No Cab, No Driver: Einride and Lidl Put Germany's First Cab-less Truck on Public Roads
Einride and Lidl have put the first cab-less SAE Level 4 autonomous truck into daily operations on a public road in Germany, under a first-of-its-kind permit from the Federal Motor Transport Authority.
Noah Park, Freight · Sept. 15, 2026
EDERMUNDE - Einride and Lidl have put the first cab-less SAE Level 4 autonomous truck into daily operations on a public road in Germany, the companies said on Tuesday.
The cab-less truck, with no driver or safety operator on board, is transporting goods between a Lidl warehouse and distribution center and a Lidl store, operating under an official permit from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), the first of its kind granted in Germany.
Germany, Europe's largest road transport market, has some of the world's most stringent road safety regulations. The permit followed an extensive safety validation process conducted with the KBA, the companies said, confirming that the technology can operate under real-world conditions on public roads.
Einride is already running real autonomous deliveries, with real volumes on real schedules with customers in the U.S and Europe. Germany is one of Einride's key markets and we're excited to now bring this technology to public roads in Europe's largest road transport market, and to prove its value together with Lidl and the broader ecosystem of Schwarz Group. Germany's approval process is among the toughest in the world, and obtaining clearance there gives us a foundation to scale with confidence.
The truck connects a Lidl warehouse and distribution center directly to a Lidl store. Einride and Lidl said they will expand the route toward a full multi-stop milkrun model. Further deployments with companies of Schwarz Group are under discussion.
Intelligence creates efficiency, and that is the backbone for permanently reliable product availability. We ensure that the products for our customers are always at the right place, at the right time, and in the right quality. With this innovative project, we are testing a technological milestone step by step and safely in real-world operations to examine how future-proof solutions can be optimally integrated into our site logistics.
For the companies of Schwarz Group, innovation is the core driver of operational excellence and sovereign supply chains. Future-proof logistics is not built by waiting, but through proactive action. With this project, we are combining the scalability of our unique ecosystem with the pioneering spirit of Einride. In doing so, we are actively driving the transformation of the industry.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to address driver shortages, secure continuity in the flow of goods, and strengthen supply chain resiliency across Lidl's network, the companies said.
Noah Park covers autonomous freight for Driverless News.
