Einride has announced a successful cross-border operation of a cabless electric autonomous delivery truck – no human driver onboard – between Sweden and Norway.
Einride said the autonomous border-crossing, organised with several partners including Q-Free, took place at the Ørje crossing and marks the world-first cabless electric autonomous crossing of a country’s border. Ørje, with a population of around 4,000, is the administrative centre of Marker municipality in Norway, not far from the Swedish border.
Other partners for the crossing included Norway’s public roads administration Statens Vegvesen, transport research group SintefTrafikverket and Østfold commune. It was conducted on behalf of PostNord which ships around 200 million parcels across the Nordic region each year.
Autonomous cross-border vehicle operations are challenging due to differing national regulations as well as technical barriers such as inconsistent road signage and customs procedures. Einride said that the cabless crossing is “a major leap forward for autonomous cross-border operations, building on Einride’s extensive background in industrial freight”.
Tolletaten, Norwegian Customs, is supporting the initiative due to the high relevance of automating the route for their future operations. Einride integrated its systems with Norway’s digital customs solution (Digitoll) through its partner Q-Free. This digitally declared goods in advance to create a seamless border customs clearance process.
Einride said its technologies showcased the broader capabilities of its electric autonomous solutions through the seamless integration of its advanced hardware and software. This included the Einride Driver – the company’s proprietary Autonomous Drive Stack – its purpose-built cabless autonomous vehicle and a so-called “control tower”, an intelligent platform for fleet management and oversight. This highlighted how the technology can improve safety, efficiency and sustainability in road freight, said Einride.
This world-first cabless electric autonomous border-crossing demonstration is a key component of the EU co-founded MODI project. MODI aims to enable the safe roll-out of heavy-duty autonomous transportation across a wide variety of market applications, improving the transport and logistics industry by accelerating the introduction of connected, cooperative and automated mobility (CCAM) solutions.
“We are immensely proud to have completed the world’s first cabless, electric, fully autonomous cross-border delivery,” said Henrik Green, chief technical officer and general manager for Einride Autonomous Technologies.
“We are dedicated to continuously extending our capabilities into new applications, showcasing how autonomous technology can enhance transportation safety, efficiency, and sustainability. The MODI project perfectly embodies this commitment, assisting in the realization of EU value-based objectives by thoughtfully balancing safety with innovation.”
Einride designs, develops and deploys freight technology solutions. Its platform includes connected electric and autonomous heavy-duty vehicles, charging infrastructure and an intelligent freight operating system. Founded in 2016, Einride became the world’s first company to operate an autonomous electric vehicle on a public road in 2019. Today, Einride said that it operates one of the largest fleets of heavy-duty electric trucks servicing Global Fortune 500 companies across the US, Europe and the UAE.
“Taking part in this historic milestone with Einride demonstrates how autonomous and digital technologies can reshape the future of transport, reduce emissions and improve safety. This achievement is not just about crossing a border – it’s about entering a new era for the logistics industry”, said May-Kristin Willoch, head of environment at PostNord Norway.
PostNord was formed in 2009 in a merger between the Danish postal service providers Post Danmark and Swedish postal provider Posten. The owners of PostNord Group are the state of Sweden with 60 percent and the Ministry of Transport of Denmark, holding 40 percent. PostNord Norway is a division within the group.
Einride started working with PostNord group in 2023 when the group started using Einride trucks in the Oslo region. PostNord pays a monthly fee which will enable it to access electric and digital services, including electric trucks owned by Einride.
