Lidl begins using cabless autonomous truck in Germany
German supermarket chain Lidl has begun using a cabless autonomous electric truck from Swedish company Einride for daily transport between a logistics center and a store in Edermünde, Germany. As InsideEVs reports, this is the first cabless truck with SAE Level 4 automation in the country to be used in daily operations on public roads.
Operating permit
The vehicle, designed and manufactured by Einride, received permission from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) to operate on public roads. Einride said the approval confirms the truck’s ability to operate reliably and safely in real-world conditions.
Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli called Germany’s approval procedure one of the strictest in the world. According to him, the permit provides a basis for further scaling autonomous logistics.
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Route operations
According to Einride, the truck operates one shift a day, five days a week, and transports about 45 pallets of goods per shift. The company plans to expand the route into a model with multiple delivery points. InsideEVs notes that, judging by videos and Street View images, the store is located next to the warehouse, and the route is likely less than a mile long.
There is no driver or safety operator in the truck. Its movement is monitored remotely by a human operator, who does not control the vehicle during a normal trip but can perform maneuvers at speeds of up to 6 km/h in non-standard situations or when entering a dock.
Equipment and further plans
The autonomous truck has nine external cameras, six radars, and four lidars. It is manufactured by a contract manufacturer in the Netherlands. Einride is also negotiating with Lidl’s parent company on the possible use of more autonomous trucks.
