DAF and Einride bring autonomous driving to battery-electric trucks
DAF Trucks and Einride want to jointly bring autonomous electric trucks to the road. For this, Einride's driving system 'Einride Driver' is to be integrated into DAF's e-truck platform. The goal is commercial use at SAE Level 4, with the first tests starting in 2026.
In the first phase, DAF and Einride – in collaboration with the Dutch research institute TNO – aim to define and test how the Einride Driver can be integrated into DAF’s battery-electric truck platform. The focus is particularly on the necessary interfaces between the vehicle and the autonomous driving system, which are designed to enable safe and, later, scalable operations. Initial tests and validations of these interfaces are planned for 2026. By 2027, the software is set to be integrated and the system commissioned, followed by functional and interface tests on a DAF truck. It has not yet been decided which model will serve as the test vehicle, although DAF now offers a comprehensive electric portfolio, ranging from the 12-tonne XB Electric to the fully fledged XG and XG+ Electric for long-haul transport.
The collaboration is explicitly intended to go beyond a single test vehicle. DAF and Einride aim to establish the technical and regulatory requirements for the commercial deployment of autonomous battery-electric trucks at SAE Level 4. At this level of automation, a vehicle can fully take over the driving task within a defined operational domain without requiring driver intervention.
Recurring, clearly defined logistics routes are particularly well-suited for this application. DAF and Einride also highlight the driver shortage and rising operational costs in the transport sector. In the future, drivers could focus more on tasks that require human experience and decision-making skills. However, approval for public road use is crucial for deployment. Together with TNO, DAF and Einride plan to collaborate with the relevant type-approval authorities. The companies have not yet specified a target date for actual driverless regular operations.
Einride’s expansion beyond autonomous driving was demonstrated in July with the acquisition of US charging and energy management specialist Flipturn for $38.4 million. With Flipturn, Einride adds a customer base managing over 250 MW of charging capacity to its portfolio. Combined with its optimisation platform Saga AI and the Einride Driver, Einride increasingly covers multiple layers of electric freight transport, from fleet management and energy supply to autonomous driving. The DAF collaboration now complements this ecosystem by integrating autonomy technology into the electric platform of an established truck manufacturer. Whether this will result in a commercial Level 4 offering depends primarily on successful validation and the regulatory framework.