Vay is expanding its Teledrive service for cars in Las Vegas
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Take out a loan is launching, expanding its teledriving car service, an Uber-like service in which your car is driven by someone in a remote location. The company is expanding its vehicle fleet and building an 8,500-square-foot manufacturing facility in Las Vegas.
You may have never heard of teledriving, but I was able to try it out at CES 2024 last year. At Vay you can order a car to pick you up. A Vay driver, sitting in a building with a series of screens in front of him, drives the car to you from a distance. To viewers, it will look like a self-driving car picking you up. But a human has full control of the car – remotely.
Then you can get in the car and drive wherever you want. When you’re done, hand it back to the remote driver who can drive the car to the next destination. If you’re good at racing video games, long-distance driving might be a good job for you.
It’s a very interesting concept for a new type of service – one that offers drivers more privacy than a taxi or an Uber. As a minute rental service, it can be more cost-effective than other ridesharing solutions. And it could be safer than a self-driving car because a human is always in control of the car.
The company launched its pilot service last year and is now expanding its door-to-door long-haul trucking service to 100 vehicles in Las Vegas in 2025. Vay has secured a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Las Vegas to expand its fleet of electric vehicles equipped with cameras and sensors.
This facility, designed to process up to 16 vehicles per week, will serve as Vay’s primary manufacturing and hardware delivery center for the United States. Vay also has a downtown center dedicated to fleet readiness and maintenance. The facility will optimize the expansion of Vay’s Kia e-Niro fleet, which will serve as the primary hub for hardware deployment.
Vay is actively hiring long-haul truck drivers to support both car and truck operations as long-haul truck driving services are soon to be launched.
Vay offers services throughout central Las Vegas, including the Strip, busiest hotels and nearby attractions. It has gained popularity because it offers a seamless way to get around the city. Since launching a year ago, users have taken more than 6,000 trips.
“This new facility and our fleet expansion underscore Vay’s commitment to serving our growing customer base in Las Vegas and ensuring a seamless experience for everyone who requests our vehicles,” he said Thomas Von der Ohe, CEO of Vay, in a statement. “This investment represents a significant milestone in Vay’s growth and will play a critical role in scaling our offering.”
Vays long distance driving services
Through the Vay app, users can request remote delivery of an electric vehicle to their location. Once the car arrives, the user takes over and drives it like a normal car. At the end of the journey, the user ends the rental in the app, gets out and a remote driver takes over the journey, eliminating the time-consuming search for a parking space. Vay’s minute-rental service costs half as much as current ride-sharing services, is a cheaper alternative to autonomous driving, and doesn’t require expensive membership fees.
Vay aims to make long-distance transportation universally accessible with its commercial solutions that enable affordable and sustainable door-to-door mobility. With a seamless experience from vehicle pick-up to return, users enjoy full control and privacy, traveling at their own pace in a safe, personal environment. Additionally, Vay’s long-distance driving technology maximizes the efficiency of its all-electric fleet, reducing the number of cars needed in urban areas and contributing to greener, less congested cities.
Vay has also recently expanded its offering to include B2B services, including long-distance driving for private cars, trucks, vans and autonomous vehicles.
The future of mobility jobs: long-distance drivers
Long-distance driving represents a completely new and unique profession that combines safety and flexibility. Remote drivers work from an office environment alongside colleagues, enjoy regular breaks and avoid being away from home for long periods of time. Unlike traditional driver roles, they are paid by the hour rather than per trip, which provides more stability. This facility also creates a safer and more engaging work environment.
The Vay Remote Driving Academy offers a comprehensive training program that prepares remote drivers for professional driving on public roads. Through rigorous training and advanced technology, remote drivers are given the skills to operate confidently while maintaining a safe and defensive driving style. One of the things that was useful during my trip: The truck driver said things like “I see the stop sign in front of me” to reassure the passenger that he was paying attention.
Vays long-distance driving technology
Professionally trained remote drivers sit at a remote driving station with a steering wheel, pedals and other vehicle controls designed to automotive industry standards. The service operates day and night, with Vay operating in Las Vegas from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Camera sensors reproduce the car’s surroundings and transmit them to the remote driving station’s screens. Traffic sounds such as emergency vehicles and other advanced warning signals are transmitted via microphones to the remote driver’s headphones.
Vay develops and operates long-distance driving technology with a strong focus on safety. This includes focusing on functional safety (ISO 26262) and cybersecurity (ISO 21434). To confirm Vay’s high safety standards, TÜV Süd, an internationally recognized independent third-party organization specializing in testing, certification, audits and consulting services, has thoroughly tested and positively confirmed Vay’s technology.
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