Toray Industries announced that it has signed an agreement with Lilium to provide carbon fiber composite materials for Lilium Jet jets.
The Munich-based company is developing this all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, with a view to achieving clean, regional air traffic applications as early as 2025.
Lilium was founded in 2015, and its CEO Daniel Wiegand is also one of the company's co-founders.
Regional air traffic helps reduce traffic congestion, noise and air pollution in crowded cities. Therefore, some entities worldwide are developing airframes and operating systems for air rental services, and government agencies are developing regulatory frameworks.
Lilium is a pioneer in exploring the manufacture of aerial vehicles and the development and commercialization of services.
Carbon fiber composites are essential to reduce the weight of aerial vehicles like Lilium Jet.
Toray is deepening its relationship with Lilium and other manufacturers, and continues to innovate materials to promote the development of these transportation platforms by improving performance, saving energy and reducing costs.
Lilium Jet can carry up to 4 passengers and can fly 300 kilometers in less than 60 minutes. Its fuselage, wings, rotor blades and other structural components will use carbon fiber composite materials.
First, Toray will directly provide materials to Lilium to produce more technology demonstration parts, and then directly deliver materials to suppliers to manufacture parts for prototype and mass production.
The agreement also paved the way for further cooperation between the two companies. The two companies will also cooperate in the provision of other high-performance materials and the establishment of R&D partnerships.