By Jonny Tiernan
The futuristic dream of ‘air taxis’ has taken another step closer to becoming a reality. Every day, the race to create a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), all-electric vehicle is heating up. We recently announced how DeLorean Aerospace are moving forward with their own vehicle, and in our flying car guide we highlight some of the other companies working in this field.
Now, Munich-based startup Lilium has made a series of high-profile hires that display the strength of their aspirations and reveal the direction it is headed in. The German company is in the process of developing its all-electric, two-seater VTOL, with a major goal being that it operates as a commercial ‘air taxi’.
Lilium’s aim is that in the future, ordering an air taxi to take you to your destination will be as easy as easy as pulling out your smartphone. It will be five times faster than a car, and Lilium wants it to be as easy and affordable as a regular cab.
To this end, the company has brought onboard senior talent from Tesla, Airbus and Gett. Meggy Sailer, previously Head of Talent EMEA at Tesla, has joined Lilium as Head of Recruitment; Dr. Remo Gerber has taken on the role of Chief Commercial Officer at Lilium, having previously held the role of UK CEO and MD for Western Europe at Gett; and Dirk Gebser will be Lilium’s VP of Production, having previously undertaken manufacturing executive roles at Rolls Royce and Airbus.
The appointments are designed to push the business development to a new level, as Daniel Wiegand, Lilium co-founder and CEO explained in a statement: “In just two years we’ve taken our idea of this incredible aircraft from a piece of paper to the skies above Bavaria. Now that we have the technology, we need to grow our business so that it can fulfil our vision to revolutionise on-demand mobility for everyone.”
The car made its maiden flight earlier this year with their first full scale prototype. In 2019, the first manned flight will take place, and the ultimate goal is to have the on-demand air taxis available for public use by 2025. These new hires are another hugely important step on that journey.
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