Flying car: German Lilium opens private sales of its vehicles in the United States

According to the company, it is the first electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle available for private sales in the country.

German Lilium announced on Wednesday the 18th the opening of private sales in the United States of its eVTOL, or its electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle, also known as “Flying car“. According to the company, it is the first eVTOL available for private sales in the country.

The sales will be made in collaboration with EMCJET, an aircraft brokerage and management company that will be the German manufacturer’s exclusive dealer in Texas for private sales until 2030.

“This announcement is the first step in unlocking the U.S. private aviation market, the largest private aviation market for Lilium, and follows Lilium’s business strategy of starting in the premium market before expanding into the airline and transportation of passengers,” the company said, in a statement.

Lilium says the eVTOL will be available nationwide, but the initial sales focus will be on consumers in major Texas cities, including Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas.

Lilium is one of the companies in the eVTOL race and is still seeking certification from regulators in Europe and the United States. Two years ago, the prediction was that the first eVTOLs would fly commercially in 2024, now the prediction is for 2026. The prediction is that the company will assemble the first aircraft (and no longer a prototype) at the end of this year, testing will begin with pilots in the second half of 2024 and certify the eVTOL in late 2025.

In an interview with the site The limitMatthew Broffman, head of partnerships and networking at Lilium’s U.S. office, disagrees with the idea that the company is getting ahead of itself by opening sales of an aircraft that has not yet received certification from the US aviation authority, and said the practice “is quite common” in the private aviation market.

Lilium has recently been the subject of skepticism due to its financial situation. As demonstrated by Estadão, this year the company managed to raise 292 million dollars (R$ 1.5 billion), a sum that, according to the company, will cover a large part of the costs of the first manned flight and, subsequently, the company plans to finance itself through resources linked to the payment of pre-deliveries. / COLLABORATED BY LUCIANA DYNIEWICZ

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.