Vay expands his mobile car service to Las Vegas

Get a loan is launching and expanding its tele-driving service, an Uber-like service where your car is driven by a remote human. The company is expanding its fleet and building an 8,500 square foot manufacturing facility in Las Vegas.

You may not have heard of telephoning before, but I managed to test it at CES 2024 last year. With Vay, you can order a car to pick you up. The Vay driver sits in a cabin with screens in front of them and drives the car to you from a distance. To the viewer, this will look like a self-driving car coming to pick you up. But a person has the power to control the car – from a distance.

Then you can get in the car and drive it around where you want to go. When you’re done, you hand it back to the remote driver, who can drive the car to its destination. If you are an expert in racing video games, remote driving might be a good job for you.

It’s a very exciting idea for a new type of service – one that gives drivers more privacy than taxis or Uber. It can be cheaper as a per-minute rental than other distribution methods. And it would be better than a self-driving car because a person is always driving the car.

The company started its pilot service last year and is now expanding its door-to-door service by 2025 to 100 cars in Las Vegas. Vay has acquired a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Las Vegas to build its electric cars, equipped with cameras and sensors.

The facility, designed to handle up to 16 vehicles per week, will serve as Vay’s base and logistics hub for the United States. Vay also has a downtown center dedicated to ship planning and maintenance. The facility will complement the rebuilding of Vay’s Kia e-Niro fleet, which will serve as the primary delivery point for the electric vehicle.

Vay is hiring remote drivers to help drive cars and trucks, as remote car driving services will begin soon.

Vay offers services in the center of Las Vegas, including the Strip, the busiest hotels, and nearby attractions. It has become popular because it provides a seamless way to travel in and around the city. Since its launch a year ago, users have taken more than 6,000 trips.

“This new location and the expansion of our fleet demonstrates Vay’s commitment to serving our growing customer base in Las Vegas, and ensuring that everyone who needs our vehicles has access to it,” he said. Thomas Von der Ohe, CEO of Vay, in his statement. “This investment represents a significant step in Vay’s growth and will go a long way in expanding our offerings.”

Vay’s remote drive services

Through the Vay app, users can request an electric car to be delivered to their location. When the car arrives, the user takes it and drives it like a regular car. At the end of the trip, the user completes the rental in the app, gets out of the car, and the remote driver takes over, eliminating the long search for parking. Vay’s minute-by-minute rental service costs half of what you’d currently pay, making it a cheaper option than driving without the hefty membership fee.

Vay aims to make long-haul vehicles ubiquitous through its business model, which offers affordable and sustainable door-to-door transportation. With unlimited information from the delivery of vehicles to the return, users enjoy complete control and privacy, navigating their routes in a safe, personal environment. In addition, Vay’s remote control technology increases the efficiency of its all-electric fleet, reducing the amount of traffic required in urban areas and enabling greener, smaller cities.

Vay has also expanded its offerings to include B2B services, which enable remote driving for private cars, trucks, autonomous vehicles, and more.

The future of mobility services: remote drivers

Remote control brings a new and unique function that combines safety and flexibility. Remote drivers work in offices with colleagues, enjoy free time, and avoid being away from home. Unlike driving positions, they are paid hourly and not per trip, which provides peace of mind. This arrangement also creates a safe and attractive environment for employees.

Vay Remote Driving Academy offers a training program that prepares remote drivers to drive professionally on public roads. Through rigorous training and state-of-the-art technology, remote drivers are equipped with the skills to drive confidently while maintaining a safe and defensive driving style. One of the things that came in handy when I was riding: the remote driver said something like “I see a stop sign ahead” to reassure the passenger that he was listening.

Vay surface technology

Professionally trained drivers sit at a remote station with a steering wheel, pedals, and other vehicle controls designed to automotive industry standards. The job is open day and night, Vay works in Las Vegas from 6:30 am to 10 pm.

Camera sensors also map the vehicle’s surroundings and send them to on-board devices. Traffic sounds, such as emergency vehicles and other additional warnings, are sent to the remote control headset via a microphone.

Vay develops and implements remote control technology with a strong emphasis on safety. This includes a focus on Functional Safety (ISO 26262) and Cybersecurity (ISO 21434). To ensure Vay’s high safety standards, TÜV Süd, an independent international organization that provides testing, certification, auditing, and advisory services, has successfully tested and approved Vay’s technology.