lilium unveils five seater flying taxi after successful maiden flight

munich-based startup lilium has revealed an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing passenger jet, following its maiden flight in germany earlier this month. the company says it plans to have a fleet of the five-seat air taxi operating in cities worldwide by 2025, providing an emission-free pay-per-ride service.

images courtesy of lilium

the aircraft is characterized by a simple design which features no tail, no rudder, no propellers, and no gearbox. the wings are fitted with a total of 36 electric jet engines allowing it to take-off and land vertically, while achieving horizontal, or cruise, flight.

with a top speed of 300 km/h and a range of 300km the lilium jet is capable of completing much longer journeys than the majority of its competitors. this is thanks to the fixed-wing design of the air craft which requires less than 10 percent of its maximum 2,000 horsepower during cruise flight.

lilium says it will now undergo a more rigorous flight test campaign to lay the foundations for certification of the aircraft against commercial aircraft safety standards. the next big milestone will be achieving transition flight where the aircraft moves from vertical takeoff to horizontal flight.

lilium plans to manufacture and operate the lilium jet as part of a revolutionary on-demand air taxi service. the company is developing an app, similar to uber, that would let passengers locate their nearest landing pad and book a taxi to fly them on short haul trips.

the aircraft took off at 08.03 local time on 4th may 2019. lilium expects to be fully-operational in various cities around the world by 2025, although trial services will start earlier than this in several locations.