German eVTOL developer Lilium has started assembling the battery packs that will power the first piloted test flight of its flagship Lilium Jet aircraft.
The battery pack, of which each Lilium Jet aircraft carries ten, is composed of lithium-ion cells with silicon-dominant anodes, rather than the more common graphite anodes.
For Lilium, this step is the culmination of a long process of developing and testing its own proprietary technology in the field of batteries, from cell to stack-level.
The first units to come off the production line will be used for verification tests before being installed on the aircraft that is set to perform its first crewed test flight before the end of 2024.
Until now, Lilium had been conducting some tests with technology demonstrators at the company’s testing ground in southern Spain.
Lilium is assembling the battery packs at its facilities in the outskirts of Munich, under the guidance of suppliers with experience in the electric automotive industry.
Given the limited energy density of the battery technologies currently available and the range limitation this imposes, battery pack performance will be a critical factor in Lilium fulfilling its vision of 100% electric regional eVTOL travel.