Freight technology company Einride has received approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to operate its autonomous electric transport (AET) vehicles on U.S. public roads.
With this approval, Einride will conduct a public road pilot to support operational flows for customer GE Appliances, a Haier company, showcasing the Einride Pod’s purpose-built functionality for future commercialization. The autonomous and electric Einride Pod’s design does not leave room for a driver on board and is instead remotely monitored by a remote pod operator.
The Einride Pod will operate on public roads with mixed traffic while executing real-life workflows. This will include the movement of goods and coordinating with teams at various warehouses for loading and unloading. A remote pod operator will be remotely monitoring the vehicle at all times – a first of its kind role that Einride sees critical in safely scaling autonomous vehicles by keeping humans in the loop and creating jobs to fulfill a future way of shipping.
“This is a type of vehicle that has never before been seen on U.S. roads and marks a major milestone as a turning point for the future of the freight industry,” states Robert Falck, CEO and founder at Einride. “We know the autonomous and electric technology of our pod will not only revolutionize transportation but also create thousands of jobs and help America stay competitive.”
The public road pilot, which will take place in Q3 of 2022, will be done at a GE Appliances manufacturing facility to complement other existing operations already in place together. Einride already has a fleet of operational autonomous and electric vehicles on U.S. soil in partnership with GEA since 2021.
“We are creating a more sustainable and efficient supply chain through increased electrification and automation in our manufacturing and distribution operations,” comments Bill Good, vice president of supply chain for GE Appliances. “We’ve appreciated working with Einride in demonstrating how their Pod technology can help us accelerate achievement of that goal.”