Abu Dhabi boosts electrification and automation of heavy road freight: Abu Dhabi’s Integrated Transport Center (ITC) has inked an agreement with Swedish electric and self driving trucking startup Einride AB to establish a network deploying 1k all-electric heavy-duty trucks and 100 self-driving vehicles, according to the statement. No investment ticket or details regarding the launch of the network were disclosed.
Details: The agreement sees the pair collaborating on the development of a transit network connecting Al Ruwais, Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, and the city of Al Ain, the statement notes. The network — dubbed the Falcon Energy Project — will also consist of the charging infrastructure required.
Is this Falcon Rise? The UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure inked an initial MoU with Einride to deploy a 550 km freight mobility grid last June. The agreement set out plans for the fast tracked deployment of 2k EVs, 200 self-driving vehicles, and eight charging stations across a national grid, dubbed Falcon Rise, connecting Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. Initial plans saw a development timeline of five years.
About Einride: The company provides digital, electric, and autonomous tech solutions for the trucking sector in a bid to improve transport planning and tracking of shipments. Einride was the first company in the world to deploy an autonomous EV truck on a public road in 2019 and the first to secure approval to operate autonomous trucks on US public roadways in 2022, according to the company website.