Blog

Development Blog

By Yves Yemsi, Chief Operating Officer, and Will Hirst, Vice President Program Management . 

November 15, 2021

Blog

  • Compliance to regulatory requirements
  • Payload
  • Cruise & Maximum Speed
  • Maximum Range
  • Operational Capabilities (e.g. Visual Flight Rules, Instrument Flight Rules)
  • Charge Time
  • Noise during takeoff
  • Recurring cost
  • Annual operating cost
  • Program & production cost
  • Adherence to Program Schedule

There are of course, many other attributes that need to be addressed thoughtfully in order for an aircraft program to be successful. The set above is deliberately shortened to emphasize those aspects we believe are important in a regional eVTOL aircraft development Program.

Program Maturity Gates

In the following outline, we describe the most important current and future maturity gates and their significance for the Lilium Jet development program. Our key gates on the route to certification and entry into service (EIS) can essentially be summarized as follows:

  1. Prior to Preliminary Design Review (PDR)
  2. Preliminary Design Review (PDR)
  3. Critical Design Review (CDR)
  4. Production Start
  5. Ground Test & First Flight of Conforming Aircraft
  6. Type Certificate & EIS

 

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Illustrative

About Lilium

Lilium (NASDAQ: LILM) is creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation for people and goods. Using the Lilium Jet, an all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet, offering leading capacity, low noise and high performance with zero operating emissions, Lilium is accelerating the decarbonization of air travel. Working with aerospace, technology and infrastructure leaders, and with planned launch networks announced in Germany, the United States and Brazil, commercial operations are projected to begin in 2024. Lilium’s 700+ strong team includes approximately 400 aerospace engineers and a leadership team responsible for delivering some of the most successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany, with teams based across Europe and the U.S. To learn more, visit www.lilium.com.

 

Forward Looking Statements

This communication contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements regarding Lilium N.V.’s proposed business and business model, the markets and industry in which Lilium N.V. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Lilium Group”) operate or intend to operate, the anticipated timing of the commercialization and launch of the Lilium Group’s business in phases and the expected results of the Lilium Group’s business and business model, including when launched in phases. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions. Such statements are based on management’s belief or interpretation of information currently available. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on management’s current expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risk and uncertainties and subject to change at any time. The Lilium Group operates and will continue to operate in a rapidly changing emerging industry. New risks emerge every day. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not rely on or place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the projections or forward-looking statements.

Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this communication, including, but not limited to, the following risks: (i) the impact of COVID-19 on the Lilium Group’s business; (ii) the Lilium Group’s ability to implement its business plans, operating models, forecasts and other expectations and identify and realize additional business opportunities; (iii) the Lilium Group’s and its partners’ inability to achieve anticipated specifications for the Lilium jet and any related infrastructure; (iv) general economic downturns or general systematic changes to the industry in which the Lilium Group will operate, including a negative safety incident involving one of the Lilium Group’s competitors that results in decreased demand for the Lilium Group’s jets or services; (v) the failure of the Lilium Group and its current and future business partners to successfully develop and commercialize the Lilium Group’s business or significant delays in its ability to do so; (vi) the Lilium Group may never achieve or sustain profitability; (vii) the Lilium Group will need to raise additional capital to execute its business plan, which may not be available on acceptable terms or at all; (viii) the Lilium Group may experience difficulties in managing its growth, moving between development phases or expanding its operations; (ix) third-party suppliers, component manufacturers or service provider partners are not able to fully and timely meet their obligations or deliver the high-level customer service that the Lilium Group’s customers will expect, and impacts from disruptions in the Lilium Group’s supply chains due to the COVID-19 pandemic, inflationary pressures or otherwise; (x) the Lilium Group’s jets not performing as expected, delays in producing the Lilium Group’s jets or delays in seeking full certification of all aspects of the Lilium Group’s jets, causing overall delays in the anticipated time frame for the Lilium Group’s commercialization and launch; (xi) the technology necessary to successfully operate the Lilium Group’s jets and business operations is delayed, unavailable, not available at commercially anticipated prices, not sufficiently tested, not certified for passenger use or otherwise unavailable to the Lilium Group based on its current expectations and anticipated needs; (xii) product liability lawsuits, civil or damages claims or regulatory proceedings relating to the Lilium Group’s jets, technology, intellectual property or services; (xiii) the Lilium Group’s inability to secure or protect its intellectual property; (xiv) any failure of the Lilium Group to agree upon final commercial terms or fail to finalize and enter into definitive documentation relating to any anticipated commercial transactions or strategic alliances with its prospective partners and suppliers; and (xv) that the final terms of any commercial transaction or strategic alliance with Lilium’s prospective partners and suppliers may differ, including materially, from the terms currently anticipated. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Lilium Group assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. The Lilium Group is not giving you any assurance that it will achieve its expectations. A further list and description of risks, uncertainties and other matters can be found in the section titled “Risk Factors” in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available at www.sec.gov. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Lilium Group or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.