: Lilium’s eVTOL Jet positioned next side-by-side with a NetJets private charter jet. NetJets has placed a pre-order with Lilium to integrate 150 of its eVTOLs into its private charter fleet.

Lilium has been prototyping its eVTOL aircraft since as early as 2015, when it released footage of a much smaller (but very similar) version of its eVTOL jet. Unlike many eVTOL aircraft, the Lilum jet is unique in that it uses around 36 ducted fans / jets to provide propulsion. These jets, integrated with the wings of the aircraft, can rotate to vector thrust that allows for either vertical or forward flight, with all-electric top cruising speeds of about 175mph.

Since beginning its work in 2015, Lilum has been progressively releasing larger and larger versions of its aircraft. Starting with a two-seater prototype, the company unveiled a five-seater version in 2019, and most recently released its largest aircraft, a seven-seater configuration prototype.

Now, Lilium has announced that its production version will of the aircraft will have three different interior configurations designed for various market applications. The first, its original configuration, features comfortable room for six passengers plus a pilot.

The next version, targeted at passengers (or possibly private owners) that are willing to pay a little extra for a more spacious and luxurious interior, has room four passengers, and includes desks and tables for working or dining in flight. This version would be best suited for corporate customers who travel regionally for work and would potentially conduct meetings or business while in the air.

And finally, Lilium has also released renderings of the cargo version of its aircraft, which displays how the spacious interior can be used for regional logistics shipping of cargo.

Why it’s important: Lilium recently announced a partnership with one of the world’s largest private jet charter and fractional ownership companies, NetJets, which included an order for 150 of Lilium eVTOL aircraft. While some operations partners will prefer to use the six-passenger version of the Lilium jet to be more economical, customers of Netjets who are accustomed to traveling by private jet and who often book out an entire aircraft rather than a single seat will be looking for an eVTOL that is more similar to how they have been flying. With these new cabin configurations, Lilium has branched its market out its market to also include the large segment of passengers who previously flew by private jet.

NetJets this week announced its plans to purchase 150 of Lilium’s eVTOL aircraft per a recently released memorandum of understanding (MOU). The news came in a February 28th statement to investors and stated that NetJets would also operate the eVTOL aircraft as part of its existing Part 135 charter network.

NetJets is currently one of the world’s largest private jet charter companies, selling membership programs that allow customers to book flights on a large range of private jets. Its fleet includes over 750 aircraft, and flights can be booked with as little as 10 hours notice.

“We are very excited to be working together with the world’s largest private jet company, NetJets,” said Lilium vice president of business Sebastien Borel. “The U.S. market will be a good test for us to see how far we can go. But it’s meant to be global, and we’re confident this will drive us to be global.”

This announcement comes after Lilium previously told investors that it plans to build an eVTOL network in central and southern Florida to connect larger cities with new and existing vertiport infrastructure. It is likely NetJets will partner with Lilium on this operation in Florida and could even help in selling some Lilium eVTOLs to private owners.

Lilium hopes to certify its eVTOL and begin passenger transport by 2024. Its latest prototype is a six-passenger aircraft capable of cruise at 175mph for a range of 162 nautical miles per flight.

Learn more about the Lilium eVTOL jet here.

Why it matters: NetJets, one of the largest operators in the fractional ownership/jet-card space, has extensive experience in the Part 135 industry and will be an extraordinary partner for Lilium’s operations. Lilium has also secured partnerships with Brazilian airline Azul, and even with Lufthansa for pilot training. With these extensive partners and its expert team, Lilium (and the eVTOL industry altogether) may well start receiving even greater interest from investors.

Lilium, the well-known German developer of a seven-passenger eVTOL jet, has selected ABB as its partner to provide charging infrastructure for its all-electric aircraft.

Lilium and ABB, a large industrial robotics and technology firm, have formed a partnership in which ABB will begin building the fast-charging infrastructure for Lilium’s planned air taxi network, set to launch in 2024. The ‘MegaWatt’ chargers provided by ABB will fully charge Lilium aircraft batteries in 30 minutes, and charge them to 80% capacity within 15 minutes. These fast charging times will enable Lilium to operate the 20-25 flights per day it plans to complete with each aircraft. Each full charge will enable Lilium jets to travel for about 155 miles, with cruising speeds up to 175mph.

According to the agreement between the two companies, ABB will “develop, test and supply” the MegaWatt fast charging infrastructure. Said Frank Muehlon, President of ABB’s E-mobility Division, “Combining Lilium’s mission to grow sustainable aviation with ABB’s global market expertise and leadership in e-mobility and charging infrastructure is a win for the environment and a win for passengers.”

He continued: “We see this planned partnership as an important commitment to all relevant charging standards that are adopted by multiple electric ‘vehicle’ manufacturers. By supporting the new MegaWatt charging standard, ABB E-mobility is paving the way for the electrification of all modes of transport, from cars and trucks to marine vessels, mining vehicles, and now, aviation.”

Each MegaWatt Charging System (MCS) made by ABB will allow direct current (DC) charging of up to 1000 kW and can also be used for electric heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks and buses. An MCS unit will be included at every veriport in Lilium’s regional air taxi network, and will adhere to the relevant standards that support interoperability for a variety of vehicles and applications.

