Germany's Vay launches remote-driven car service in Las Vegas

Eurazeo SE

17/01/2024 08:30

By Nick Carey
       Jan 17 (Reuters) - German remote-driving startup Vay
said on Wednesday it had launched its first commercial service
in Las Vegas where a "teledriver", or remote driver, delivers
electric short-term rental cars to customers then collects them
after the rental.
    The service is currently available around the University of
Nevada Las Vegas and the city's arts district renting out cars
by the minute. Unlike autonomous vehicles, it relies on a remote
human driver. 
    CEO Thomas von der Ohe told Reuters that during the first
quarter Vay's vehicle fleet should number in the "low double
digits."  
    Vay has so far raised about $110 million from investors
including Sweden's Kinnevik  KINVb.ST , Coatue and France's
Eurazeo  EURA.PA  and has conducted tests on European and U.S.
roads with remote drivers and no one behind the wheel.  
    Over time, the startup will gradually introduce autonomous
features as it learns from the cameras included on its vehicles
that are much cheaper than the lidar and radar technology used
by most autonomous vehicle developers, von der Ohe said.
    "We see a decade or two of human-machine interaction where
autonomous driving will play a part once it's available and
ready to deploy, and then the other part will always be done by
a teledriver," he said.
    But von der Ohe said the startup sees a "massive use case"
for remote driving functions and is talking to automakers about
including functions for remote valet and other services.
    "If every vehicle drives off the production line equipped
with teledriving... you can have an on-demand tele-valet that
parks your car for you," said von der Ohe, "and then teledrives
you home in your own car if you have a few glasses to drink."
    Vay's launch comes at a challenging time for autonomous
vehicle developers.
    General Motors'  GM.N  Cruise autonomous vehicle unit has
struggled in the face of regulatory scrutiny after an October
accident in which a San Francisco woman was dragged by a car.

 (Reporting By Nick Carey; Editing by Jamie Freed)
 ((nick.carey@thomsonreuters.com; +44 7385 414 954;))