DAF partnership to explore autonomous electric freight

DAF Trucks has announced a joint initiative which will see an autonomous driving system from technology firm Einride AB integrated into its premium vehicle platform.

The truck manufacturer says the collaboration marks a significant step towards large-scale commercialisation of autonomous electric transport at SAE Level 4, a high level of automated driving which sees vehicles independently perform repetitive tasks under predefined conditions, without the need for human intervention.

Einride and DAF, in conjunction with the Dutch research institute TNO, will define and test the integration of the Einride Driver autonomous system within DAF’s electric truck platform, and work closely with type approval authorities to ensure compliance for future use on public roads.

Initial testing and validation of interfaces is expected to take place this year, and Einride’s autonomous driving software will be integrated in 2027, with subsequent testing taking place on a DAF vehicle. It is part of wider efforts by DAF parent company Paccar to explore automated driving, including in collaboration with emerging full stack technology providers.

Henrik Green, chief technology officer at Einride, said: “By leveraging DAF’s decades of manufacturing excellence and market strength, we can expedite the global scale-up of Einride’s autonomous technology.

“This collaboration validates our vehicle-agnostic approach to autonomy and brings us one step closer to deploying safe, scalable Level 4 autonomy at commercial scale.”

Jeroen van den Oetelaar, DAF Trucks’ chief engineer and member of the board, said: “By combining our premium truck platform with leading autonomous technology, we are actively shaping a more efficient, safer, and sustainable freight ecosystem.”