German startup Vay has launched its inaugural commercially accessible mobility service in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the simple click of a button. This cost-effective rental, charged per minute, facilitates a smooth experience from the “driverless” delivery of the vehicle to its hassle-free return, eliminating the need for parking.
Vay’s teledriving technology presents an alternative strategy to autonomous driving, employing automotive-grade technology developed and validated in accordance with industry standards to ensure safe operations on public streets.
The launch is a major milestone for Vay, the leading teledriving company. Co-founder and CEO Thomas von der Ohe, says: “After five years of developing our technology, we are bringing our vision to life in Las Vegas. Our convenient, affordable and sustainable door-to-door mobility service aims to free cities from parked cars and make them more liveable and greener.”
Following a few weeks of early access, Vay is launching the teledriven service around the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the Arts District. Users can order an electric car via the Vay app and the teledriver brings the car to the user – remotely driven from the teledrive center. The user then jumps in the car and drives themself to their destination. Once there, a teledriver drives the car to the next user or parks it. If the user wants to make a stopover during their journey, e.g. to do some shopping at the supermarket, they can also do this via the app.
With the per-minute rental, the users only pay for the time they use the car. As an initial offer, users are charged $0.30 per minute when driving and $0.03 per minute for stopovers. Vay anticipates that it is more cost-effective than other mobility services for many of its users.
A user statement of the early access phase: “The new Vay service is not only the least expensive option to get from A to B, but it also provides me with the freedom to travel at my own pace as I’m alone in the car.”
Teledriving technology
Vay’s teledriving technology enables a person (“the teledriver”) to drive a vehicle remotely (“teledriving”). Vay is the first company to drive cars without a person inside on public roads in Europe. With the removal of the safety driver in the US in November 2023, Vay became a pioneer in teledriving cars on both continents: Europe and North America. Professionally trained teledrivers sit at a teledrive station with a steering wheel, pedals and other vehicle controls developed to meet automotive industry standards. The car surroundings are reproduced via camera sensors and transmitted to the screens of the teledrive station. Road traffic sounds like emergency vehicles and other warning signals are transmitted via microphones to the teledriver’s headphones.
Vay implements safety and security by design. The Berlin-based startup follows key safety standards, including those for vehicle safety, functional safety (ISO 26262), and cybersecurity (ISO 21434). To confirm Vay’s high safety standards TÜV Süd, an independent third-party for testing, certification, auditing and advisory services, has tested and positively endorsed Vay’s technology. A thorough training program within the Vay Teledrive Academy prepares its teledrivers for professional driving on public streets. Rigorous training and advanced technology empower the teledrivers to drive with confidence, always following a safe and defensive driving style.
