LILIUM’S NEWEST 7-SEAT EVTOL AIR TAXI

Germany’s Lilium has announced a 7-seat version of its gorgeous eVTOL air taxi, as well as plans to have a commercial operation up and running by 2024. The company says it has been working on this high-capacity version in “stealth mode” since 2018, and that the airframe received a CRI-A01 certification basis from EASA in 2020.

The aircraft itself promises a cruise speed of 175 mph (280 km/h) at an altitude of 10,000 feet, and “a range of 155+ miles (250+ km), including reserves.”

With seven seats this becomes the biggest passenger eVTOL at the business end of the market, and hints at a business model treating these things more like minibuses than taxis.

Lilium says it’s poised for a 2024 commercial debut, and to fund its way to that point, it’s headed for the NASDAQ under a SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) listing, merging with Qell Acquisition Corp at a combined company value around US$3.3 billion and a US$10 per share PIPE price.