Einride establishes charging station network and unveils next-gen autonomous electric truck

Autonomous and EV freight technology company Einride shared a myriad of updates during its November Release Event streamed live this week. In addition to announcing plans for a network of charging stations beginning in Sweden and Los Angeles, Einride introduced its second generation autonomous truck and an expansion of its proprietary fleet mobility platform, Saga.

Einride is a freight technology company founded in Sweden in 2016 that develops electrified commercial trucks, fully autonomous Class 8 trucks, and comprehensive fleet software to manage them. Its fully autonomous “Pod” EVs have been begun to navigate US roads under the supervision of Remote Pod Operators – a newly created position in electric mobility that enables specialists to remotely monitor the EV’s routes and optimize them.

Since the company announced entry into the US market a year ago, Einride has garnered multiple customers for its electrified freight trucks, including Maersk and Beyond Meat. Simultaneously, the company continues to expand the capabilities of its autonomous truck operations.

This past June, the Einride received NHSTA approval to operate the autonomous Pod trucks on public US roads as part of a pilot program with GE appliances. In addition to NHSTA approval to operate its autonomous trucks in the US, Einride recently launched its freight operations in Germany – the EU’s largest transportation market.

As Einride’s global reach expands through 2023, it will deliver an upgraded autonomous truck in addition to a network of charging station to support its non-autonomous electric vehicles.

Introducing Einride Stations, beginning in Sweden and LA

To kick off its November Reveal Event, the EV freight company announced a new segment of its all-encompassing capacity-as-a-service business strategy by introducing Einride Stations. The company states it will implement these charging stations at strategic on-road locations that are easily accessible to fleets of electric trucks, while also providing a relaxing lounge area for drivers to recharge while their vehicles do the same.

Einride shared that it has already implemented stations throughout Sweden, which will be joined by the company’s first US-based location near the Port of Los Angeles. LA construction will be completed in 2023 followed by fleet charging support shortly thereafter, regardless of whether they are Einride Trucks or other fleet EVs.

Speaking of trucks, Einride also debuted its next autonomous vehicle during the event, called the Gen 2 Rigid Large. Building upon its first generation model using customer feedback, the Rigid Large Truck has a larger cargo hold, updated optics form sensors, greater maximum speed, and night vision capabilities.

Alongside the upgrade to the autonomous truck itself, Einride has also updated the interface used to operate it remotely. Remote operators receive more adjustable settings and a monitor setup that ensures optimal comfort. Furthermore, a new flat pack construction of the remote interface allows for easier manufacturing, scalability, and set up on site.

Last but not least, Einride is expanding the availability of its Saga freight mobility platform beyond its existing customers. Per the press release:

Leading with the Explore capabilities, users will be able to generate and view operational KPIs, register and track progress to emission targets and get actionable operational insights for all shipping touchpoints, using data from across their transport ecosystem.

We will keep an eye on Einride’s progress in Los Angeles with hope to arrange a visit to the site when it is complete. For now, you can view the company’s entire November Reveal Event below:

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