Rental cars are being delivered around the Port of Antwerp-Bruges using remote driving technology in a first for Belgium.

The project focuses on “making car rentals as effortless as ordering a taxi”

Poppy Mobility, a leading car-sharing and rental operator, has teamed up with driverless technology startup Ush, both subsidiaries of Belgian automotive giant D’Ieteren, on trials of the technology ahead of the rollout to customers.

The project will support the firms’ shared vision of “making car rentals as effortless as ordering a taxi”.

Poppy users will soon be able to request a rental vehicle via the Poppy app, which Ush will drive remotely to their location in real-time. They can then choose to take the wheel themselves or be driven by a remote driver operating from a teledrive station at Ush’s headquarters.

The trials are supported by Vay, a developer of automotive-grade technology for remote driving. Vay is currently running a commercial service in Las Vegas, Nevada and announced at CES 2025 in January that it is expanding its door-to-door remote driving service to 100 vehicles, having recently gone past the 6,000 trips milestone.

Through the Vay app, users in Las Vegas can request an electric vehicle to be remotely delivered to them. At the end of the trip, the user exits the car and a remote driver takes over, eliminating the time-consuming search for parking.

Ush has secured an exclusive partnership with Vay to further develop and commercialise its proprietary technology in Belgium.

Thomas von der Ohe, CEO and founder of Vay, said: “With this partnership with Ush and Poppy, we’re thrilled to see our vision for the future of mobility taking shape. Remotely driven vehicles are taking to European roads – for a commercial service – for the first time. With the support of regulators, we hope this will be the first of many exciting, remote drive-enabled projects across Europe.”

The initial rollout includes two remote driven vehicles operating in Port of Antwerp-Bruges, serving Boluda, a leading provider of global maritime services. Boluda employees working in remote areas of the port can request a Poppy rental car in real-time. The vehicle will be remotely delivered to them, allowing them to drive to their destination. Once they’re finished, control of the car will be returned to the remote driver, who will navigate it to the next user.

The trial launches on the back of key regulatory approvals and technical evaluations. The initial deployment is based on a defined route on the right bank of the port, with a safety driver in the vehicle monitoring the first rides.

The next steps for full commercial rollout include phased expansion across the entire port, without route restrictions and without an onboard safety operator, and available to more companies.

Poppy hopes for a full commercial rollout in the city of Antwerp starting in 2026n following continued collaboration with all relevant authorities to define a solid legal framework for remote driving.