Einride and Lidl Begin Driverless Truck Operations in Germany
Einride and Lidl have launched Germany's first cab-less autonomous truck in regular public-road service, operating without any human driver or safety operator on board.
Einride, a self-driving truck company, and supermarket chain Lidl have begun operating the first cab-less autonomous truck in regular service on German public roads, the two companies said.
The level 4 driverless vehicle moves goods between a Lidl distribution centre and a retail store. It runs daily logistics routes with no human driver or safety operator on board.
The operation is covered by an official permit from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA). According to the companies, it is the first authorisation of its kind issued in the country, granted after an extensive safety validation process covering real-world road conditions.
Einride and Lidl intend to grow the initial route into a full multi-stop "milkrun" delivery network. The companies said the effort is aimed at tackling commercial driver shortages and improving supply-chain reliability.
Discussions are also under way about extending deployments to other divisions of Lidl's parent company, the Schwarz Group.