The German company Lilium already presented us in 2019 its Flying Taxi project, but now it has launched a truly innovative seven-seater update in design.
It’s a 7-seat version of their eVTOL air taxi, and they plan to put it into operation in 2024.
The new Lilium’s fuselage received the CRI-A01 certification from EASA in 2020, but it does not yet have all the necessary permits to operate, although it seems that it is only a matter of time and bureaucracy.
The plane itself promises a cruising speed of 280 km / h at an altitude of 3 km, with autonomy of more than 250 km, including battery reserves.
It is striking that it has 7 seats, making it the largest passenger eVTOL at the commercial end of the market. If more people fit, the individual ticket will surely be cheaper.
It uses ducted jet fans, 36 of which are mounted on four sloping benches along the wings. No big propellers. The small fans will spin much faster and probably consuming more power than with designs based on large propellers, although they have not given details on the subject.
The goal is to use it in urban settings in 2024, and now they are looking for more money by going to NASDAQ under a listing of SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company), merging with Qell Acquisition Corp for a combined company value of about $ 3.3 billion.
