Archives
Feature, Freight News, Logistics, Road
Sweden-Norway route to be testbed for autonomous truck
[ November 2, 2022 // Chris Lewis ]A truck operated by transport technology firm Einride will make the first ever cross-border journey by an autonomous heavy freight vehicle in 2023, from Sweden to Norway. It will be part of the €28 million MODI heavy haul freight demonstration project co-funded by the European Union and coordinated by the ITS Norway transport association.
The electric vehicles will travel on the E6 motorway, the main trade route between Sweden and Norway, a route that has limited capacity to accommodate increasing freight flows. Some 70% of trucks on the route currently return empty, adds Einride.
The MODI project complements a larger Norwegian expansion for Einride, with client PostNord set to deploy an electric fleet in 2023. It will be the largest heavy-duty electric freight fleet in Norway to date, and will service routes in the Oslo region. Einride’s move into Norway follows its recent expansion into Germany.
The company is also unveiling a new charging solution, Einride Stations, offering charging of electric trucks at strategic on-road locations. Select Einride Stations will also include an operations centre to ensure reliable fleet operations, as well as areas for drivers to relax and recharge in a lounge area.
The first Einride stations are already open throughout Sweden, and the first in the US is set to be constructed near the Port of Los Angeles, with construction set to get underway in 2023. It will have capacity to serve up to 200 vehicles.
Einride is also making its Saga software available to the broader industry. Users will be able to generate and view operational KPIs, register and track progress to emission targets.
Einride has also unveiled its next generation of autonomous vehicles, offering a larger cargo capacity, updated optics, updated maximum speed, and night vision capabilities – ultimately allowing for additional deployment use cases.
Tags: Einride