This archive report was first published on 22 October 2019.
On October 22, 2019, Lilium, a Munich-based tech startup, made history by successfully testing its five-seater flying taxi, the Lilium Jet, in Germany. The aircraft, powered by 36 all-electric jet engines, has zero operating emissions and can fly at speeds of over 60 miles/hour.
The Lilium Jet is the world's first five-seater, all-electric, vertical take-off and landing jet. It requires less than 10% of its maximum 2,000 horsepower during horizontal flight and can complete journeys of up to 186 miles on a single charge.
The test flight comes shortly after Lilium completed its first dedicated manufacturing facility in Munich. The company hopes that this new facility will help it achieve its goal of offering commercial flying taxi services by 2025.
According to Daniel Wiegand, co-founder and CEO of Lilium, "It's been thrilling to watch the Lilium Jet progress so rapidly and to see our first flying taxi manufacturing facility. We are taking tangible and concrete steps towards making our vision of regional air mobility a reality and we're doing it on time."
With this breakthrough, Lilium is one step closer to making regional air mobility a reality, and the world is eagerly waiting to see what comes next.
