- Vay is significantly expanding its affordable, door-to-door mobility service with remotely delivered (“teledriven”) cars to cover all of central Las Vegas
- The driverless delivery area now spans around one quarter of the full metropolitan area, an area nearly twice as large as San Francisco
- Vay is half the price of rideshare alternatives, making it the most affordable door-to-door mobility service
- Vay customers have made over 1,000 trips in total since the service launched in January
BERLIN/LAS VEGAS, June 13, 2024. Vay, the developer of automotive-grade teledriving technology, is announcing a major expansion of its commercial service in Las Vegas, Nevada. With this expansion, Vay now covers all of central Las Vegas – including the strip and surrounding attractions. The service has proven popular as it offers a new, frictionless way of traveling around the city.
Vay launched its teledriving service in Las Vegas in January this year, initially launching around the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Users can now order or drop off a fully electric Vay vehicle along the strip, Chinatown, College of Southern Nevada West, and the majority of the city center. The drop-off zone for one-way journeys – where Vay users can leave their vehicle before a teledriver returns the car – is also expanding to cover all of central Las Vegas.
Users order an electric vehicle via the Vay app and the teledriver brings the car to the user. The user then jumps into the car and drives themself to the destination. Upon arrival, a teledriver drives the car to the next user or parks it. No time is spent traveling to a pick-up location, or trying to find parking.
Vay aims to make cities safer, more sustainable and more livable. The cost-effective per-minute rental, which is half the price of current ride-share alternatives, enables a seamless journey from the “driverless” delivery and its return without the hassle of parking. The teledriving technology allows Vay’s electric fleet to be highly-utilized. This can help to reduce the overall amount of cars in cities. Vay’s teledriving technology is an alternative, more cost-effective approach to autonomous driving.
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 someone inside on public roads in Europe. With the removal of the safety driver in the US in November 2023, Vay became a pioneer in teledriven 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 to the teledriver’s headphones via microphones.
Vay implements safety and security by design. The Berlin-based scale-up follows key safety standards, including 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 confidently, always following a safe and defensive driving style.