by A New Approach to Car Rental
Every year, millions of people rent cars, but if you don’t live near a city center or an airport, accessing them can be problematic, and door-to-door delivery often turns out to be expensive. Now, a German company believes it can simplify the entire rental process by using remote drivers to deliver rental cars to your location and return them after you finish using them.
Legal Changes and Development Plans
Vay, whose name is a playful reference to how Germans pronounce the word “way,” plans to launch its remote rental service in Berlin following recent changes in the country’s legislation. Although fully driverless taxis, such as those operated by Waymo in the USA, are still not legal in Europe, the German parliament this summer granted permission for the operation of remotely controlled vehicles in approved zones under the guidance of properly trained individuals, starting from December of this year.
Technology Testing
Founder Thomas von der Ohe tested his technology using specially adapted Kia Niro vehicles in Las Vegas, where driverless taxis are permitted. He believes Vay can transform the rental market in a way that drivers will use rentals instead of buying a second car, and perhaps even a first one.
The rental cars themselves look almost like standard latest-generation Kia e-Niro cars, except for a small amount of additional monitoring equipment on the front and rear of the roof and on the sides. The interior is also almost unchanged, meaning there is no complicated adaptation process for the renter when they get behind the wheel.
Remote Control
The task of delivering the car to the renter is performed by a driver sitting in an office at a setup resembling a gaming one, facing a triple display used by many sim racers. Nearby are other setups controlling other cars, each equipped with a large red button to the left of the steering wheel that can turn off the car and stop it quickly in case of problems. As soon as a driver finishes delivering one car, they “teleport” to a new car and continue moving it.
Driver Requirements
Drivers must complete hundreds of test miles before being qualified, and while gaming experience can be an advantage, it is not mandatory. Furthermore, the cars, according to information on Vay’s website, are limited to a speed of 25 mph (40 km/h), so this is hardly a job for Gran Turismo enthusiasts.
But it could be a great job for existing taxi drivers who have experienced violence while performing their duties, dissatisfied Uber employees, or truck drivers who want to spend less time away from their families.
People see this as the job of the future. They have rest and lunch breaks, they work in a team, not alone
Future Prospects
Vay reports that its fleet in Las Vegas will expand to 100 vehicles by the end of 2025, and it has already launched a service in the port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, preparing to enter real public roads in Germany next year.
This technology could become an intermediate step on the path to fully autonomous vehicles, offering a practical solution for cities where full driverless operation is not yet legally approved. Speed limits and human control could make the technology more acceptable to regulators and the public, while also providing new employment opportunities in the transport sector. Vay’s success in Germany could pave the way for similar services in other European countries, stimulating further development of remote vehicle control.
