The idea of flying cars has been around the human being for years. However, with each passing day they seem closer to becoming a reality. But... Will the 2020s be the one that will make these prototypes really take root in our lives? The German company Lilium hopes so.
The company announced this week that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved its all-electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The main airworthiness authority in Europe, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), already issued its approval for this same model in 2020.
Lilium, which has already raised $1 billion in funding since its founding in 2015, has developed an eVTOL aircraft, popularly known as a flying car, with which it hopes to launch commercial flights by the end of 2025.
However, the startup has little control over these deadlines and is dependent on regulatory bodies. These institutions oversee all the components of these machines, from the engines to the software, and ultimately decide whether any aircraft meets all the strict requirements for commercial flight.
Once these certifications have been obtained, there are still three more steps left before the authorities issue a final certificate. This process can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
Despite the obstacles, Lilium's CEO Klaus Roewe is confident. "Receiving the G-1 from the FAA demonstrates Lilium Jet's path to global acceptance by aerospace regulators and the expected start of global operations in late 2025 for the revolutionary Lilium Jet," he said.
