(Boursier.com) — Lilium NV (NASDAQ: LILM), creator of the first fully electric aircraft capable of vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), and Michelin, today announced a collaboration aimed at developing and producing tires that will equip the Lilium Jet. For more than a year, the two companies have been working together to develop these tailor-made tires. They have now concluded an agreement covering the design, mass production and technical support of these innovative products. This alliance, which draws on Michelin’s century-old experience in the aeronautics sector, has enabled the development of an innovative solution, adapted to the safety, weight and reliability constraints imposed by the all-new Lilium Jet. The first tires should be delivered to the Lilium workshops this month…
This announcement illustrates Lilium’s strategy, which favors partnerships with the best suppliers in the aeronautics sector, in order to accelerate its certification process. It echoes recent announcements concerning progress related to the assembly of the Lilium Jet in the coming months.
Key factors
Weight and performance being key factors for eVTOLs, Lilium must maximize the efficiency of each gram onboard its aircraft. The tires designed by Michelin offer the best efficiency in their category with regard to the weight-performance compromise, in line with the on-board load objectives that Lilium has set itself. These tires have been specially designed to ensure smooth and safe vertical takeoffs and landings, while guaranteeing high performance with very strict weight constraints.
Michelin continues to prioritize innovation and sustainable development, including in the emerging eVTOL sector. The know-how developed as part of the collaboration between Michelin and Lilium will make it possible to define new standards in the design and integration of tires intended for aeronautics.
Sophie Bréchoire, president of the Michelin group’s aeronautical activities, declared: “The Michelin tires designed for the Lilium Jet are completely new and represent a major step forward for this essential element in aviation. This innovation, led by Michelin, pushes the limits lightness for eVTOLs, while maintaining the quality and reliability for which Michelin is renowned in terms of aeronautical products. By laying the foundations for increased durability for aircraft tires, this alliance is the perfect illustration of the vision and Michelin’s commitments: to drive the transformation of aviation towards more environmentally friendly horizons.”
Klaus Roewe, CEO of Lilium, concludes: “We are proud of the innovation and development projects that we have carried out alongside Michelin to achieve this agreement. This new essential element will stimulate the use of our aircraft, while respecting the strict performance requirements that we have set for ourselves. This partnership is further proof of our determination to instill sustainable innovation in regional air mobility.”