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Lilium partners with CUSTOMCELLS to produce high-performance silicon-anode batteries for the 7-Seater Lilium Jet

Munich/Tübingen: Lilium GmbH (“Lilium”), positioned to be a global leader in regional electric air mobility, has partnered with CUSTOMCELLS, the German manufacturer of customer specific lithium-ion battery cells.

CUSTOMCELLS, who supply international aviation, automotive and military customers, including Porsche AG, will be one of Lilium’s prime suppliers, manufacturing lithium-ion batteries at scale for the all-electric 7-Seater Lilium Jet. Utilising Lilium’s licensed technology, CUSTOMCELLS will industrialize battery cells for high-quality series production at its Tübingen location. At the Tübingen site, CUSTOMCELLS, together with partner and equipment manufacturer Manz AG, offers one of the most modern battery cell production lines in Europe.

In June, CUSTOMCELLS announced the launch of a joint venture with Porsche, named Cellforce Group, to produce high-performance silicon-anode batteries at their Weissach Development Centre. Porsche also recently participated in an investment round for CUSTOMCELLS through its venture capital arm, Porsche Ventures. New shareholders in CUSTOMCELLS are also European technology investors Vsquared Ventures and 468 Capital.

Bringing together two German innovators in energy and aerospace, with guaranteed production capacity at CUSTOMCELLS’s state-of-the-art research and production sites in Germany, this partnership will play a crucial role in scaling up production of the 7-Seater Lilium Jet ahead of planned commercial launch in 2024.

Daniel Wiegand, Co-Founder and CEO of Lilium said:

“With their extensive experience of designing and producing customised high-performance Li-Ion batteries for automotive and aviation applications, CUSTOMCELLS is an ideal partner to manufacture aerospace-quality battery cells for our jet. They have already set up manufacturing of silicon anode batteries for several of their customers. We are excited to be working alongside another next generation company like CUSTOMCELLS.”

Leopold König, Co-founder and CEO of CUSTOMCELLS said:

“On the basis of flexible manufacturing concepts, CUSTOMCELLS guarantees high-tech solutions for special applications and tailor-made production of electrodes, electrolytes and battery cells with an outstanding quality and traceability approach, depending on the customer's requirements profile. This partnership will bring two leading German innovators together and underlines the strength of the German manufacturing and tech ecosystem.”

CUSTOMCELLS will join Lilium’s roster of world-class suppliers, including Toray Industries, Aciturri, Lufthansa Aviation Training, Honeywell and Palantir, alongside infrastructure leaders, such as the Tavistock Development Company, and Ferrovial, a leading airport operator, who will support the development of up to 14 vertiports in Florida.

About Lilium:

Lilium’s vision is to create a sustainable and accessible mode of high-speed, regional transportation. Using the 7-Seater Lilium Jet, an electric vertical take-off and landing jet, offering leading capacity, low noise and high performance, Lilium is building a transport network and service for people and goods. Working with aerospace, technology and infrastructure leaders, commercial operations are planned to launch in 2024. Lilium’s 650+ strong team includes approximately 400 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 lilium.com.

About CUSTOMCELLS:

CUSTOMCELLS® is one of the leading companies in the fields of development and series production of special lithium-ion battery cells. Based on flexible manufacturing concepts and state-of-the-art research and production facilities, CUSTOMCELLS® guarantees high-tech solutions for special applications and customised development and production of electrodes, electrolytes, battery cells and battery modules, depending on the customer's requirement profile. In doing so, CUSTOMCELLS® systematically pursues the strategy of technological, vertical integration through cooperation with the respective "best in class" companies in the value chain - from the material manufacturer to the plant manufacturer to the recycling specialist. Spun off from the Fraunhofer Institute in 2012, the company now has two independent production and development sites in Itzehoe and Tübingen. More than 100 highly qualified CUSTOMCELLS® employees have many years of experience in the field of cell development and production. The extensive process engineering know-how and the deep understanding of electrochemistry ensure short time frames for the realisation of individual cell properties. CUSTOMCELLS® develops and produces for a wide range of industries - with a focus on the automotive, marine, oil & gas and, in the future, aviation sectors. The company has more than 600 customers, has completed more than 1,400 development-intensive projects, and has designed and ramped up four cell factories under contract. From 2021, CUSTOMCELLS® will take over the development of the next generation of high-performance batteries for the automotive sector in a joint venture with Porsche - the Cellforce Group. The Porsche decision in favour of CUSTOMCELLS® was made in spring 2021 after a thorough global screening. For more information, please visit www.customcells.org.

Contact Information for Media

Meredith Bell, Lilium

+41 79 432 57 79

meredith.bell@lilium.com

press@lilium.com

Dr. Rainer Ohler (for Lilium)

+49 172 489 0353

rainer.ohler@seniortrategists.com

Details

  • Munich, Germany
  • Lilium GmbH