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Lilium partners with ABB for eVTOL charging infrastructure

By eVTOL | October 13, 2021

Estimated reading time 3 minutes, 27 seconds.

ABB E-mobility, a provider of charging solutions for multiple types of electric vehicles, will supply the charging infrastructure for Lilium’s seven-seat eVTOL Lilium Jet, the companies announced this week.

Lilium eVTOL ABB chargers
Lilium’s regional air network will be made up of a series of vertiports, which will have multiple parking bays and high-power charging points provided by ABB. Lilium Image

Lilium aims to launch regional air mobility networks in Florida, Germany, and Brazil starting in 2024. Although the commercial terms of the agreement between the companies has yet to be finalized, ABB intends to develop, test, and provide a MegaWatt Charging System (MCS) that will charge the Lilium Jet’s batteries fully in approximately 30 minutes, and up to 80% in just 15 minutes. 

According to Lilium, this will enable an estimated 20 to 25 flights per aircraft per day across its global vertiport network. Although the initial range of the production Lilium Jet is expected to be 155 miles (250 kilometers) at a cruise speed of 175 mph (280 km/h), Lilium has said it expects its trips to average between 60 and 75 miles (95 and 120 km) in length. 

The MCS will allow direct current charging of up to 1,000 kW and can also be used for electric trucks and buses. ABB and Lilium said they plan to adhere to the relevant standards that support interoperability, following the lead of CharIN’s MCS Task Force, which was established in 2018 to work out the requirements for a new commercial vehicle high-power charging solution. 

“We see this planned partnership as an important commitment to all relevant charging standards that are adopted by multiple electric ‘vehicle’ manufacturers,” Frank Muehlon, president of ABB’s E-mobility division, stated in a press release. “By supporting the new MegaWatt charging standard, ABB E-mobility is paving the way for the electrification of all modes of transport, from cars and trucks to marine vessels, mining vehicles, and now, aviation.” 

According to Daniel Wiegand, CEO and co-founder of Lilium, “Making sure we have the right charging infrastructure will play a crucial role in enabling our high-speed regional air network by allowing quick and efficient charging. We are proud to be working with ABB, who bring decades of experience in electrification and software, to set the charging industry standard for electric aviation.” 

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1 Comment

  1. They intend to charge at MegaWatt levels?
    What sort of cooling infrastructure will they need for that?
    Have they talked with other eaircraft manufacturers to standardize the connections?
    What size batteries do they intend to install?
    What effect does it have when multiple aircraft are using a charging “station”?

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