Valued at $1.8 billion, another autonomous trucking giant is about to go public.

However, in recent years, under the impact of China’s engineering-oriented, rapidly commercializing, and scale-operation-prioritized autonomous trucking industry, Europe and the U.S. are accelerating the opening of public roads for autonomous heavy-duty truck testing: In the U.S., state-level regulation serves as the core—states including Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona have fully permitted autonomous heavy trucks to conduct testing and operations on highways; previously more conservative California also began, in 2025, to relax restrictions and grant autonomous testing permits for heavy trucks weighing over 10,001 pounds. In Europe, cross-border ‘autonomous corridors’ coordinated at the EU level—alongside Germany’s pioneering implementation of L4-level regulations—have enabled autonomous trucks to legally operate driverlessly within designated zones and along specific routes. Overall, Europe and the U.S. are easing regulatory constraints on highways and in limited areas to pave a policy runway for the commercialization of autonomous heavy trucks. Core Technical Differences: Three Distinct Automation Pathways Facing multifaceted global supply chain challenges—including demands for greater efficiency, sustainability, and safety—electric autonomous trucks have become a pivotal variable reshaping the logistics industry. In this transformation, Sweden’s radical innovator Einride, U.S.-based L4 technology pioneer Kodiak AI, and German industrial heavyweight Daimler Truck constitute three core driving forces. By integrating electric powertrains with L4-level autonomy, they are propelling the logistics sector toward zero-emission and fully unmanned operations. Einride — “Cabinless, Digital, and Integrated Vehicle Ecosystem” Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Einride is an autonomous trucking company committed to fundamentally transforming traditional road freight through its full-stack, electrified, and intelligent freight solutions. In November 2018, it launched the world’s first commercial application of fully electric, autonomous trucks—in partnership with international logistics giant DB Schenker—at its Jönköping factory in central Sweden. Today, Einride’s electric autonomous truck technology has achieved commercial or pilot deployment across Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East, in diverse operational formats—including public-road pilots, port logistics, and factory-to-warehouse transport. For example: In September this year, Einride deployed its first L4-level electric heavy truck at the Port of Antwerp–Bruges in Belgium; in the same month, it successfully completed the world’s first cross-border, driverless, fully electric, cabinless autonomous transport journey—from Sweden to Norway. ・ Positioning & Product Form: Positioned as an electric intelligent freight solutions provider, its product comprises a “cabinless, battery-electric truck + proprietary L4 autonomous driving system + Saga cloud-based fleet dispatch platform,” enabling unmanned transportation within industrial parks and on short-haul trunk routes, while centrally managing vehicles, charging, and operations to form a highly integrated end-to-end electric logistics system. ・ Technical Features: A cabinless, battery-electric platform improves energy efficiency and cargo space utilization; its proprietary L4 autonomous system enables unmanned operation in industrial parks and on short-haul trunk routes; and the Saga digital freight platform centrally orchestrates vehicle dispatch, energy management, and operational workflows—forming a tightly integrated electric intelligent logistics ecosystem. ・ Business Model: Centered on dual service models—Freight Capacity-as-a-Service (FCaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)—leveraging its proprietary AI-driven platform to coordinate the entire ecosystem required for electric and autonomous operations.

The world’s largest logistics group enters the autonomous freight sector.

DSV’s emergence as a pioneer in autonomous freight holds significant implications for the entire logistics industry. Headquartered in Copenhagen, this logistics group currently operates approximately 50,000 trucks and runs 10,000 transport routes across Europe alone; it employs 150,000 people across 90 countries worldwide, making it one of the largest road freight enterprises globally. Schweighofer stated: “With such a vast network, we possess the optimal conditions for rapidly scaling autonomous transportation.” Indeed, Schweighofer previously served for many years at DB Schenker—the logistics arm formerly belonging to Deutsche Bahn. As early as 2019, this company made headlines across the industry when it secured, near Gothenburg, Europe’s first permit allowing driverless trucks onto public roads. At that time, however, the vehicles—supplied by Swedish tech firm Einride—had a maximum speed of only 15 km/h. Strong Interest from Germany’s Logistics Sector Germany’s logistics industry broadly welcomes the development of autonomous trucks. Frank Huster, Managing Director of the German Association for Transport and Logistics (DSLV), remarked: “German logistics companies exhibit extremely high interest in this technology.” One key underlying reason is the worsening shortage of truck drivers. The German Association for Freight Transport, Logistics and Waste Management (BGL) estimates that Germany currently lacks at least 120,000 truck drivers. Huster added: “From a global perspective, Germany already possesses a relatively advanced legal framework for autonomous driving, and vehicle technology is nearing mass-production readiness.” He emphasized, however, that Germany still needs to further advance digital infrastructure upgrades on select highway sections to establish dedicated autonomous freight pilot corridors. Compelling Prospects for Cost Reduction and Efficiency Gains If future costs fall to acceptable levels, autonomous trucks hold strong potential to significantly boost logistics efficiency. Manufacturers anticipate that autonomous systems—through smoother, more precise driving—can reduce fuel consumption; meanwhile, freed from driver-hour limitations, vehicles could operate up to 20 hours per day. Although Germany has become the first European country to legislatively open certain highways to autonomous vehicles, current projects remain largely experimental. Beyond MAN’s tests on the A9 motorway, Hamburg’s Altenwerder Container Terminal jointly tested unmanned container transport with MAN back in 2021; in 2023, Hamburg Port Authority and Logistics AG (HHLA) partnered with startup Fernride to launch a similar project in Tallinn, Estonia. Additionally, under the leadership of German automotive supplier ZF, logistics firm Dachser conducted tests of autonomous reversing and yard dispatch operations at its logistics park near Ulm—using vehicles traveling at approximately 20 km/h. This project was evaluated in 2024 by the Fraunhofer Institute. Technical Challenges Remain Unresolved Despite rapid progress, barriers still stand between autonomous trucks and widespread adoption. Heavy snowfall, in particular, remains a major challenge for autonomous systems. A spokesperson for Volvo’s autonomous driving solutions noted: “The issue goes beyond merely upgrading software or adding more sensors.”

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Einride, Lidl Deploy First Cab-Less Autonomous Truck in Germany

Einride, Lidl Deploy First Cab-Less Autonomous Truck in Germany

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