Subheader Icon 877-412-3651
Article German Startup Just Showed Their Flying Taxi Image
Image Credit: Lilium

A lot of well-respected automotive and aircraft companies are already working on flying cars, bringing the long-awaited dream to reality. However, the first such product might be launched by a startup. The Munich-based company called Lilium already showed a video of a working air taxi prototype, which they want to launch in 2025.

The Lilium flying car is an eVTOL vehicle, shorter for “electric vertical takeoff and landing.” This means that it doesn’t require a runway to become airborne, but don’t for a second think that you might park it in your backyard – the wings are still very wide. This means that take-off will take place out of congested and urban areas.

Nevertheless, the Lilium flying taxi shows a lot of promise, especially when you look at the numbers. According to the company, with fully charged batteries, the futuristic-looking aircraft can fly over 300 kilometers (186 miles) on a charge and at speeds of up to 100 km/h (62 mph). This makes the airborne vehicle an enticing prospect for traveling short distances between cities.

The fact that this air taxi is fully electric gives the whole project green credentials. Lillium used as much as 36 electric jet motors on the aircraft to make the test flight, without people in the cabin. The combined power of the engines is 2000 horsepower, enough for the vehicle to fly with five people on board. The big wings that might seem unwieldy in urban areas are also crucial in making this car fly. Lilium says that the large wings help the aircraft produce lift by only using 10% of the power of the motors.

“The Lilium Jet continues to meet our expectations, delivering excellent in-flight performance and remarkably smooth transition from vertical to horizontal flight. That said, we take a relentless approach to improvement, and, like any good testing program, we have had the chance to implement a number of refinements to the aircraft along the way,” said Leandro Bigarella, Head of Flight Testing at Lilium, in a statement to the media. Lilium plans to develop and produce the air taxi by themselves in new facilities near Munich.

https://vimeo.com/366202210

Related Articles

Latest Tenova to Revamp Tenaris Electric Arc Furnace Image
Industry News

Tenova to Revamp Tenaris Electric Arc Furnace

Tenova will supply an electric arc furnace revamp for Tenaris’ steel mill in Koppel, Pennsylvania. This is part of a wider steel mill modernization program across the company’s Pennsylvania operations. Announced on June 29, 2026, the project will be delivered through Tenova Inc., the company’s US subsidiary, and will include engineering, equipment supply, and commissioning services for the Koppel

Latest NMSU Researcher Joins $3M Metal 3D Printing Grant Focused on Scrap Aluminum Image
Industry News

NMSU Researcher Joins $3M Metal 3D Printing Grant Focused on Scrap Aluminum

Researchers at New Mexico State University are working on a metal 3D printing method that could turn scrap metal into high-quality parts. Chaitanya Mahajan, an assistant professor of industrial engineering at NMSU, is a co-principal investigator on a nearly $3 million grant awarded to the Rochester Institute of Technology by the National Science Foundation. The research focuses on molten metal

Latest MIT Researchers Develop More Accurate Way to Model Metal Alloys Image
Metals

MIT Researchers Develop More Accurate Way to Model Metal Alloys

MIT researchers have created a machine-learning method for modeling chemically disordered metal alloys, with the goal of improving predictions of how materials behave before they are made and tested. MIT said the method could help companies working in aerospace, energy, and computing, where new materials are often needed but testing them can add cost and time. Current simulation methods can str

Latest AMPERA Produces Full-Scale 3D-Printed Nuclear Reactor Module Image
Metals

AMPERA Produces Full-Scale 3D-Printed Nuclear Reactor Module

AMPERA has completed production of what it describes as the first full-scale, 3D-printed nuclear reactor module as part of its wider plan to deliver near-term power systems and future advanced nuclear energy. AMPERA said it is developing a subcritical, solid-state, factory-built thorium nuclear reactor. The company’s spherical monolithic gyroid core is 3D printed with silicon carbide and design