Lidl is sending driverless electric trucks to the roads

An interesting logistics test is underway in Edermünde near Kassel. In cooperation with the Swedish company Einride, the retail giant has sent an autonomous electric truck onto public roads, which does not even have a driver's cabin. The vehicle operates at SAE Level 4, which means that the system manages the driving completely independently within a certain area. In the event of problems or emergencies, the vehicle stops safely without the need for human intervention. It uses advanced sensors, cameras and a computer control system to operate.

This truck can accommodate 15 Euro pallets of dry goods. It travels up to three times a day between the distribution center and a nearby store. During the four-month test period, it is expected to transport more than 3,000 pallets. With this project, the company is looking for solutions to complex supply chains and the growing shortage of qualified drivers in the market.

Although the Federal Motor Vehicle Office (KBA) has issued an official permit, caution is required with such new technologies. This is a pilot project that is limited to a specific route and not intended for general use in all weather and traffic conditions.

Autonomous delivery trials on European soil are no longer a complete novelty. Development has been underway since 2019, when similar vehicles were tested in Sweden, and today autonomous vehicles are also being tested in ports and in other markets such as China and the US. However, the spread of the technology across borders could be significantly slowed down in the future by the different legislative frameworks of individual countries. If the legislation is unified, the autonomous road freight transport market in Europe could reach between 80 and 120 billion euros in revenue by 2035.