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Advances in electric motors, battery technology and autonomous software have led to an explosion in the field of electric air taxis.
Larry Page, CEO of Google parent company Alphabet, has poured millions into aviation start-ups Zee Aero and Kitty Hawk, both of which are aiming for 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, or FAA.
Page, who co-founded Google with Sergey Brin in 1998, has personally invested $100m (£70m) in the two companies, which have yet to publicly acknowledge or demonstrate their technology.
AirSpaceX unveiled its latest prototype, Mobi-One, at the North American International Auto Show in early 2018. Like its closest rivals, the electric plane is designed to carry two to four passengers and can take off and land vertically.
Airbus is also hard at work on an all-electric vertical take-off and landing craft, with its latest Project Vahana prototype, dubbed Alpha One, successfully completing 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 its vision for Project Vahana.
The footage shows a streamlined, self-flying aircraft that seats a passenger under a canopy that retracts in the same way as the visor of a motorcycle helmet.
The Airbus Project Vahana prototype, dubbed 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
AirSpaceX is another company with ambitions to take commuters to the skies.
The Detroit-based startup has pledged to deploy 2,500 aircraft 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 closest rivals, the electric plane is designed to carry two to four passengers and can take off and land vertically.
AirSpaceX even has broadband connectivity for high-speed internet access, so you can check your Facebook news feed while flying into work.
Aside from passenger and cargo services, AirSpaceX says the craft can also be used for medical and casualty evacuation, as well as tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).
Even Uber is working to get its ride-hailing service up and running.
Uber Elevate CEO Dara Khosrowshahi cautiously discussed the company’s plans at a technology conference in January 2018.
“I think it’s going to happen within the next 10 years,” he said.