Lilium has disclosed it has been developing a seven-seat version of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft

Air taxi developer Lilium has disclosed it has been developing a seven-seat version of its electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Aimed at the regional shuttle segment, the seven-seater ‘Lilium Jet’ is projected to cruise at 150kt and have a range of 135nm. The company, which has already flown versions of its eVTOL with two and five seats, was presented with a CRI-A01 certification basis from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the seven-seat model in 2020.

As previously reported in ‘Notes’, Lilium is planning to build a network of fourteen vertiports for an eVTOL-based air taxi service in Florida, with the intention of launching commercial operations in 2024. Although it has received significant funding from a variety of professional investors, Lilium has also been criticised in the German aviation press for its claims regarding its aircraft performance, which according to several academics are excessively optimistic.

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