Lilium completes funding round worth more than $ 240 million
March 30, 2020
Lilium, the Munich-based aviation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing aircraft for regional air mobility announced the completion of an internal funding round worth more than $ 240m. The round was led by Tencent, with participation from other existing investors including Atomico, Freigeist and LGT.
The new funds bring the total sum raised to date to more than $ 340m. They will be used to support further development of the Lilium Jet as well as underpinning preparations for serial production in Lilium's newly-completed manufacturing facilities.
As well as designing and manufacturing the Lilium Jet, the company plans to operate a regional air mobility service as early as 2025 in several regions around the world. It recently celebrated the completion of the first stage of flight testing, with the five-seater Lilium Jet demonstrator flying at speeds exceeding 100 km / h.
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First successful flight for the world's largest electric aircraft
Hugo LARA May 31, 2020
The Cessna Grand Electric Caravan in flight - Photo MagniX
It is not yet a zero-emission version of the A380, but we are getting closer to it (very) slowly. Capable of carrying up to 14 passengers, the world's largest electric aircraft has completed its first test flight.
What if the ideal electric plane was simply a converted model? While several start-ups are working on entirely new prototypes, the only zero-emission flights carried out have been by aircraft whose combustion engine has been replaced by an electric motor. At the end of 2019, the first commercial battery-powered aircraft, a transformed De Havilland Beaver DHC-2, launched its first flight. A few days ago, an equally electrified Cessna 208B Grand Caravan launched the flight of the largest zero-emission commercial aircraft in the world.
The two devices share a very similar technology and in particular their 560 kW (761 hp) electric motor supplied by MagniX. Taken off on May 28 from Grant County Airport in the northwest of the United States, the Cessna successfully completed a first 30-minute test flight at a maximum altitude of 2500 feet (762 m). According to AeroTEC who designed the device, it consumed the equivalent of 6 dollars (5,4 euros) of electricity while the thermal version would have required more than 300 dollars (270 euros) of fuel.
It is however an experimental model, equipped with a voluminous 750-volt lithium-ion battery of 1100 kg. While it can currently carry a maximum of 4 passengers over 160 km, the company hopes to be able to carry a "full charge" over the same distance within a few years thanks to the development of battery technologies. Sufficient autonomy for many operators but still very far from the 1759 km offered by the thermal version of the Cessna Grand Caravan.
moinsdewatt wrote:https://www.automobile-propre.com/breves/vol-reussi-pour-le-plus-gros-avion-electrique-au-monde/
Good then reduction from 14 passengers to 4 passengers, their weight replaced by that of the battery. Pending meteoric progress in the batteries. Continued in 2025 or as far back as 2030?
taam wrote:But what does Elon do? After the Tesla, I would see in the catalog a small quadriplaces (too late for the Maxwell, will have to find another name)
What about an electric Falcon launcher?
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