Berlin: Self-driving truck company Einride and supermarket chain Lidl have placed Germany’s first cab-less autonomous truck into regular service on public roads, the companies announced on September 15.
The Level 4 driverless truck, with no driver or safety operator on board, is transporting goods between a Lidl warehouse and distribution centre and a Lidl retail store. It is operating under an official permit from Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), the first authorisation of its kind granted in the country.
The autonomous truck currently connects the Lidl warehouse and distribution centre directly to the retail store. Einride and Lidl in Germany plan to expand the route into a full multi-stop ‘milk run’ delivery model, while further deployments with companies across Lidl’s parent Schwarz Group are also being discussed.
Einride and Lidl Germany have put a cab-less SAE Level 4 truck into daily operation on a German public road, under the first KBA permit of its kind. One shift a day, five days a week, moving real store deliveries. $ENRD https://t.co/a9lbbRven9 pic.twitter.com/miQN2IkhFe
— Einride (@einrideofficial) September 15, 2026
The milestone was achieved through collaboration between Einride, Schwarz Corporate Solutions, Schwarz Digits and Lidl in Germany. The companies stated that the initiative is intended to demonstrate how driverless daily operations can deliver practical value in one of Europe’s most demanding logistics markets and bring advanced technology into everyday retail operations.
The initiative is also part of a broader effort to address commercial driver shortages, ensure continuity in the flow of goods and strengthen supply chain resilience across Lidl’s network.
The KBA granted the permit following an extensive safety validation process for the truck’s operation under real-world road conditions, according to the companies.
The deployment of autonomous truck marks a step forward for autonomous freight operations in Germany, with Einride and Lidl continuing to explore wider applications of driverless trucks across their logistics networks.
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