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Rides on new car rental app are driven by someone in an office

No more asking your driver if they've been busy.

Published on Jun 12, 2023 at 12:51PM (UTC+4)

Last updated on Jun 13, 2023 at 2:48PM (UTC+4)

Edited by Kate Bain
Driverless cars Imperium Drive

A new car rental service will deliver your car to you via remote control. 

The rental car will be delivered to your door, with no one behind the wheel, ready for you to jump straight in.

You then take over control of the car, driving it to your destination yourself, before asking the remote driver to take over again when you no longer need it.

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The ambitious plan is a new service called Fetch and it was just launched by a British start-up called Imperium Drive. 

So how exactly does it work? 

The remote driver is stationed at the company’s head office and they control the car via a simulator. 

The driver will be set up in a gaming chair with four monitor displays, a steering wheel, and pedals. 

Yep, this is the most realistic game-play you can imagine.

As a customer, the service is pretty straightforward. 

All you have to do is order the car through an app called Fetch and it will turn up to your address.

Imperium Drive CEO Koosha Kaveh says his company is the first to offer the remote driving technology. 

He says the electric cars are controlled via the 4G network and can reach speeds up to 48 km/h. 

But when they move to the 5G network, Kaveh says they will be able to go much faster. 

Obviously, being run through the network, there are major risks associated.

But Kaveh says the company has thought of everything, and has emergency plans in place. 

“Our ultimate safety layer is if you have a loss of network, the vehicle will execute emergency stop maneuvers to bring the vehicle to a stop safely,” he told ABC News. 

The company is currently testing the service in Milton Keynes but plans to expand to other regional hubs in the UK. 

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