PARIS, France — French car giant Peugeot told CNBC this week that it has partnered with German mobility startup Vay to integrate so-called “teledriving” technology, an alternative to self-driving cars, into its vehicles.
The agreement will see the companies evaluate the use of Vay’s remote driving technology in “last mile delivery” vans and light logistics vehicles focused on business-to-business (B2B) customers.
The idea is to replicate the journey that delivery vehicles typically take from order fulfillment centers to homes and businesses, similar to already widely known models. Amazon — This time only radio-controlled cars.
The first exploratory tests of Vay’s technology with Peugeot vehicles were already carried out last year with the Pegueot E-308 electric car.
Justin Spratt, Bay’s chief business officer, told CNBC in emailed comments that the partnership took 18 months and selected Peugeot as the first OEM partner to integrate the teledriving technology. It added, “because of its innovative position and broad customer base.” . ”
Mr Spratt said the deal with Peugeot “will show how we can streamline our delivery operations by allowing us to more cost-effectively deliver vehicles on demand, redeliver them and take them for cleaning and charging.” It will be something to show.”
What is teledriving?
A “remotely driven” vehicle is similar to a giant radio-controlled car, except that it is large enough for a person to ride in it.
Unlike self-driving cars, which can drive themselves without a human in control of the vehicle, tele-driving cars are driven remotely by a human operator using a live feed of the car’s surrounding environment.
Teledrivers undergo several weeks of rigorous training and only once they are certified are they allowed to operate one of Vay’s Teledrive stations.
Vay says its technology is particularly well-suited for short distances, making it suitable for distribution centers as well as for the so-called last-mile delivery, the final leg of an order before it reaches your door.
Peugeot is a French car brand owned by a Netherlands-based company. Stellantis.
Stellantis, whose brand portfolio also includes Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Citroen and Maserati, was formed in 2021 through the merger of Fiat Chrysler and PSA Group.
We believe this will result in significant cost savings for all logistics companies, especially e-commerce delivery companies. By separating drivers from commercial vehicles at distribution centers, operating costs can be significantly reduced. He added that Vay is also exploring the use of remote driving technology to support last-mile deliveries via on-board lockers linked to customer-specific QR codes for pick-up.
Justin Spratt
Chief Business Officer, Vay
Vay will be showcasing its remote driving technology in collaboration with Peugeot at the Viva Technology industry trade fair in Paris this week.
“We think it will lead to significant cost savings for all logistics companies, especially in e-commerce shipping,” Spratt told CNBC. “By separating drivers and commercial vehicles at the distribution center, we can significantly reduce operating costs.”
He added that Vay is also exploring the use of remote driving technology to handle last-mile delivery through in-car lockers linked to a customer’s unique QR code for pickup.
Earlier this year, Vay announced the launch of its commercial remote driving service in Las Vegas, Nevada, allowing people to order a car to their location and then drive themselves to their desired destination.
When users complete their trip, Vay’s teledriver can remotely take over driving, park the car, and drive back to base.
Vay has already conducted remote-driver, no-one-at-the-wheel tests on public roads in Europe and the U.S. The company is currently working to gain full regulatory approval for the technology on both sides of the Atlantic.
Founded in 2018 by tech entrepreneur Thomas von der Ohe, Vay has raised over $110 million in funding from investors including Kinnevik, Coatue, Eurazeo, Aomico, La Famiglia and Creandum.
Von der Ohe was a technical program manager at Zoox, a self-driving car startup that Amazon acquired for an undisclosed amount in 2020.
Notably, Vay says its technology is designed to eventually support self-driving capabilities, as it collects valuable data about the physical environment. The company says it has no plans to introduce a self-driving product anytime soon, but sees remote driving as a sort of “bridge” between manual driving and autonomous vehicles.