Lilium N.V. (NASDAQ: LILM), developer of the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) jet, and Michelin  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.”