Swedish company Einride and US freight carrier EASE Logistics are planning a pilot project for autonomous electric trucks. The project involves two units of the Einride eBot operating driverless in the US state of Ohio, transporting goods between various EASE locations.Image: EinrideThe eBot is the battery-electric autonomous lorry developed by Einride, previously introduced as the Gen 2 Rigid Large in 2022. Unlike conventional lorries, it has no driver’s cab, allowing the entire space to be used for freight transport. The eBot features a box-body design and appears visually much shorter than, for example, a tractor unit with a semi-trailer. Einride has not yet disclosed its exact dimensions or technical specifications.As part of the newly announced pilot project, Einride and EASE Logistics will test the autonomous electric lorry in real-world operations. This initiative extends the Truck Automation Corridor Project led by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and DriveOhio, in collaboration with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The project aims to assess the impact of autonomous technology on operational processes, safety, and freight efficiency.“EASE is proud to continue advancing the Truck Automation Corridor Project alongside DriveOhio and innovative partners like Einride,” said EASE President & CEO Peter Coratola, Jr. “Deployments like this help move autonomous trucking from controlled pilots into daily freight operations, where safety, reliability, and efficiency can be evaluated at scale.” Coratola maintains that by working with leading autonomous technology providers, including Einride, in real-world environments, “we’re helping accelerate the infrastructure and operational readiness required for the next generation of freight transportation.”Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli says the deployment of Einride autonomous lorries in daily logistics operations with EASE is the result of years of intensive development and real-world testing. “Safety is not an add-on feature of our technology—it is its foundation,” Charli insists. “Our partnership with EASE and the Truck Automation Corridor Project demonstrates that autonomous electric freight transport is no longer a vision of the future but a safe and functional reality today.”Einride is currently on the verge of going public through a so-called SPAC merger with the special-purpose acquisition company Legato. The transaction could provide Einride with approximately 333 million US dollars in fresh equity. Founded ten years ago with the vision of automating freight transport, Einride is currently pursuing a dual strategy, as obtaining all necessary approvals for autonomous electric lorries is a lengthy process. In addition to autonomous vehicles, Einride offers human-driven lorries under a “transport-as-a-service” model. This solution is not just about leasing lorries but provides a turnkey system, including fleet management, charging infrastructure, and a software platform. Among the customers using this solution are Amazon, Rewe, Kaufland, Carlsberg, and Heineken.einride.com