Daniel Wiegand, CEO and Co-Founder of Lilium, commented, “Making sure we have the right charging infrastructure will play a crucial role in enabling our high-speed regional air network by allowing quick and efficient charging. We are proud to be working with ABB, who bring decades of experience in electrification and software, to set the charging industry standard for electric aviation.”

Why it’s important: ABB is an industrial technology firm with decades of expertise in developing transportation infrastructure, and has already had a history of great success in developing charging infrastructure for electric ground vehicles. By teaming up with ABB, Lilium has even more greatly added to its team of transportation industry experts, further setting itself up as one of the top European eVTOL network operators set to launch in the next few years.

Related:

• Lilium Lists on the Nasdaq, Completes Business Combination with Qell Acquisition Corp
• Lilium Inks $1 billion Deal with Leading Brazilian Airline
• Lilium Chooses Munich and Nuremberg for Initial Air Taxi Hubs

ABB E-mobility has been confirmed to be the provider for the charging infrastructure for Lilium’s eVTOL aerial mobility network. With this agreement, ABB will provide development, testing, and supply services for the MegaWatt fast charging systems that will be used in Lilium’s network. In addition, the ABB charging points will be designed to be capable of bringing batteries to full charge within 30 minutes and 80% charge within 15 minutes, which will be enough for the 20-25 flights per aircraft per day that Lilium plans for its global vertiport network. The network currently will offer services in Brazil, Germany, and the United States, with plans to expand further. 

ABB is a global technology company that focuses on energizing essential services in modern society and industry in order to provide a more sustainable future. The company’s MegaWatt Charging System (MCS) will allow for DC charging of up to 1000 kW and can also be used in heavy duty applications such as trucks or buses. 

Daniel Wiegand, CEO and Co-Founder of Lilium stated that, “We believe that the decarbonisation of aviation is both urgent and inevitable. Making sure we have the right charging infrastructure will play a crucial role in enabling our high-speed regional air network by allowing quick and efficient charging. We are proud to be working with ABB, who bring decades of experience in electrification and software, to set the charging industry standard for electric aviation.”

According to their website, ABB “engineers the electrification solutions for the transport of tomorrow, today. Including smart transportation solutions from EV chargers for the home, through electrified fleet depots and opportunity charging for electric bus and trucks, to high-power chargers for the highway stations of the future.” 

Frank Muehlon, President of ABB’s E-mobility Division stated that, “Combining Lilium’s mission to grow sustainable aviation with ABB’s global market expertise and leadership in e-mobility and charging infrastructure is a win for the environment and a win for passengers. Moreover, we see this planned partnership as an important commitment to all relevant charging standards that are adopted by multiple electric ‘vehicle’ manufacturers. By supporting the new MegaWatt charging standard, ABB E-mobility is paving the way for the electrification of all modes of transport, from cars and trucks to marine vessels, mining vehicles, and now, aviation.”

Lilium’s seven seater Lilium Jet, the flagship aircraft for the company’s global vertiport network, will possess a range of 155 miles with a cruise speed of 175 mph.

The Lilium Jet. Photograph: Lilium

Why it’s important: In 2019, global CO₂ emissions from all commercial air operations reached 918 million tons, an increase of 29% since 2013.. With passenger transport responsible for 780 million tons, or 85%, of the total emissions from air operations, decarbonisation of transport is a vital step in the fight against climate change and building a more sustainable future. 

Source // eVTOL Insights

Another giant in aerial mobility has gone public this week; Lilium has announced that it has completed its business combination with Qell Acquisition Corp, a publicly listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). The transaction was approved by Qell’s shareholders on September 10, 2021, during a Special Meeting in which more than 98% of the votes cast were in favor of the business combination. As of September 15, 2021, Lilium’s Class A ordinary shares and redeemable warrants will trade on the Nasdaq under the symbols “LILM” and “LILMW”, respectively.

“In 2015 with the clear vision that the decarbonization of aviation is inevitable, we set out to build a team and product that would radically transform the way the world moves. Six years and five generations of technology demonstrator aircraft later, we’re closer than ever to this goal. Today’s milestone will bring us even closer to launching our service in 2024 and making sustainable, high-speed regional air travel a reality to communities around the world,” said Daniel Wiegand, Co-Founder and CEO of Lilium.

As a result of the business combination, Lilium will receive approximately $584 million of gross proceeds, prior to transaction expenses, including from funds managed by leading strategic and long-term financial investors including Atomico, Baillie Gifford, LGT and its affiliate impact investing platform Lightrock, funds and accounts managed by BlackRock, Tencent, Ferrovial, Palantir, Honeywell, FII Institute and private funds affiliated with PIMCO. Net cash from the transaction will be used to fund the commercial launch of Lilium’s 7-Seater Jet. Lilium’s existing shareholders will roll 100% of their shares into the combined company.

“We see Lilium as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will be at the forefront of a whole new industry. Lilium has the capacity to revolutionize regional travel, saving people hours so they can quickly travel from city to city. Using its 7-Seater Lilium Jet, Lilium’s regional shuttle service should enable sustainable, high-speed transportation. Qell is proud to bring this exciting company to the public markets,” said Barry Engle, CEO and Co-Founder of Qell.

Why it matters: With this SPAC acquisition, Lilium has positioned itself on the public market and adds to its leadership the likes of Thomas Enders and David Neeleman. Lilium has over 700 employees across Europe and is making continual progress towards EASA certification and entry into commercial service.

Source: Lilium Press Release