Einride, Lidl deploy first cab-less autonomous truck in Germany

Einride AB (publ)

15/09/2026 05:00

Sept 15 (Reuters) - Self-driving truck company Einride X3Wy.F and supermarket chain Lidl have put the first cab-less autonomous truck into regular service on public roads in Germany, the companies said on Tuesday.
The level 4 driverless vehicle is transporting goods between a Lidl distribution center and a retail store under an official permit from Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), the first authorization of its kind granted in the country.
Here are some details:
The cab-less truck operates in daily logistics without a human driver or safety operator on board.
Einride and Lidl plan to expand the initial route into a full multi-stop "milkrun" delivery network.
The companies said the initiative was aimed at addressing commercial driver shortages and improving supply-chain reliability.
Further deployments across other divisions of Lidl's parent company, the Schwarz Group, are currently under discussion.
Germany's KBA granted the permit following an extensive safety validation process for real-world road conditions, the companies said.

 (Reporting by Prathik Jayaprakash in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)
 ((Prathik.Jayaprakash@thomsonreuters.com; +91 9916364306))