AAM company Lilium opens eVTOL sales to private US buyers

German advanced air mobility (AAM) company, Lilium, is making its luxury Pioneer Edition electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) jet available to private US customers for the first time ever, through an accord signed with Texas aviation brokerage and management company EMCJET.

Munich-based Lilium said the agreement with EMCJET would make private sales of its Pioneer Edition jets possible in the US for the first time – the first any of the eVTOL aircraft coming to market in coming years, according to the company. Under the partnership, EMCJET will secure receive priority delivery of the craft for a limited number of US buyers once certification and production hurdles have been cleared.

Opening purchases of its luxury line of AAM planes to wealthy clients in leading aviation markets is a key component in the startup’s strategy, along with subsequent introduction of aircraft for general public transportation. 

In contrast to most competitors in the sector banking first and foremost on launching with air taxi and other AAM services, Lilium plans on securing a firm – and hopefully lucrative – foothold in the premium market before expanding to airline and passenger shuttle activities. Presumably, down payment and other financial details of the former may provide an earlier, faster flow of income needed to fund development of activity for the latter.

Lilium announced a previous agreement in 2022 in the UK with the AAM unit of a helicopter and private jet service operator, which similarly targets upper crust customers as potential buyers for up to 20 of its Pioneer Edition eVTOL jets. Its accord with EMCJET to market the craft to well-heeled clients in the US becomes the fourth major market in which the startup has signed those deals. 

In making its announcement with EMCJET, Lilium said its initial activity in the US will be focused on cities including Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas, before broadening beyond Texas.

Given the deep red state’s large fossil fuel industry – and corresponding tepidness for renewable energy sources – Lilium’s statement its move reflects “Texas’ commitment to sustainability, delivering efficient, and eco-friendly transportation choices for residents and visitors” seemed somewhat disingenuous at best.

Far more likely a motivation is Texas’s continued ability to lure union- and tax-averse companies and investors from Silicon Valley and elsewhere in sustainable-championing California. In addition to forever seeking to boost their profits, members of that increasingly migration-prone, extremely wealthy demographic have also begun considering eVTOLs and other next generation AAM options to the private jets the now use for transportation around the country – something of the Tesla cachet applied to the skies.

That’s where Lilium’s outlier sales strategy kicks in.

Unlike the planes it’s developing for general air taxi uses, Lilium’s Pioneer Edition will cater to wealthy private owners and operators by offering customizable configuration, exclusive fabrics and materials for the cabin, and service, support, and training as part of its sale package. As such, it represents a bespoke version of slick new AAM tech many members of the US upper crust already long to own before anyone else.

Meanwhile, Lilium’s chief commercial officer Sebastien Borel said the company’s focus on Texas seeks not only to tap into the state’s relatively large market of private jet owners. He says it also takes into account how Texas’s advanced degree of regional aerial connectivity plays well to the capacities of Lilium’s Pioneer Edition, while also offering the startup a springboard to wider US activity.

“We are thrilled to partner with EMCJET as we embark on our mission to revolutionize regional air mobility in the United States,” Borel said. “EMCJET’s proven track record of private premium market jet sales in the US and managing privately owned aircraft and exceptional customer service aligns seamlessly with Lilium’s vision of delivering an unparalleled flying experience to our potential customers.”