One of Germany’s premier flying taxi startups just gained a foothold in the US. Lilium, the five-year-old venture-backed startup from Munich, announced that it will build a 56,000-square-foot transportation hub for its aerial taxi service in Orlando, Florida. The company aims to have passengers taking regional trips in its electric five-seater aircraft starting in 2025, Andrew J. Hawkins reports for The Verge.
Lilium’s $25 million vertiport will be privately financed and the company estimates it will created more than 100 jobs and generate $1.7 million in economic activity over 10 years.
The Lilium eVTOL has a reported range of 186 miles (300 km) and has a top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h).
Dr. Remo Gerber, Chief Operating Officer, Lilium said: “We are thrilled to partner with Tavistock and build the first stretch of Florida’s high-speed electric transportation network with Central Florida at its core. It shows that regional high-speed air mobility can be built by private initiative and give communities such as Lake Nona, which can also serve Orlando and arrivals from its international airport, the ability to determine themselves whether they want a link into a high-speed transportation network.”
