Lilium

Frank Stephenson has had a dream career in automotive design, bringing cars like BMW X5, Mini Cooper, McLaren P1– and now the Lilium flying car – to life.

​​Lilium first emerged in 2016 as an aviation startup with some very lofty ambitions, revealing plans to develop a five-seat electric aircraft. It has now taken a significant step toward achieving this aim, completing a flight of a full-scale prototype.

Flying taxis still seem very much like something pulled right out of science fiction, but when transport heavyweights like Boeing, Airbus and Uber start pumping millions of dollars into their development, it might be time to take all of this a bit more seriously.

​​Lilium, the German aviation firm developing an audacious electrical VTOL jet, has edged closer to its goal courtesy of US$90 million in new funding, which it says will be key in making its five-seater aircraft a reality.

Lilium Aviation's Jet Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL), zero-emission, electric-plane prototype has completed its maiden flight. The unmanned two-seater was controlled from the ground and completed a series a tests, including a transition from hovering to horizontal flight.

A two-seat, all-electric vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) jet aircraft is currently being developed by an ESA incubator enterprise in Germany. Claimed to be capable of 400 km/h (250 mph), the Lilium Jet is aimed at providing personal VTOL air-travel for the masses