Lilium and Lake Nona
- Plans for the first US high-speed flying-taxi network were unveiled Wednesday.
- The proposed "Lake Nona Vertiport" in Orlando will let passengers skip Florida's highways and travel in one of German manufacturer Lilium's 186 mph jets.
- Passengers will be able to book the electric-powered jets, which are still in development, via an app, similar to Uber and Lyft.
- The City Council granted Lilium a tax break of more than $800,000 over nine years, and the whole project will cost $25 million, according to the Orlando Business Journal.
The City of Orlando unveiled plans Wednesday to build the US's first flying-taxi hub.
German aviation company Lilium, which makes the taxis, property firm Tavistock Development Company, and the city are together developing a network that will enable passengers to bypass — or rather, pass over — Florida's highways.
The 56,000-square-foot "vertiport" at Lake Nona resembles an airport terminal and the Orlando Business Journal reports it will cost $25 million.
Munich-based Lilium said its vertical-takeoff craft, which are still under development, will travel up to 186 miles (300km) in one hour on a single charge. They can carry four passengers.
Here's what Florida's new transport hub will look like:
The $25 million Lake Nona Vertiport will be built in partnership with Lilium, a German-based aviation company, Tavistock Development Company, and the City of Orlando.
Lake Nona Vertiport
Lilium and Lake Nona
The seven-acre "vertiport" will include two takeoff and landing areas, eight gates for the jets, and one passenger terminal.
The futuristic transportation hub is scheduled to be completed in 2025.
Lake Nona Vertiport
Lilium and Lake Nona
Before this date, the site for the hub requires approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and other regulatory agencies.
Buddy Dyer, the city's mayor, commented on the project Wednesday, saying: "For this new technology to truly reshape the transportation ecosystem and benefit Orlando residents long-term, it is going to take a true partnership between cities, developers and transportation operators."
"We have been focused on finding the right partners to be a global leader in the advanced air mobility space," he added.
The City Council granted Lilium a tax rebate worth more than $800,000 over nine years
Lake Nona Vertiport
Lilium and Lake Nona
Lilium's electric-powered eVTOL aircrafts will be part of Orlando's brand new transport network.
A Lilium five-seater jet
Lilium
The aviation company promises "less noise, faster speeds, and zero pollution" from its vehicles.
Lilium's calculations show that a ride on the jet from Lake Nona to Tampa will take less than half an hour.
"The aircraft will be inaudible from the ground when flying above 400m and will only be as loud as a passing truck while taking off," Lilium says on its website.
Passengers will be able to book the Lilium taxis through an app, similar to Uber and Lyft.
Lake Nona Vertiport
Lilium and Lake Nona
The vertiport is located centrally in Florida, connecting 20 million people within a 186-mile radius, the companies said.
Map showing where Lake Nona Vertiport is located
Lilium and Lake Nona
Several major cities such as Orlando and Tampa will have access to the high-speed transportation network, located in Lake Nona.
This area is a 17-square mile planned community of around 65,000 people within the city limits, not far from Orlando International Airport.
The project will create more than 140 jobs in Orlando, with hundreds more in the pipeline across Florida.
A Lilium five-seater jet
Lilium
Jim Gray, a city council commissioner covering the site of the planned hub, said Monday in a council meeting, per the New York Times, that the project would create around 140 jobs that pay roughly $65,000 a year on average.
"That's what we need," Gray said. "We need better-paying jobs. So I think our investment, us priming the pump to help this work with some tax rebates, is absolutely the right thing to do."
Lilium was co-founded in 2015 by four engineers: CEO Daniel Wiegand, Sebastian Born, Matthias Meiner, and Patrick Nathen.
Co-founders Sebastian Born, Daniel Wiegand (CEO), Matthias Meiner, and Patrick Nathen
Lilium and Lake Nona
The aviation startup is headquartered in Munich and currently employs more than 600 people.
In 2019, Lilium opened its first manufacturing facility in Germany and has since attracted more than $375m in funding, according to its website.
Lake Nona Vertiport is Lilium's first US network location.
Dr. Remo Gerber, Lilium's chief operating officer said Wednesday: "It shows that regional high-speed air mobility can be built by private initiative and give communities such as Lake Nona, which can also serve Orlando and arrivals from its international airport, the ability to determine themselves whether they want a link into a high-speed transportation network."