GE Appliances and Einride Hit the Road, Autonomously Transporting Goods

U.S. home appliance manufacturer GE Appliances and autonomous transportation-focused company Einride are deploying Einride’s autonomous truck to carry out the daily transportation of goods between GE Appliances' facilities. Building on previous pilot projects, the two companies now demonstrate an autonomous logistics workflow viable for commercialization.

 

Einride has developed its autonomous trucks to provide a safety-conscious, carbon-free solution to freight transportation. Image used courtesy of Einride 

 

Shipping Goods Sustainably

The transportation of goods, whether from factory to warehouse or warehouse to store shelves, involves billions of tonnes of cargo and the employment of fossil-fuel-guzzling ships, planes, trucks, and trains. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this transportation releases a substantial 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Implementing robotics and automation in the transportation industry could play a crucial role in reducing carbon emissions. Continuous operation of automated systems ensures reduced idle times and consistent, energy-efficient operations. Integration of robots in supply chain and logistics management optimizes transportation routes, thereby decreasing the carbon footprint associated with product distribution. Additionally, strategies such as predictive maintenance, lean manufacturing, and remote monitoring can further contribute to improved resource efficiency and waste reduction.

 

Working alongside the Slip Robotics bot and TaskWatch’s control technology, goods can be autonomously loaded and unloaded from Einride’s truck. Image used courtesy of Einride

 

Autonomous Electric Transportation

Einride is working to pioneer a more sustainable and efficient future for the freight industry with its autonomous electric truck, the Autonomous Gen 2. To demonstrate its technology for commercial use, Einride has partnered with GE Appliances to deploy its electric, unmanned truck. The truck shifts finished goods from GE Appliances’ manufacturing site to GE Appliances’ warehouse facility in Selmer, Tennessee, Monday through Thursday.

Einride’s autonomous electric truck produces zero tailpipe emissions, demonstrating the possibility of sustainable transport in daily commercial operations. The autonomous truck incorporates technologies from Slip Robotics and TaskWatch to execute the vehicle’s unmanned loading and unloading. Information and communication technology provider Ericsson partnered with Einride to provide a private network for communication between the autonomous truck and the remote operator on site.

 

The Autonomous Gen 2 truck utilizes lidar, satellites, and cameras to sense its environment. Image used courtesy of Einride

 

Autonomous Logistics Flow

This extended deployment builds upon earlier trials conducted in partnership with GE Appliances. The initial testing occurred within a restricted environment at the Appliance Park headquarters in 2021. A public road pilot in Selmer followed this testing in 2022. Now, Einride's vehicles are becoming crucial to GE Appliances' automated workflow: delivering finished goods from GE Appliances' manufacturing facility to its warehouse situated 0.3 miles away.