Rolls-Royce confirms it's building a Back to the Future-style flying taxi with a top speed of 250 miles-an-hour

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Rolls-Royce has confirmed it's working on a flying taxi, which could be set to launch in the early 2020s.

The Back To The Future-style vehicle will be capable of both vertical take-off and landing, bypassing the need for a runway.

The hybrid flying taxi will transport five passengers at speeds of 250mph (402 km/h) for up to 500 miles (800 km), the company said.

Rolls-Royce believes its upcoming vehicle will fly paying customers over congested roads from early next decade.

The company is entering a crowded market, with dozens of other firms already working on autonomous flying vehicles, including Airbus, ride-hailing company Uber, and a range of new start-ups, including one backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, known as Kitty Hawk.

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Aerospace giant Rolls-Royce has confirmed it is working on a flying taxi, and it could be ready by the early 2020s.The hybrid vehicle could transport five passengers at speeds of 250mph for up to 500 miles without being recharged

Rolls-Royce's concept electric vertical take-off and landing (Evtol) vehicle will be displayed at the Farnborough International Airshow in Hampshire this week.

The marquee event for Rolls-Royce will be officially opened by Prime Minister Theresa May later today.

The Rolls-Royce presentation will allow the world-leading engineering company to showcase its aeronautical prowess.

The company already builds engines for aeroplanes, helicopters, and ships.

It claims flying taxis will revolutionise the way people travel.

The concept Rolls-Royce flying vehicle uses its own M250 gas turbine technology to deliver around 500kW to power six electric propulsors specially designed to have a low noise profile.

Since it uses a hybrid design, the vehicle will not need to be recharged.

The wings rotate 90-degrees to enable a vertical take-off and landing.

Once it has reached the right altitude, the propellers on the wing can be folded away, reducing drag and cabin noise, with the craft relying upon the two rear propellers for thrust, Rolls-Royce claims.

Rolls-Royce says its flying taxi will be able to make use of pre-existing infrastructure, such as heliports on-top of buildings and airports.

The concept uses gas turbine technology to power an electric battery and the wings are able to rotate 90 degrees. As well as a taxi, the vehicle could also be deployed for personal, cargo and military use, Rolls-Royce said

Rolls-Royce´s flying taxi concept is on display at the Farnborough International Airshow. The marquee event for Rolls-Royce will be officially opened by Prime Minister Theresa May later today and will last for the entire week 

WHAT TYPE OF FLYING TAXIS COULD WE EXPECT TO SEE IN THE FUTURE?

Advances in electric motors, battery technology and autonomous software has triggered 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, which are both striving to create all-electric flying cabs.

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 back in 1998, has personally invested $100 million (£70 million) into 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 aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing

Airbus is also hard at work on an all-electric, vertical-take-off-and-landing craft, with its latest Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completing its maiden test flight in February 2018.

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

Airbus previously shared a well-produced concept video, showcasing its vision for Project Vahana.

The footage reveals a sleek self-flying aircraft that seats one passenger under a canopy that retracts in similar way to a motorcycle helmet visor.

Airbus Project Vahana prototype, branded Alpha One, successfully completed its maiden test flight in February 2018. The self-piloted helicopter reached a height of 16 feet (five metres) 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 start-up has promised to deploy 2,500 aircrafts 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 aircraft is designed to carry two to four passengers and is capable of vertical take-off and landing.

AirSpaceX has even included broadband connectivity for high speed internet access so you can check your Facebook News Feed as you fly to 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 on making its ride-hailing service airborne.

Dubbed Uber Elevate, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tentatively discussed the company’s plans during a technology conference in January 2018.

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

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Rob Watson, who heads Rolls-Royce's electrical team, said: 'Electrification is an exciting and inescapable trend across industrial technology markets and, while the move to more electric propulsion will be gradual for us, it will ultimately be a revolution. 

'Building on our existing expertise in electric technologies and aviation, Rolls-Royce is actively exploring a range of possible markets and applications for electric and hybrid electric flight. Rolls-Royce has a strong track record as pioneers in aviation.

'From developing the first turbo-prop and jet engines, to creating the world's most efficient large civil aero-engine and vertical take-off and landing solutions, we have a very strong pedigree.

'As the third generation of aviation begins to dawn, it's time to be pioneers yet again.'

As well as a flying taxi, the vehicle could also be deployed for personal, cargo and military use, Rolls-Royce has revealed.

Kitty Hawk, an American firm which receives financial backing from Google co-founder Larry Page, last month launched the first test flight of its 'Flyer' model.

The one-seater vehicle only requires a one-hour training course before users are able to take to the skies, the company claims. 

'If it's less than an hour, it opens up flight to pretty much everyone,' Kitty Hawk CEO Sebastian Thrun recently told CNN.

For safety reasons, the vehicle is only being tested over water at a facility in Las Vegas for now.

Kitty Hawk is regarded as one of the pioneers of flying taxi technology.

Last year, the start-up received a $2 million (£1.5 million) investment from the US military to help advance the technology for potential use by armed forces.

But despite the involvement of the US military, there will be 'no weapons' added to any of the company's all-electric flying vehicles, it has confirmed.

Flying cars capable of a vertical take-off were predicted in Robert Zemeckis' 1985 blockbuster film 'Back To The Future'. However, unlike the prototype vehicles proposed by Kitty Hawk and Rolls-Royce, the flying car used a flux capacitor for power 

Kitty Hawk launched the first test flight of its 'Flyer' model last month. Interested customers don't even need a pilot's license to take Flyer for a spin, as the company says it only requires a one-hour training course before users are able to take to the skies

Kitty Hawk has already started conducting tests for its Cora flying taxi (pictured) in New Zealand, where it has confirmed it will eventually launch its commercial air taxi service

As well as the piloted version of the flying vehicle, the Flyer, Kitty Hawk is also actively developing an experimental pilot-less air taxi, known as Cora.

On the website for Cora, the Larry Page-funded firm emphasis the aircraft's role in solving urban traffic problems.

'Cora is about the time you could save soaring over traffic,' it reads.

'Designing an air taxi for everyday life means bringing the airport to you. That's why Cora can take off and land like a helicopter, eliminating the need for runways.

'Cora has the potential to transform spaces like rooftops and parking lots into places to take off right from your neighborhood.'

Cora (pictured above) has a total range of around 62 miles (100 km) and will eventually be summoned to customers using a smartphone app, akin to Uber

The self-piloting aircraft has a wing span of 36 feet (11 m) and is capable of ferrying 400lb (181kg) in passengers and cargo, the company claims 

Kitty Hawk claims its Cora self-piloting aircraft 'has the potential to transform spaces like rooftops and parking lots into places to take off right from your neighborhood'. Pictured: Images of the prototype plane in the latest FAA application 

Kitty Hawk has already started conducting tests for its Cora flying taxi in New Zealand, where it has confirmed it will eventually launch its commercial air taxi service.

The small two-seater craft is designed to use self-flying software, which controls its 12 fans to provide lift-off and forward thrust – without the need for a runway.

Once airborne, a single rear propeller pushes Cora through the air at speeds of up to 110 mph (180 kph) at altitudes between 500 and 3,000 feet (150 and 910 metres).

Cora has a total range of around 62 miles (100 km) and will eventually be summoned to customers using a smartphone app, akin to Uber. 

The craft has a wing span of 36 feet (11 m) and can carry 400lb (181kg) in passengers and cargo.

Cora has three flight computers that operate independently, meaning it can continue to navigate if one of them fails. There is also a parachute for emergency landings if disaster strikes.