Einride and EASE Logistics say driverless electric trucks are now operating daily on Ohio roads as part of the Ohio-Indiana Truck Automation Corridor Project.
The companies announced Monday that two SAE Level 4 autonomous electric trucks are running scheduled routes between EASE Logistics facilities in Marysville, carrying freight on EASE property and local public roads.
The trucks were also on display Monday at the EASE facility in Marysville, where company representatives showcased the technology and demonstrated how the driverless trucks operate.
The cabless trucks operate without anyone inside the vehicle. A remote operator monitors each truck from off-site and can take over if needed.
The deployment began collecting data last month on safety, reliability and efficiency. That information will help the companies determine how autonomous freight operations could expand in the future.
“This deployment reflects the maturity of our purpose-built autonomous stack, combining driverless operation with remote oversight to run safely in real-world operations. Daily operations in Marysville give us the proof points we need to keep expanding autonomous freight across the corridor and beyond.”
–Henrik Green, CTO at Einride
The deployment is EASE Logistics’ third autonomous trucking project with DriveOhio.
“EASE believes in leading through action and putting innovation to work in real-world operations. This deployment builds on that commitment while helping advance the adoption of autonomous freight across the transportation industry.”
–Peter Coratola, Jr., President and CEO of EASE Logistics
The Einride-EASE project is part of the Truck Automation Corridor Project, an $8.8 million, multi-year initiative launched in 2021 by the Ohio Department of Transportation, DriveOhio and the Indiana Department of Transportation.
The project focuses on major state routes in Ohio and Indiana, where different levels of truck automation are being tested and studied. The goals include improving safety, reducing fuel consumption and emissions, increasing efficiency, and helping fleets become more familiar with automated freight.
Einride and EASE plan to track miles driven, loads moved, and vehicle uptime as the trucks operate. The information will help guide the next phase of the project and discussions about expanding autonomous freight operations across the region.
Einride was founded in Stockholm in 2016 and develops autonomous and electric freight technology.
EASE Logistics is a privately held logistics company based in Columbus. Founded in 2014, the company provides transportation, logistics, and warehousing services.
