Lidl has begun operating a driverless electric lorry on public roads in the German state of Hesse, a first for the country's food retail sector. The vehicle, which has no cab and no driver, is shuttling between the company's distribution centre in Edermünde, near Kassel, and a nearby store. The project is a partnership with Swedish technology firm Einride, which has been testing autonomous freight for years.
How the autonomous lorry works
The lorry operates at SAE Level 4, the second-highest level of driving automation. Under the definition used by Germany's Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA), the system takes full control within a defined operating area, with no need for human intervention or monitoring. If the vehicle reaches the limits of its operating domain or detects a malfunction, it can bring itself to a safe stop on its own. Unlike Level 5, however, this capability is limited to pre-approved routes and conditions.
The KBA has granted official approval for the Edermünde deployment, according to Lidl. The vehicle relies on sensors, cameras, and a control system rather than a traditional cab, which it does not have at all. Its loading area can carry 15 Euro pallets, and it makes up to three trips a day between the distribution centre and the store, covering all dry-goods deliveries there. During the four-month test phase, Lidl expects to transport more than 3,000 pallets.
Einride CEO Roozbeh Charli said in a press release: "The German approval process is among the toughest in the world. Clearing that hurdle there sets the course for scaling up decisively." Einride already operates autonomous deliveries for customers in the United States and Europe, and Charli stressed Germany's strategic importance as the continent's largest road freight market.
Why Lidl is investing in autonomous freight
For Lidl, part of the Schwarz Group, the core motivation is a logistics challenge: moving huge volumes of goods reliably at a time when drivers are in short supply. The project is designed to address complex supply chains and the shortage of skilled workers, according to the company. Thomas Dangelmayer, head of operational logistics at Lidl in Germany, said: "Intelligence creates efficiency, and that is the backbone of reliably ensuring product availability over the long term. We make sure that products are always in the right place at the right time and in the right quality for our customers."
With 39 distribution centres and more than 3,250 stores, Lidl runs a tightly scheduled logistics network in Germany. If the first route proves successful, the next step will be a "milk run" model with multiple stops at another location.
The German government is also backing the initiative. Christian Hirte, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Transport Minister, described the launch as a signal for Germany as a hub of innovation: "Autonomous and zero-emission driving is no longer some vision of the future; it is becoming a reality on our roads." The project has received support from the Mobility Data Space, among others.
Not an isolated case in Europe
Autonomous lorry deliveries are not entirely new in Europe. In 2019, Einride operated its first cabless electric lorry in test service in Sweden, using the "T-Pod" to run between two warehouses belonging to logistics company DB Schenker. The company now operates around 250 lorries for more than 30 customers in seven countries, including Amazon, Heineken, and PepsiCo. In September 2025, Einride tested a fully autonomous lorry in port operations in Antwerp-Bruges, as reported by specialist portal Electrive.
Competition is growing internationally. Chinese provider Pony.ai already has several hundred Level 4 lorries in operation in China and is looking to enter the European market, with initial tests under way in countries including Croatia, according to Reuters.
Regulation could slow things down
How quickly autonomous lorries gain ground beyond pilot routes will depend heavily on regulation. Germany and 16 other EU member states want to coordinate the development of automated vehicles more closely in future, so that they no longer have to stop at national borders, according to Eurotransport.de. The aim is to establish common standards so that an autonomous lorry approved in Germany can also operate in countries such as France or the Netherlands.
The economic potential is substantial. According to a McKinsey analysis prepared for the IAA Transportation trade fair, autonomous road freight could generate revenue potential of 80 to 120 billion euros in Europe alone by 2035. At the same time, the study says, European commercial vehicle manufacturers are under pressure from Chinese rivals, which enjoy cost advantages of 30 to 40 percent and shorter development cycles.
As autonomous driving technology advances, Europe is also seeing progress in other areas, such as autonomous racing at Imola and Tesla's self-driving tests in France. These developments, alongside Lidl's trial, signal a broader shift toward automated mobility across the continent.
