Lidl has introduced a driverless, cab-less autonomous truck into its daily logistics operations on public roads in Germany.
Provided by Einride, the SAE Level 4 vehicle operates without either a driver or an onboard safety operator. It is currently moving goods between a Lidl warehouse and distribution centre and a retail store in Edermünde, Hesse, near Kassel.
Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority has approved the operation. Einride and Lidl said the authorisation is the first of its type in the country, which “has some of the world’s most stringent road safety regulations”.
The partners intend to extend the route into a multi-stop ‘milk run’ operation. Additional autonomous vehicle deployments across Schwarz Group, Lidl’s parent company, are also being considered.
Lidl said in a press release that the autonomous truck can carry up to 15 Euro-pallets and complete as many as three journeys each day. This capacity is sufficient to handle all dry-goods deliveries on the current route.
Thomas Dangelmayer, head of operational logistics at Lidl Germany, said: “With this innovative project, we are testing a technological milestone step by step and safely in real-world operations to examine how future-proof solutions can be optimally integrated into our site logistics.”
Running for four months, the project will assess whether autonomous vehicles can help Lidl respond to commercial driver shortages, preserve goods movement and strengthen the resilience of its supply chain and logistics network.
Christian Hirte, parliamentary state secretary to the Federal Minister of Transport, said autonomous and zero-emission driving had progressed from a long-term ambition to an operational reality on German roads. “We are committed to establishing Germany as a pioneer in the testing and deployment of advanced mobility technologies,” he added.
