Key milestone towards verification of safety of flight and type-certification of the Lilium Jet
New lab precisely replicates the Lilium Jet’s electric powertrain from battery pack to engine
MUNICH, Aug. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lilium (NASDAQ: LILM), a leading electric aircraft manufacturer and pioneer in Regional Air Mobility (RAM), has successfully completed the first phase of integration testing of the Lilium Jet’s electrical power system at the company’s purpose-built laboratory. The test completion represents a key milestone on the path to flight conditions approval and type-certification of the revolutionary Lilium Jet. It means that, while the first two Lilium Jets take shape on the production line, engineers are already verifying the design of the aircraft’s core powertrain functionalities that will support certification according to EASA’s SC-VTOL rules.
The new electrical power system lab is located at Lilium’s headquarters as part of the company’s test campus on the outskirts of Munich. The electrical power system lab replicates the Lilium Jet’s powertrain in a controlled test environment. The lab also integrates low voltage systems that supply the aircraft’s avionics and cabin systems, onboard energy isolation units that prevent hazardous energy release, and a functioning charging station.
Using customized software, Lilium engineers plot flight profiles, run tests, and gather corresponding data in real time. The data gathered will be used to provide evidence to the airworthiness authorities to demonstrate the aircraft’s safety and compliance with the type-certification requirements.
The lab, which also provides a safe environment in which to inject faults and demonstrate system robustness to failures, has been developed and built in cooperation with Italian supplier EN4, a specialist in advanced testing solutions for aerospace, automotive, railway and industrial applications. For the testing environment, Lilium and EN4 have made extensive use of state-of-the-art software and hardware provided by NI, formerly known as National Instruments.
Stephen Vellacott, Lilium’s Chief Technology Officer, said: “With the completion of the first phase of electrical power integration and verification testing at our dedicated lab we have again reached a critical milestone in the Lilium Jet development. In this new lab, we test flights, charging, and simulate failure scenarios to ensure that our powertrain meets stringent aviation safety and reliability standards. From first flight to certification and product launch, the lab enables us to demonstrate that our aircraft will be a world-leading product.”
Gianluca Franchi, EN4 Business Development Director, said: “We are proud to have partnered with Lilium in building this cutting-edge test rig, which has been designed to be a long-term asset supporting the Lilium Jet through certification and beyond. Thanks also to NI’s test and measurement technologies we were able to provide a comprehensive solution for Lilium’s Electrical Power System Lab, ensuring extremely high accuracy in the measurements provided, while also maintaining operational flexibility essential for a dynamic sector like electric aerial mobility.”
In parallel, Lilium continues to progress with the production of the first Lilium Jets which will be used as part of the Lilium Jet type-certification program. The first Lilium Jet will be used exclusively for ground testing and the second jet will be used for the first manned flight.
From 2015 to today, Lilium has produced multiple generations of technology demonstrators through which it has tested and refined the core technology subsystems for the Lilium Jet. Since 2022, two of Lilium’s Phoenix test aircraft, a full-scale 5-seater design representative of the flight physics and technology of the Lilium Jet, have performed extensive flight testing in Spain, including full transition from vertical to horizontal flight and cruise speed of 136 knots (250 kilometers per hour).
Contact information for investors: Rama Bondada Vice President, Investor Relations investors@lilium.com
About Lilium:
Lilium (NASDAQ: LILM) is creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation for people and goods. Using the Lilium Jet, an all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet, designed to offer leading capacity, low noise, and high performance with zero operating emissions, Lilium is accelerating the decarbonization of air travel. Working with aerospace, technology, and infrastructure leaders, and with announced sales and indications of interest in Europe, the United States, China, Brazil, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lilium’s 1,000 strong team includes approximately 500 aerospace engineers and a leadership team responsible for delivering some of the most successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany, with teams based across Europe and the U.S. To learn more, visit www.lilium.com.
Lilium Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward‐looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements regarding: (i) Lilium N.V.’s and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Lilium Group”) proposed business and business model, including the ongoing development of its support and services organization; (ii) the markets and industry in which the Lilium Group operates or intends to operate; (iii) the Lilium Group’s progress towards type certification (and type certificate validation) of its Lilium Jet with EASA and the FAA, including development of an engineering simulator to support this process; and (iv) the production, certification, flight testing program, delivery schedule, and related timelines for the Lilium Jet, including Lilium’s use of the electric power systems lab described in this press release. These forward‐looking statements generally are identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “estimate,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “on track,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “strategy,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions. Forward‐looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on management’s current expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and are subject to risk and uncertainties that are subject to change at any time. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward‐looking statements. Factors that could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward‐looking statements in this press release include those risks and uncertainties discussed in Lilium’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20‐F for the year ended December 31, 2023, on file with the SEC, and similarly titled sections in Lilium’s other SEC filings, all of which are available at www.sec.gov. Forward‐looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward‐looking statements, and Lilium assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update, or revise these forward‐looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
