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Munich-based electric air taxi startup Lilium has successfully completed the maiden test flight of its five-seater model. It’s a small first step for an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) industry with Jetsons-like ambitions.
The deets: Lilium Jet is an all-electric, fixed-wing air taxi with 36 jet engines that maxes out at about 186 mph.
- It takes off like a helicopter, flies like a plane, floats like a butterfly, and stings like a bee.
- The minimalist design means no tail, rudder, propellers, or gearbox.
Lilium told me it intends “to be fully operational in several cities around the world by 2025,” but it could be even sooner in select cities (in Germany, I’m guessing). While it expects fully autonomous flights at some point, the Jet will be piloted when Lilium first start operations. Their current prototype is flown via remote control.
Next steps: Lilium has over $100 million in funding and a template for mass production. But cracking the urban air mobility code is tough—it requires better energy storage, awareness tech, and new traffic control systems, along with regulators’ blessings.