It is important to clarify that the electric trucks Amazon plans to deploy are not Einride’s autonomous Gen 2 Rigid Large model. This vehicle, now branded as the eBot, operates without a driver’s cab and therefore does not include a steering wheel, accelerator, or brake. Instead, Amazon will use commercially available battery-electric trucks with drivers, sourced from one or more established manufacturers that both companies have not yet disclosed.

Amazon will not purchase the 75 vehicles. Instead, it will lease them from Einride, which will also manage the fleet. Einride will deploy its proprietary optimisation software, Saga AI, to control Amazon’s transport operations and optimise charging schedules.

“Working with Amazon is yet another powerful validation of Einride’s technology and strategic vision,” said Roozbeh Charli, CEO of Einride. “By deploying our intelligent platform within one of the world’s most sophisticated logistics networks, we are accelerating growth, while continuing to build industry-leading operational expertise.”

The trucks will be integrated into Amazon Relay’s medium-haul network, the company’s Uber-like app for truck drivers. This platform allows drivers to book and transport Amazon loads. Amazon introduced the app in 2017.

For Einride, the collaboration with Amazon marks an exciting new customer acquisition ahead of its planned SPAC listing through a merger with the special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Legato. This move aims to secure approximately 333 million US dollars in additional equity capital to support Einride’s expansion.

In Europe, Einride already collaborates with companies such as Rewe, Kaufland, Carlsberg and Heineken, deploying battery-electric trucks from manufacturers like Daimler Truck and Scania. Einride is also active in the USA and the United Arab Emirates, for example, at the Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai.

cnbc.com, linkedin.com