Lilium strikes sales deal with Saudi Arabia for up to 100 eVTOL aircraft

Lilium, an electrical aviation institution based successful Germany, says it has secured a binding income statement for up to 100 electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) craft pinch Saudia Group, which operates nan largest hose bearer successful Saudi Arabia and is wholly owned by nan Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The statement is simply a “firm order” for 50 Lilium jets, pinch an action to acquisition up to 50 more, nan institution said. The woody follows a 2022 memorandum of knowing betwixt Lilium and Saudia to research ways successful which battery-powered multi-rotor craft tin reside nan region’s proscription challenges.

The position of nan woody were not disclosed, but it has nan imaginable to beryllium worthy hundreds of millions of dollars. Lilium has said it will waste its Pioneer aircraft for $10 cardinal to individual buyers successful nan US looking to switch their polluting backstage jets pinch thing much environmentally friendly.

Lilium is 1 of a fistful of companies that wants to switch noisy, polluting helicopters and location craft pinch all-electric, multi-rotor vehicles designed for short hops betwixt adjacent airports aliases speedy trips from a dense, municipality halfway to a section airport.

The Lilium jet features an egg-shaped fusillade pinch 2 wings, 1 fore and nan different aft. A full of 30 batter-electric motors are built into nan wings, which tin tilt downward for vertical takeoff and hovering and past move flush pinch nan helping for guardant flight.

Lilium is not nan first eVTOL institution to spot a imaginable marketplace successful nan Middle East. China’s Ehang has been testing its ain vehicles successful Mecca for a imaginable early aerial taxi service. Two others, Eve and Joby, person some signed akin agreements pinch Saudi-based aviation companies for early sales.