Vay’s remote-controlled EV technology is making waves in urban mobility, offering a glimpse into the future of car sharing and reduced private car ownership.
Vay’s groundbreaking remote-controlled electric vehicles are transforming urban mobility in Berlin, offering a potential solution to reduce private car ownership. This innovative approach faces regulatory hurdles in Europe but shows promise in reshaping urban transportation.
The remote driving revolution in Berlin
Vay, the German mobility startup, has been testing its teledriving technology in Berlin since early 2024, as confirmed in their official press release from January 15, 2024. The company’s approach differs from autonomous vehicles by having remote human operators control the cars when needed, combining the safety of human oversight with the flexibility of driverless technology.
How the technology works
According to Vay’s technical documentation, their system uses a combination of 5G connectivity, advanced sensor arrays, and low-latency video streaming to allow operators to control vehicles from remote stations. ‘The latency is under 100 milliseconds,’ explained CTO Kevin Kajitani in an interview with TechCrunch in March 2024, ‘which makes the driving experience nearly indistinguishable from being physically in the car.’
Regulatory challenges and progress
While Nevada became the first U.S. state to approve Vay’s operations in late 2023, European regulators have been more cautious. The German Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) granted temporary testing permissions but has yet to approve full commercial deployment, as reported by Automotive News Europe in February 2025.
