“Hello, I will be your driver for today,” greets Bartek Szurgot, a software engineer at the innovative German startup Vay, as he takes on the role of my chauffeur for this intriguing ride. He deftly disengages the handbrake and gently presses the accelerator, causing the sleek Kia Niro EV I’m sitting in to glide out of the parking lot with ease.

As we approach the first intersection, Bartek skillfully indicates, steers the wheel, makes his observations, and merges onto a busy road near the heart of Berlin. At first glance, this might appear to be a typical drive — but there’s a significant twist.

Bartek isn't physically present in the car; rather, he operates it from an office just a few blocks away, controlling the vehicle with the precision of a high-tech puppeteer.

Remote operators like Bartek command Vay’s vehicles from state-of-the-art stations equipped with a driver’s seat, steering wheel, pedals, and an array of three monitors that provide comprehensive visibility in front of the car and alongside it. This setup creates a virtual driving experience reminiscent of a video game.

To enhance situational awareness, the sounds of the road — including emergency vehicle sirens and various warning sounds — are relayed via microphones directly to the teledriver’s headphones. Interestingly, these remote operators could potentially be stationed on the other side of the globe.

Vay has developed its own proprietary hardware and software system known as “drive-by-wire.” This advanced system communicates with the vehicle's essential controls, such as the steering wheel, brake system, and gear shifter. Signals transmitted from the remote operating station enable the car to replicate the actions of the remote driver in real-time, ensuring a seamless driving experience.

Data is transmitted through redundant mobile networks, providing a level of safety and reliability. In the event of a network failure or an emergency situation, the vehicle is programmed to come to a safe stop automatically.

Most of the time, Vay’s remote drivers are engaged in delivering vehicles to customers who summon the cars via an app. After the vehicle arrives at its destination, users take over the driving themselves. Customers have the flexibility to use the car for a short trip, hours, or even days. Once they are finished, they can safely park the vehicle, engage the handbrake, exit, and continue with their day. The remote operator then takes control once again to drive to the next customer.

The experience of watching a car drive itself, especially with the knowledge that my “driver” was just blocks away, manipulating the vehicle through screens and sensors, was surreal. Initially, I felt a twinge of apprehension during each turn, but as I acclimated to the experience, the ride began to feel almost disappointingly normal—an indication of how far technology has come.

While Vay’s technology is undeniably impressive, it faces significant challenges in Europe, where regulatory frameworks may hinder its potential before it can expand. In contrast, Vay is making considerable strides across the Atlantic.

Currently, Vay operates a fleet of 40 remote-controlled vehicles in Las Vegas, showcasing its technology in a more liberated environment. However, in Berlin and across Europe, progress has been considerably slower, with no commercial service available at this time.

Due to stringent regulatory constraints, Vay is currently limited to test drives and is mandated to have a safety driver present in the vehicle. Despite this, the company has garnered an exemption in the past, becoming the first firm to operate a car on a public road in Europe without a driver present inside the vehicle.

Nevertheless, the German government is known for its cautious approach regarding such permits, distributing them sparingly. This is precisely why I couldn’t take the wheel during our test drive; that responsibility fell to Graeme, our designated safety driver for the day. However, the experience provided me with valuable insights into what the future of driving might look like.

Vay’s vision extends beyond mere transportation; they aim to revolutionize the car-sharing industry.

When I first heard about Vay’s remote driving concept, I was skeptical. The company promoted various advantages, including reduced hassle, lower fares, and improved working conditions for drivers. However, it seemed to me like a business model that could easily become obsolete once fully autonomous vehicles became commonplace.

Yet, in focusing on the dichotomy between ride-hailing services and complete autonomy, I may have overlooked the fact that Vay is pioneering an entirely new category of mobility.

“We’re creating a whole new category of mobility,” explains Thomas von der Ohe, Vay’s CEO and co-founder, during our conversation at the company’s headquarters in Berlin. After years of developing self-driving cars in Silicon Valley, he returned to Europe and founded Vay in 2018, teaming up with co-founders Fabrizio Scelsi and Bogdan Djukic.

The cost-effectiveness of Vay’s rides in Las Vegas is notable, coming in at about half the price of services like Uber. Von der Ohe attributes this reduction in costs to a decrease in driver labor expenses. With traditional ride-hailing services, the model typically relies on a one-to-one ratio of drivers to cars. However, a single Vay driver can manage up to ten vehicles in a single day. When they deliver one car to a customer, they can “teleport” their control to another vehicle, optimizing efficiency.

While Vay could provide a taxi-style service, where passengers sit in the back, this approach would likely eat into profits and drive up prices. Consequently, allowing customers to drive themselves makes more economic sense, according to Von der Ohe.

Vay aims to make a significant impression in the car-sharing and rental markets, rather than traditional ride-hailing. Von der Ohe asserts that the company can compete with average rental prices in Germany while aiding rental companies in reducing costs linked to the need for expansive parking facilities, particularly at busy airports.

The company’s vision also includes a significant enhancement to car-sharing services. Customers will no longer have to deal with the hassle of picking up or parking their vehicles — a significant advantage in densely populated European cities. Fleet owners will be able to keep vehicles in use for longer periods, and Von der Ohe believes this model could even contribute to a decrease in private car ownership within urban areas.

This innovative approach presents a compelling value proposition. So far, Vay has successfully raised $150 million in funding, including €34 million ($37 million) from the European Investment Bank, which highlights the growing interest in their business model.

Nevertheless, Vay faces numerous obstacles. Outside of Las Vegas, the service remains largely unproven, and the entanglement of regulatory challenges only complicates matters further.

In Europe, the pace of government adaptation to regulations regarding remotely driven vehicles has been slow. Presently, these vehicles are subject to guidelines similar to those governing autonomous vehicles — a subject fraught with inconsistency.

“We have the tech, it works, it could be all over Berlin and Europe,” Von der Ohe expresses with frustration. “But politics get in the way, there’s no consensus. It’s just so weird.”

Vay has completed over 10,000 trips in Las Vegas and has ambitious plans to expand its fleet of remote-controlled Kia Niros to 100 vehicles within the year. The company has recently secured a new production facility in Las Vegas, where it will retrofit its cars with the drive-by-wire system and an economical array of cameras. To finance this growth, Vay is also preparing for another funding round, according to Von der Ohe.

After my exhilarating test drive, I summoned an Uber to take me to Berlin Brandenburg Airport. As the vehicle arrived, I found myself fantasizing about the possibility of it rolling up empty, just waiting for me to hop in and take control. Perhaps one day this dream will become a reality. But for now, if I want that experience, I’ll have to book a flight to Las Vegas.