In a major milestone for autonomous vehicle technology in Germany, electric transportation specialist Einride has worked with Lidl to deploy the country’s first cab-less electric truck, now taking on a key role in Lidl’s supply chain.
Autonomous trucks now operating in Germany
The vehicle operates with Level 4 autonomy, with no driver or safety operator on board, and runs under a first-of-its-kind permit granted by Germany’s vehicle regulator. The Level 4 autonomy level means the truck is limited to a specific geographical boundary, and in this case, the truck currently transports goods between a Lidl distribution centre and a Lidl supermarket. Overtime, the two firms plan to expand this autonomous route, including drop-offs to multiple stores within the journey, and discussions are also underway towards deploying more cab-less freight vehicles within Lidl and the wider parent company, Schwarz Group. Lidl is hoping that the autonomy initiative will help address ongoing driver shortages, while strengthening its supply chain frequency and reliability.
This milestone proves what is already commercially possible for autonomous commercial vehicles. Germany is a strong initial testbed, with the country renowned for having some of the most stringent road laws in the region – therefore serving as a blueprint for further expansion elsewhere in Europe.
Roozbeh Charli, Chief Executive Officer at Einride, commented:
“Einride is already running real autonomous deliveries, with real volumes on real schedules with customers in the US and Europe. Germany is one of Einride’s key markets and we’re excited to now bring this technology to public roads in Europe’s largest road transport market, and to prove its value together with Lidl and the broader ecosystem of Schwarz Group. Germany’s approval process is among the toughest in the world, and obtaining clearance there gives us a foundation to scale with confidence.”
Thomas Dangelmayer, Head of Operational Logistics at Lidl Germany, added:
“Intelligence creates efficiency, and that is the backbone for permanently reliable product availability. We ensure that the products for our customers are always at the right place, at the right time, and in the right quality. With this innovative project, we are testing a technological milestone step by step and safely in real-world operations to examine how future-proof solutions can be optimally integrated into our site logistics.”
