A German company launches the first self-driving car on European roads

German company Fay has become the first company to launch its self-driving cars on a public road in Europe, in a landmark move that paves the way for remote-controlled transport services to be available within months, according to the company.

Fey is promoting a new concept of remote driving, which relies on humans controlling cars through steering centers located miles away, as an intermediate step towards fully autonomous driving. Hopes and expectations about the imminent launch of a large number of automated, self-driving cars have been dashed, despite investors betting about $100 billion on this technology.

The company announced today, Tuesday, that its vehicles will start operating on previously identified routes in Hamburg, after the coastal city granted a permit allowing these vehicles to operate. While Fay spent more than three years testing the technology, a safety driver was required inside modified Kia electric cars.

For his part, CEO Thomas von der Ohe, who previously worked at the self-driving car start-up Zoox, said: We will now work with the relevant authorities on the next steps to provide this service to third parties. Adding: The talks should take months, not years.

The Fi service relies on a group of remote drivers, who control the driving of electric cars for customers who want to reach their desired destination, so that the remote driver directs the vehicles to the next customer. The startup raised about $100 million from investors.