Berlin start-up Vay expands remote driving fleet in the USA

The Berlin-based start-up company Vay Technology will more than triple its fleet of remotely controlled rental cars in the USA from 30 to around 100 vehicles this year. This was announced by company co-founder and CEO Thomas von der Ohe on the occasion of the CES technology fair in Las Vegas. 

Vehicle is remotely controlled and delivered

In the desert city in the US state of Nevada, Vay Technology has been operating commercially for a year. Via a smartphone app, customers can order a Vay car like a taxi, which is then remotely controlled to drive to them without a driver in the vehicle. Customers then take over the vehicle, a converted electric car from Kia, like a conventional rental car and also drive it themselves. After completing the car rental, passengers leave the vehicle, which is then remotely controlled by Vay employees back to the depot.

Due to growing demand, Vay has now established a production facility with an area of around 800 square meters in Las Vegas. There, additional cameras, among other things, are installed in Vay's fleet. The cars do, however, manage without expensive Lidar sensors, like those found in Waymo's self-driving taxis in San Francisco.

More than Rental Cars and Carsharing

The Vay CEO hinted at an expansion of the Berlin company's business model during a visit from Transport and Digital Minister Volker Wissing (independent). In addition to the traditional rental car and carsharing business, Vay could also become a service for privately owned cars. With the help of a remote tele-driver, one could, for example, safely drive home remotely after a party if they had consumed alcohol at the party. 

In the near future, trucks will also be controlled from Vay's tele-driving center, von der Ohe announced. Therefore, as part of this year's expansion, Vay is also hiring new tele-drivers for trucks.