- Michelin and Lilium have signed an agreement covering the design and serial production of tires for the Lilium all-electric vertical take-off and landing ("eVTOL") jet
- First tires are expected to be delivered to Lilium’s facilities this month
- Thanks to its century-long experience in the aeronautical industry, Michelin offers an innovative tire solution, specially designed to meet the weight, safety, reliability, and performance requirements of the Lilium eVTOL
MUNICH, Germany and PARIS, Nov. 09, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lilium N.V. (NASDAQ: LILM), developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing ("eVTOL") jet, and Michelin today announced a partnership for the Lilium Jet’s tires. Lilium and Michelin began working together more than a year ago to develop and produce custom tires for the Lilium Jet and have now signed a final agreement covering design, serial production, and support. The partnership leverages Michelin’s 100 plus years of experience working with the aeronautical industry to deliver an innovative tire solution that meets the safety weight, and reliability requirements for the revolutionary Lilium Jet. The first tires are expected to be delivered to Lilium facilities this month.
This announcement underlines Lilium’s strategy of working with best premium aerospace suppliers to accelerate its path to certification and follows recent announcements on its progress toward start of assembly of the Lilium Jet later this year.
As proper weight and high performance are essential for eVTOLs, it is fundamental that Lilium maximizes weight efficiency across every element of the jet. The Michelin-produced tires offer best-in-class weight efficiency, aligning with Lilium’s payload objectives. The tires are specially designed to facilitate safe vertical take-off and landing operations, delivering exceptional performance while adhering to stringent weight limits.
Michelin continues to evidence its focus on driving innovation and sustainability, including in the eVTOL industry’s evolution. The expertise and collaboration between Michelin and Lilium will establish new standards in aerospace tire design and integration.
Sophie Bréchoire, President of the Michelin Group aeronautic activities, said: “The Michelin tire designed for the Lilium Jet is truly one-of-a-kind and a major advancement in this critical aviation component. It marries the challenge of lightweight construction for eVTOL aircraft with the renowned quality and reliability of Michelin aircraft tires. This collaboration, which will introduce new standards in durability for aircraft tires, is a perfect illustration of the Michelin Group's strategy of supporting the transformation of aviation to make it more sustainable.”
Klaus Roewe, CEO of Lilium, said: “We are proud of the innovation and development work completed alongside Michelin that has culminated in this agreement. This critical component, which will help to mobilize and operate our jet at our required specifications and performance levels, serves as a confirmation of our unrelenting pursuit of innovation and sustainability in regional air mobility.”
| Lilium Contact information for media: Meredith Bell Vice President, External Communications +41794325779 press@lilium.com | Michelin Contact information for media: Herve Erschler Group press Department +33670478504 herve.erschler@michelin.com |
| Contact information for investors: Rama Bondada Vice President, Investor Relations investors@lilium.com | |
About Lilium
Lilium (NASDAQ: LILM) is creating a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation for people and goods. Using the Lilium Jet, an all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet, designed to offer leading capacity, low noise, and high performance with zero operating emissions, Lilium is accelerating the decarbonization of air travel. Working with aerospace, technology, and infrastructure leaders, and with announced sales and indications of interest in Europe, the United States, China, Brazil, UK, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Lilium’s 800+ strong team includes approximately 450 aerospace engineers and a leadership team responsible for delivering some of the most successful aircraft in aviation history. Founded in 2015, Lilium’s headquarters and manufacturing facilities are in Munich, Germany, with teams based across Europe and the U.S. To learn more, visit www.lilium.com.
About Michelin
Michelin, the leading mobility company, is dedicated to sustainably enhancing its clients’ mobility; designing and distributing the most suitable tires, services, and solutions for its clients’ needs; providing digital services, maps, and guides to help enrich trips and travels and make them unique experiences; and developing high-technology materials that serve a variety of industries. Headquartered in Clermont-Ferrand, France, Michelin is present in 175 countries, has 132,200 employees and operates 67 tire production facilities which together produced around 167 million tires in 2022. www.michelin.com
Lilium Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements regarding (i) the future performance and impact of innovations of Lilium N.V. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Lilium Group”); (ii) the Lilium Group’s proposed business and business model, (iii) the anticipated timing of the commercialization and launch of the Lilium Group’s business in phases, and (iv) the Lilium Group’s partnership with Michelin as described herein. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “expect,” “estimate,” “future,” “intend,” “may,” “on track,” “plan,” “project,” “should,” “strategy,” “will,” “would” and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections, and other statements about future events that are based on management’s current expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties that are subject to change at any time. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release include those risks and uncertainties discussed in Lilium N.V.’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including in the section titled “Risk Factors” in Lilium N.V.’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2022, on file with the SEC, and similarly titled sections in Lilium’s other SEC filings, all of which are available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and the Lilium Group assumes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
