Vay, a teledriving (remote driving) company from Berlin, Germany, has entered the U.S. market, establishing its U.S. headquarters in the downtown 18B Las Vegas Arts District. It will soon begin testing its door-to-door teledriving service by dropping off and picking up rental electric vehicles (EV) to customers around the city.
Vay customers will be able to order a Vay EV rental through the Vay app. A teledriver will remotely deliver the car to the customer’s location at which point the customer can drive themselves to their destination. Once the customer arrives at their destination, a teledriver will drive the car to the next customer.
We recently had the opportunity to catch up with Vay’s general manager Caleb Varner who joined the company in late 2022 after leaving Uber where he was director, global general manager, and co-founder of Uber Rent & Valet. Varner shared his thoughts on establishing the company's U.S. base in the Arts District.
Why did you choose Nevada as the state and Las Vegas as the city from which to expand into the U.S. market?
All the credit goes to the State of Nevada and the Las Vegas City Council. They have created a dynamic and welcoming policy infrastructure for companies investing in teledriving. It's really a unique ecosystem that they've created here very quickly with an incredibly helpful Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Transportation and the Las Vegas City Council. Without these players, it would have been very difficult, if not impossible, to get started in Las Vegas.
To other companies looking to locate in the Las Vegas area, all we can say is that we have received great support from the city and state governments, and they have created a great place for engineering and technology companies to locate.
Las Vegas is also a very interesting place for teledriving due to wide roads, sunshine, little rain and good connectivity.
Why did you choose the Arts District as your base of operations? What are the benefits of being in the Arts District?
The Arts District in Las Vegas really has a great history that we've heard over and over again. Not only is it a great, revitalized downtown with a lot of cool energy supported by the city, but it's also a place that used to be the center of the transportation sector in the Las Vegas area. The proximity to downtown, hotels and tourism, as well as the convenient location near the Strip, provide a fantastic operation base for Vay.
The urban core of the Arts District is also the core of what Vay is trying to do, which is to reduce dependence on personal car ownership. There's no better place to do that than downtown.
How involved is Vay with the Las Vegas International Innovation Center?
The Innovation Center was a tremendous help to us in getting off the ground in Las Vegas. A key part of why we’re in Las Vegas is due to the help that the Innovation Center team has provided us.
What has been your experience working with the city of Las Vegas?
It's been fantastic to work with the city. The city's forward-thinking approach aligns with our mission to bring innovative transportation solutions to metropolitan areas around the world. The team is succeeding in creating enabling environments for businesses and we're very happy to be part of the Innovation Center.
How many local employees do you have in Las Vegas?
We have a strong global team including approximately 150 individuals from more than 30 countries. While our headquarter remains in Berlin, Germany, we are expanding our presence in Las Vegas. The size of the local team will be dictated by how quickly we can grow our business.
What is your launch schedule?
We're in the early stages of setting up our business and our operations here in the U.S. We'll make sure to keep you posted on when our official launch date is announced.
Have you been able to join any Las Vegas business and charitable organizations?
As part of our commitment to being active community members, we are exploring various partnerships and collaborations in Las Vegas.
Are you having fun in the Arts District
The Arts District, with its dynamic culture and activities like First Friday, provides a wonderful environment for our team. We appreciate the rich culture, restaurants, and bars that contribute to the district's lively atmosphere. So much good food, and drink.
For more information visit the Vay website.
Photo: Vay Teledrive Station, courtesy of Vay Technologies