Britain’s first permanent VERTIPORT opens in Oxfordshire: Futuristic facility will serve as base for Jetsons-style flying taxis – construction starts this autumn

Advances in electric motors, battery technology and autonomous software have led to an explosion in electric air taxis.

Larry Page, CEO of Google’s parent company Alphabet, has poured millions into aerospace startups Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, both of which are aiming to develop all-electric flying taxis.

Kitty Hawk is believed to be developing a flying car and has already filed more than a dozen different aircraft registrations with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Page, who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998, has personally invested $100 million (£70 million) in the two companies. The companies have not publicly acknowledged or demonstrated their technology.

Secretive start-up Joby Aviation is one step closer to making its flying taxi a reality.

The California company building an all-electric flying taxi that can take off vertically has received $100 million (£70 million) in funding from a group of investors led by Toyota and Intel.

The money will be used to develop the company’s “megadrone,” which can reach speeds of 321 km/h and is powered by lithium-nickel-cobalt-manganese oxide batteries.

The Joby S2 prototype has 16 electric propellers, 12 of which are designed for vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), meaning no runway is required.

The plane takes off vertically, like a helicopter, after which 12 of its propellers fold in, allowing it to hover like an airplane once it is airborne.

Airbus is also working hard on a similar idea. The latest prototype of Project Vahana, named Alpha One, successfully completed its first test flight in February 2018.

The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five meters) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds.

Airbus previously shared a well-produced concept video showing the company’s vision for Project Vahana.

The images show a sleek, self-flying aircraft with room for one passenger under a canopy that can be retracted in the same way as a motorcycle helmet visor.

Airbus Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completed its first test flight in February 2018. The self-piloted helicopter reached an altitude of 16 feet (five meters) before successfully returning to the ground. In total, the test flight lasted 53 seconds

Like Joby Aviation, Project Vahana is designed to be fully electric and capable of vertical take-off and landing.

AirSpaceX is another company with ambitions to bring commuters into the air.

The Detroit-based startup has pledged to have 2,500 planes in the 50 largest cities in the United States by 2026.

AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018.

Like its main competitors, the electric plane is designed to carry two to four passengers and can take off and land vertically.

AirSpaceX even has built-in broadband connectivity for fast internet access, so you can check your Facebook news feed while flying to work.

In addition to passenger and cargo transport, AirSpaceX says the aircraft could also be used for medical and casualty evacuations, and for tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) purposes.

Even Uber is trying to get its taxi service off the ground.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi discussed the company’s plans at a technology conference in January 2018, under the name Uber Elevate.

“I think it’s going to happen within the next 10 years,” he said.