Electric flying taxi unveiled, could be operating worldwide by 2025
The world’s first all-electric vertical takeoff and landing passenger jet has been unveiled after completing its first flight.
German startup Lilium aims to have a fleet of the five-seat aircraft -- which can operate with a pilot or in drone mode -- flying in cities worldwide by 2025, providing a pay-per-ride service that will be emission-free, five times faster than a car and produce less noise than a motorbike. Lilium has $100 million in funds and must raise the same amount again to bring the model to market, while adding hundreds more jobs to its payroll of 300 people, Chief Executive Officer Daniel Wiegan told Bloomberg TV.
The plane will have a 300-kilometer (186-mile) range, allowing it link New York and Boston. A short hop between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Manhattan will cost about $70 per passenger, making it cheaper than a helicopter and competitive with top-end limousine services, Chief Commercial Officer Remo Gerber said in an interview. A full-scale, full-weight prototype made its flight from Lilium’s base near Munich and has commenced flight tests, the company said Thursday. The craft is powered by 36 jet engines that swivel after takeoff to provide forward flight in the manner of a standard plane, using 10% of the energy of multi-rotor drones based on helicopter technology. That saving in turn allows it to fly for 10 times the distance, overcoming the range issues regarded as a major obstacle to electric-powered planes. Read Complete Article
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