Dive Brief:
- Einride is setting its sights on turning a 41-mile stretch of Texas’ State Highway 130 into an autonomous freight corridor, according to a March 17 press release. The toll road runs between Austin and San Antonio.
- The Stockholm-based company, which develops cab-less, electric autonomous freight vehicles, is partnering with SH 130 Concession Co. to build out the infrastructure needed for testing. Planned upgrades include next-generation rest stops equipped with electric charging stations and enhanced connectivity systems.
- The new partnership comes with newly secured approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to operate its driverless truck in Austin, Texas, according to a March 24 press release, expanding its footprint beyond Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Dive Insight:
Einride’s autonomous vehicles stand apart from others in the segment due to their cab-less design. Rather than drivers, the trucks rely on automated driving systems supported by “remote operators” who don’t drive the vehicles.
The company first received approval for the model from the NHTSA in June 2022, paving the way for its first U.S. public road pilot with GE Appliances in Selmer, Tennessee.
Since that initial deployment, Einride has kept a relatively low profile on U.S. public roads — until now. The agreement with SH 130 Concession Co. was a “natural expansion opportunity,” Einride said in the release.
“By aligning digital infrastructure, connectivity readiness, and future charging capacity, SH 130 Concession Company is advancing its ambition to establish the roadway as a nationally recognized route for autonomous freight movement,” said Ananth Prasad, CEO of SH 130 Concession Co., in the March 17 release.
Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli said the project reinforces the company’s presence in Austin, where it has established its U.S. headquarters, and positions the company to “scale safe, performance-based deployments.”
"Texas will be a core hub for our American autonomous freight operations,” Charli said in the March 24 release.
