On November 10, reports emerged that Grab, Southeast Asia’s premier ride-hailing platform, has unveiled plans to invest $60 million in Vay, a company specializing in remote driving services. This strategic move aims to solidify Grab’s foothold in the autonomous vehicle technology landscape. As per a joint announcement made by both entities on Monday, the initial investment has the potential to escalate to $410 million within a year, contingent upon Vay meeting certain benchmarks and securing necessary regulatory clearances. The deal is anticipated to reach fruition in the fourth quarter.

Vay’s unique service model bridges the gap between traditional, manually operated taxis and fully autonomous vehicles. Here’s how it works: once a user reserves a vehicle, it is steered to the designated pickup point by a remote operator. Upon arrival, the operator ceases remote control, allowing the customer to take the wheel and drive to their intended destination. It’s worth noting that Grab isn’t alone in its pursuit of autonomous travel solutions; its American counterparts, Uber and Lyft, are also forging alliances with tech providers and fleet managers to facilitate a worldwide rollout.