Developer of the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet Lilium has commenced production of the ‘advanced, aviation grade battery packs that will power the Lilium Jet on its first piloted flight,’ targeted for the end of 2024. Lilium has secured comprehensive intellectual property rights for its unique battery technology.
The Lilium Jet’s battery pack is comprised of lithium-ion cells with silicon-dominant anodes that, according to the manufacturer, will allow for higher energy, power, and fast-charging capabilities than graphite anode cells. They are being designed to comply with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)’s ‘stringent safety requirements requiring shock resistance, heat resistance, containment and redundancy,’ and are currently being assembled at Lilium’s purpose-built battery factory outside Munich.
Chief operating officer of Lilium Yves Yemsi described the start of battery pack production as “a further cornerstone towards realizing the vision of electric aviation”. The first units to be built will be used for verification testing, with each aircraft to be fitted with a total of ten independently-functioning packs.
Lilium commences production of Lilium Jet battery packs
