Lidl has deployed a cab-less autonomous truck for daily logistics operations on public roads in Germany.
The SAE Level 4 vehicle, which operates without a driver or safety operator on board, was supplied by Einride. It is being used to transport goods between a Lidl warehouse and distribution centre and a store in Edermünde, Hesse (near Kassel).
The operation has been authorised by Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority. Einride and Lidl claim it is the first permit of its kind issued in the country, which it said “has some of the world’s most stringent road safety regulations”.
The companies plan to expand the route towards a multi-stop ‘milk run’ model. Further deployments across Schwarz Group, Lidl’s parent company, are under discussion.
According to a Lidl press release, the autonomous vehicle has a capacity of 15 Euro-pallets and can make up to three trips a day, fully covering dry-goods deliveries on this route.
Thomas Dangelmayer, head of operational logistics at Lidl Germany, said: “With this innovative project, we are testing a technological milestone step by step and safely in real-world operations to examine how future-proof solutions can be optimally integrated into our site logistics.”
The four-month-long initiative is intended to test how autonomous vehicles could help Lidl address driver shortages, maintain the flow of goods and increase resilience across its logistics network.
Christian Hirte, parliamentary state secretary to the Federal Minister of Transport said that autonomous and zero-emission driving has moved from a future vision to a reality on Germany’s roads. “We are committed to establishing Germany as a pioneer in the testing and deployment of advanced mobility technologies,” he added.
Autonomous freight, driverless delivery and the regulatory and operational challenges of deploying autonomous vehicles in urban logistics networks will be among the issues explored at Urban Logistics.
Urban Logistics, takes place at ExCeL London on 9-10 June 2027.
To find out more information, visit: urbanlogisticsexhibition.com
