Einride brings its futuristic electric self-driving trucks to the UAE

Einride, a pioneer in electric and autonomous freight transport, is expanding its services to the Middle East, following a collaboration with the UAE government to accelerate the region’s transition to sustainable shipping.

Founded in 2016, the Swedish startup is on a mission to decarbonise the industry by developing and deploying a holistic freight mobility ecosystem. This includes its electric and autonomous fleets, its intelligent platform, called Einiride Saga, charging infrastructure, and connectivity networks.

Einride, which is already operating in Europe and the US, has now signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UAE government to deploy its ecosystem over a 550km stretch across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. The so-called Falcon Rise Grid will encompass 2,000 electric trucks, 200 autonomous trucks, and eight charging stations with more than 500 charging points. Einride will develop the project over the course of five years.

“This collaboration gets to the core of what Einride provides — the transformation to effective and sustainable shipping that is fully electric,” remarked Robert Falck, Einride’s founder and CEO. The company, which has partnered with global firms such as Coca Cola and Oatly, says its clients have seen an up to 95% reduction in emissions, while remaining cost-competitive.

“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,” said HE. Sharif Alolama, Undersecretary for Energy and Petroleum Affairs of the UAE.

The Falcon Rise Grid project in the UAE follows a series of market expansions over the past 12 months, including Germany, Benelux, and the UK. Einride’s presence in the Middle East also represents another significant milestone for the startup. In 2019, the company became the first in the world to deploy an electric autonomous vehicle on a public road, in Sweden. In 2022, it became the first company to receive approval to do the same in the US.