Nuked einride, the Swedish autonomous trucking startup, has unveiled a new vehicle type that the company hopes to deliver freight starting in 2021. The vehicles, dubbed autonomous electric transport, come in four different variations. They come without steering wheels, pedals, windshields, and, in general, no cab at all.
Einride has been in the business of releasing interesting, eye-catching prototype vehicles since it was founded in 2016. There was the cab-less t-pod, released in 2017, four of which are operating on public roads hauling freight for oatly, the Swedish food producer. Now it has a next-generation vehicle that it hopes it can put into production.
Einride’s is testing, validating, and seeking regulatory approval. All of the vehicles are electric and can be controlled remotely by a human operator. The company has yet to reveal its plans for production and manufacturing.
Einride CEO Robert falck said the AET is more aerodynamic than previous incarnations. The AET vehicles are sleek, white, cab-less pods with smooth lines and an otherworldly feel.
Aet 1 and AET 2 have top speeds of 30 km/h (18 mph). Weigh 26 tons, have a battery range of 130-180 km (80-110 miles). Aet 3 and AET 4 have similar weight and payload capacity.
The AET 1 is designed to operate within a geofence, or a defined geographic area. Aet 2 is permitted to travel outside a geofence using teleociation.
The next generation pod is capable of SAE level 4 autonomous drive. Each pod is able to operate in closed facilities, on nearby delivery routes (AET 2 – nearby), and on back roads between destinations at speeds up to 45 km/h (AET 3 – rural).
In terms of tech features, each pod will be nearly identical, with some different hardware and software combinations depending on unique customer needs and operational domain demands. That means an electric drivetrain, proprietary telematics hardware that connects with the freight mobility platform, and autonomous drive hardware such as Lidar, cameras, and sensors on each pod.
Einride claims its new vehicles will reduce transport costs by up to 60 percent and CO2 emissions by a staggering 90 percent. The company does n’t have a fully scale business yet.
Einride’s vision for cab-less freight haulers has raised $ 25 million in 2019. The company recently demonstrated how one operator can control multiple pods at once.
The company says it is using NVIDIA’s self-driving software to achieve level 4 driving. The trucks can also be controlled by a remote operator who is located hundreds of miles away using phantom auto’s teleociation technology.
Einride has a bolder vision that includes off-roading and heavy-duty cargo. Most experts believe that the first industry to be affected by autonomous driving will be the trucking sector.
