GE Appliances and Einride herald U.S.-based autonomous and electric truck partnership

A recently-announced partnership between GE Appliances (GEA), a subsidiary of Haier, and freight technology company Einride centers around what they said is a first of its kind partnership focused on bringing autonomous freight and shipping vehicles to the United States and mark the first time an autonomous and electric truck is “live and operating on U.S. soil.

The companies said that this partnership will be comprised of the first installation of Einride’s Pods (the first all-electric, totally autonomous transport vehicle to operate on a public road in the world in the U.S.), with operations at GE Appliances 750-acre Louisville, Ky-based Appliance Park. Along with the Louisville location, they added that Einride will also roll out its electric transportation offerings at GEA’s Tennessee- and Georgia-based locations, with GEA expecting to save 970 tons of CO2 emissions within the first year, and also play a major role on the company’s global commitment to reduce its environmental footprint.

What’s more, the companies said that this partnership is part of a billion-dollar investment by GEA in cutting-edge products and operations to improve U.S. manufacturing and elevate jobs.

Bill Good, GEA Vice President of Manufacturing, and Robert Falck, Einride CEO, provided LM with some key observations about this partnership below.

LM: What drove the need, or led, to this partnership?

Falck: We sought a trusted partner for our first U.S. deployment at scale, and found one in GE Appliances given the company’s focus on innovation and interest in enhancing its digital supply chain strategy.

Good: Over the last five years, GE Appliances has invested more than $1 billion in products and new technology for our U.S. production and distribution operations. We are very interested in partnering with companies like Einride with leading technology, so we can rapidly learn and advance the competitiveness and overall sustainability of our operations. 

LM: Can you please provide an overview of Einride's pods, in terms of how they work/function?

Falck: The Pod is the first all-electric, totally autonomous transport vehicle to operate on a public road in the world. With remote monitoring and operation capability, trained operators can oversee and control the Pod on-demand, with no need for a human driver onboard. By installing the Pod and freight mobility platform in partners’ transport networks, Einride can effectively eliminate CO2 and NOx emissions, significantly reduce freight costs, dramatically improve road safety, and increase productivity by 200 percent over traditional diesel transport. 

LM: What are the main benefits of this partnership for GEA's customers?  

Good: Robotics and automation is a big focus for us as part of our digital supply chain strategy. Einride is a good partner as we learn and expand our use of new technologies to create a more efficient supply chain. What’s more, customers are increasingly prioritizing sustainability in their purchases. With this launch, we will demonstrate our commitment to environmental stewardship by eliminating 970 tons of CO2 emissions in the first year alone.

LM: What are the next steps going forward, for this partnership? 

Good: Currently there are six electric trucks in the agreement and one electric and autonomous Pod. The electric trucks will be deployed at GEA facilities in GA, TN and KY. They will be on the road moving materials between facilities. GE Appliances and Einride are evaluating plans for future expansion.