Hello! 👋
2025 has been an absolute whirlwind. In this edition, we’ll take a look at what shaped this year’s at Vay.
Latest News
Grab to make a strategic investment in Vay of up to $410M
Grab, the largest ride-hail company in Southeast Asia, is to make an investment of $60 million in Vay, with the potential to increase that up to $410 million upon reaching shared milestones. This partnership will fuel our U.S. expansion, accelerate our technology, and bring us closer to our vision of a global remote-driving platform. With Grab by our side, we’re doubling down on delivering efficient, affordable, and human-machine mobility at scale.
Our Milestones Throughout the Year
Expanding our Las Vegas Fleet to 100 Cars
Last January, we kicked off the year by announcing a major milestone: 100 Vay cars on the road. To meet the growing demand for our services, we also secured a production facility of over 8,500 square feet (circa 800 square meters) in Las Vegas. This facility is designed to process up to 16 vehicles per week, supporting our fleet expansion.
We are excited to end 2025 with nearly 100 vehicles in our fleet.
Growing our Customer Base: 30,000 Rides and Beyond
In July, we hit 15,000 paid trips. This October, our users have taken just over 25,000 rides. Recently, we’ve surpassed the 30,000 mark. This steady growth shows that more and more people are discovering the reliability and convenience of Vay and choosing us as part of their daily mobility.
Vay In The Bay: Showcasing Remote Driving In And Around San Francisco
Our team brought our remote driving technology to the streets of the Bay Area, without a safety driver in the car – entirely remotely driven from Las Vegas. A significant technical and operational milestone – brought to life in less than four weeks – proving that our systems, safety processes, and remote driving capabilities can scale safely, quickly, and efficiently. We look forward to expanding Vay’s footprint and bringing our driverless car rental service to more cities soon.
Powering “Assisted Autonomy” with Kodiak
We partnered with Kodiak to enable their “Assisted Autonomy” system through Vay’s remote driving technology. With Assisted Autonomy, Remote Truck Drivers can control trucks from Vay’s Remote Driving Stations whenever human oversight is needed. This hybrid model combines human judgment with Kodiak’s autonomy, giving Kodiak’s fleet greater flexibility to operate across a broader range of locations and scenarios.
Bringing Remote Driving to Belgium with Poppy Mobility
Together with Poppy Mobility (formerly Ush), we became Belgium’s first remote‑driven car rental service, launched at the Port of Antwerp‑Bruges. Thanks to Vay’s technology, two remotely operated vehicles now serve port employees, delivering cars on demand, where and when they’re needed. This phased pilot, in collaboration with the port and city regulators, marks a major step in bringing our driverless service to Europe.
Our Team by the Numbers
Growing the Team to 209
It’s been incredible to welcome 105 talented professionals at Vay and see our global team grow to 209.
Sharing Knowledge, Shaping Ideas: A Year of Conferences
Our leadership attended 15 conferences this year, sharing insights on the mobility industry, our remote driving technology, and scaling Vay’s services.
Connecting with the Las Vegas Community
We’ve also connected with the Las Vegas local community. We have attended 200 events this year – from First Fridays and events at UNLV to becoming the Glittering Lights official short-term car rental partner, you’ve undoubtedly seen us a lot in and around the city.
Insights into the future of autonomous and remote driving
Vay CEO Thomas von der Ohe and Robert Lacher, Founding Partner of Visionaries Club, held a fireside chat at Slush in November on the future of autonomous and remote driving. They discussed navigating complex regulations (especially in Europe), the robotaxi hype cycle, and Vay’s practical approach. Thomas also shared insights on the often non-linear founder’s journey.
Ready for some C-suite-level insight? Catch the full conversation on YouTube.
Recent Media Highlights
View our latest media highlights here.
As 2025 comes to a close, we want to thank everyone for being part of Vay’s mission: our team, partners, and users alike. We look forward to continuing to reimagine driverless mobility together in 2026.
We wish you happy holidays and a joyful New Year!
Cheers 👋
Silvia Avanzini, Head of Communications at Vay