The vehicle is now transporting goods between a Lidl warehouse and distribution centre and one of the retailer’s stores in Germany. There is no driver or safety operator on board. According to Einride, the operation is being carried out under an official permit from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority, the KBA. The company says it is the first permit of its kind issued in Germany for a cab-less Level 4 truck operating as part of daily logistics activity.
SAE Level 4 automation means the vehicle can perform the entire driving task without human intervention within a defined operating environment. Unlike lower levels of automation, a human driver does not need to remain ready to take control while the system is operating within those conditions.
The German deployment therefore goes beyond a demonstration or closed-site trial. Einride said the truck is handling real goods according to Lidl’s operational schedules on a route that includes public roads.
“Germany’s approval process is among the toughest in the world, and obtaining clearance there gives us a foundation to scale with confidence,” said Einride chief executive Roozbeh Charli.
Lidl plans multi-stop autonomous route
The current operation links a Lidl logistics facility directly with a store, but the partners already intend to expand the route. Einride said the next step would be to develop it into a full multi-stop milk-run operation, while further autonomous deployments involving other Schwarz Group companies are also under discussion.
Lidl describes the project as a way of testing how autonomous technology could eventually be integrated into its logistics network, rather than as a one-off technology demonstration.
Thomas Dangelmayer, head of operational logistics at Lidl Germany, said the retailer was examining “step by step” how such systems could be incorporated into its site logistics.
Einride and Lidl say the technology could ultimately help address driver shortages, maintain continuity of deliveries and increase supply-chain resilience.
Earlier this year, Einride also announced a partnership with DAF to integrate its autonomous driving technology into the manufacturer’s truck platform, describing the project as a step towards larger-scale commercialisation of Level 4 freight transport.
