With Vay’s Expansion Plans, Is Teledriving Mainstream Yet?

Here’s how it works: Vay uses remote drivers to bring cars directly to customers who request them via an app. Once the car arrives, the customer drives the wheel like any regular rental vehicle. When the trip is done, the remote driver takes over again to move the car to its next destination or user. It’s a rental service without the hassle of visiting a rental lot, and Vay claims that their teledriving service costs about half of what you’d pay for a traditional ride-hailing option like Uber.

But Vay’s ambitions go beyond just consumer rentals. The company also looks at business-to-business applications, particularly last-mile delivery and fleet management. Teledriving could cut operational costs for companies by reducing the need for full-time drivers while keeping vehicles on the road longer.

Teledriving vs. self-driving: which is safer?

Regarding safety, teledriving offers a different approach than the fully autonomous driving tech companies like Waymo are working on. In teledriving, a human driver controls the car remotely but only brings it to the customer and picks it up when the rental period ends. This means there’s no AI or remote control when driving the vehicle—you’re in full command. Once you’re done, the remote driver takes over again to move the car to its next destination.

On the other hand, self-driving cars rely entirely on AI and sensors to make driving decisions. While they promise to eliminate human error, they are still in the testing phase and have raised safety concerns following a few high-profile accidents during trials.

So which is safer? Teledriving keeps a human in the loop for critical phases of the trip, which provides some reassurance. However, potential risks, like network disruptions, could still affect communication between the remote driver and the vehicle. On the flip side, self-driving cars aim to be fully autonomous, but they’re still navigating regulatory challenges and safety issues, making them less reliable.

In the end, while self-driving cars might be automakers' long-term goal, teledriving services like Vay offer a more immediate and familiar solution—with the bonus of cost savings.

Can teledriving go mainstream?

The big question is: Can teledriving go mainstream? Vay certainly thinks so. At about half the cost of traditional ride-hailing services, teledriving is an attractive option for consumers and businesses looking to cut costs. The company recently secured a €34 million loan from the European Investment Bank, which will help fuel their expansion into more cities across North America and Europe.

In addition to this, Vay has partnered with Peugeot to integrate their teledriving technology into Peugeot’s vehicles, showcasing the potential of this service for both consumer use and business applications.

But it’s not just about individual consumers. Vay also bet on business-to-business opportunities, from last-mile delivery to fleet management. By providing companies with a way to minimize the need for full-time drivers, Vay could appeal to industries looking to streamline operations and reduce costs. 

That said, teledriving still has to contend with competitors like robotaxis and traditional ride-hailing services. While self-driving cars may be further off, robotaxi tech is also advancing, and companies like Waymo and Cruise are pushing to bring their fully autonomous vehicles to the streets. However, Vay’s more immediate and cost-effective solution might have an edge in the short term.

Whether teledriving will go mainstream remains to be seen, but one thing’s for sure—it’s offering a fresh, tech-forward alternative to traditional ride-hailing that could make you rethink how you get around.