Einride partners with UAE to deploy a massive freight grid filled with electric, autonomous trucks

Autonomous EV freight developer Einride is doing everything it can to become a globally recognized name in zero-emission commercial vehicle technologies. Today, the company announced a signed memorandum of understanding with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure (MOEI) to deploy Einride’s full electric and autonomous freight portfolio across over 550 km.

Today’s news is yet another impressive chapter in the Einride saga (pun intended) when you understand that the company was founded a mere seven years ago. We’ve seen the company expand from Sweden into the US, hire and train Remote Pod Operators in Texas, and even gain certification to begin autonomous rides.

Additionally, we’ve seen Einride turn its focus back to Europe and expand throughout freight-centric areas like Germany while simultaneously gaining more customers and establishing its own charging networks along the way.

Now, Einride has its sights set on the Middle East and has found a new partner in the UAE – a country no stranger to implementing cutting-edge technologies. These plans don’t simply include deploying a couple of trucks, however. Instead, Einride could help shift the entire freight landscape in the UAE and demonstrate its capabilities for others to follow suit.

Einride to deploy a huge fleet across UAE’s Falcon Rise grid

Einride shared details of its new partnership with the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure in a press release this morning, outlining that an MoU has been signed that enables the freight mobility company to deploy an entire ecosystem of EVs, autonomous trucks, and chargers across 550 km (341 mi) of grid called “Falcon Rise” (see map above).

According to the agreement, Einride’s full freight mobility offering will include 2,000 electric trucks, 200 autonomous trucks, and eight charging stations offering over 500 charging points. That’s not a typo. A spokesperson for Einride told Electrek the company is planning to have at least 50 chargers at each of its new stations across Falcon Rise in the UAE.

This freight ecosystem has already been based on the planned grid system across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah and will be optimized and monitored using the Einride Saga platform. Einride founder and CEO Robert Falck spoke:

This collaboration gets to the core of what Einride provides – the transformation to effective and sustainable shipping that is fully electric. By partnering on this deal, we’ll be able to showcase how entire regions are able to make the switch in an intelligent and cost-effective way.

By developing this specific grid, Einride looks to assist the UAE in simplifying road freight management and optimizing industry operations – all while significantly reducing emissions within the region. United Arab Emirates MOEI undersecretary for energy and petroleum affairs, HE. Sharif Alolama also spoke on the agreement with Einride and the potential of the Falcon Rise grid:

The establishment of the UAE Falcon Rise grid represents a significant milestone in our journey toward sustainable and intelligent transportation. Through this collaboration with Einride, we aim to leverage the latest technological advancements to reduce emissions and enhance the efficiency of freight operations across the region.

Falcon Rise is expected to be developed and implemented over the next five years.