Einride has announced a successful cross-border operation of a cabless electric autonomous delivery truck – no human driver on board – between Sweden and Norway.
The firm 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.
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 future operations.
Einride integrated its systems with Norway’s digital customs solution (Digitoll) through Q-Free. This digitally declared goods in advance to create a seamless border customs clearance process.
Hardware and software included the Einride Driver – the company’s proprietary autonomous drive stack – plus 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 MODI project, co-founded by the European Union.
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.”
“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,” said May-Kristin Willoch, head of environment at PostNord Norway.
“This achievement is not just about crossing a border – it’s about entering a new era for the logistics industry.”
Einride started working with PostNord 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.