Einride Trials Driverless Electric Freight Truck for Lidl in Germany

Swedish electric freight operator Einride has begun testing its in-house autonomous electric truck on public roads in the German state of Hesse. The company is running the driverless vehicle on a route that links a logistics hub to a nearby Lidl store, delivering goods for the retailer, which has been a long-standing Einride customer.

A key detail in the trial is that the truck operates without a safety driver on board, a step that marks a more advanced phase for Einride’s autonomous freight ambitions. The vehicle therefore combines two technologies the company has been developing in parallel: battery-electric drivetrains and self-driving software.

The test places Einride’s driving system in real-world road conditions rather than a controlled environment, with Lidl’s supply chain serving as the practical use case. The initiative sits at the intersection of autonomous driving and electric commercial transport, both areas where logistics operators are under pressure to cut emissions and operating costs.

Einride has not disclosed how long the Hesse trial will run or how many vehicles are involved, but the absence of an on-board safety driver suggests the company is moving toward a more mature stage of its autonomous haulage program.