Einride deploys autonomous transport at Lorenz factory

Einride has deployed four autonomous electric transport vehicles at the Lorenz Snacks factory in Neunburg vorm Wald, Germany, replacing diesel-powered shuttle movements between production buildings and the site’s central warehouse. The installation forms part of a five-year transport services agreement under which Einride retains ownership and operational responsibility for the vehicles.

The cabless vehicles move finished goods, raw materials, and empty pallets along routes within the private factory grounds. Each vehicle can carry 15 pallets, while Einride expects the fleet to transport an average of up to 1,200 pallets daily, with greater volumes possible during peak operating periods.

Production facilities and the central warehouse are approximately 500 metres apart. Before the autonomous deployment, Lorenz moved around 180,000 pallets a year between the locations in approximately 5,500 diesel truck journeys, according to figures published by the German logistics association BVL. The movement of materials between these facilities is an established requirement of the manufacturing operation.

The vehicles operate through Einride’s Saga AI software platform, which plans and coordinates transport movements according to the requirements of the factory and warehouse. Vehicle assignments must reflect the availability of loads, the location of equipment, and the timing of material movements needed to support production and storage activity.

A round trip takes approximately 30 to 45 minutes, depending on operating conditions. That variation reflects the requirements of the transport task rather than a fixed transit schedule, with each journey incorporating the movement of goods between the production and warehouse areas.

Matching transport capacity with manufacturing output is particularly important where finished products need to be transferred into storage without interrupting other factory processes. The availability of pallets and receiving space affects when a load can move, while the transport system must accommodate changes in production requirements throughout the operating day.

Einride’s software coordinates the autonomous fleet as part of this process. Digital dispatch and scheduling functions determine which vehicles are assigned to available movements, helping connect the transport operation with the activity taking place at either end of the route.

Although the vehicles operate autonomously, the arrangement includes continuous support from local and remote operators. Human personnel remain involved in monitoring the transport system and supporting operations when intervention is required. The company has not published detailed information about individual sensors, vehicle speed limits, or the circumstances in which the automated driving system requests assistance.

The use of private factory grounds establishes a defined operating environment for the vehicles. The installation does not involve a general deployment of driverless freight vehicles on public roads, and the conditions applying to other autonomous transport applications should not be assumed to be identical to those at Neunburg vorm Wald.

Two conventional electric trucks provide backup transport capacity when an autonomous vehicle is unavailable or an operating requirement cannot be accommodated by the automated fleet. BVL also identifies four trailers within the contingency arrangements, adding flexibility for exceptional transport tasks.

The backup vehicles are part of the planned system rather than evidence that the autonomous operation has experienced particular failures. Their availability provides another means of moving loads while maintenance, technical interruptions, or other operational circumstances affect individual autonomous vehicles.

Einride’s forecast of up to 1,200 pallets per day describes the expected average operating scale. BVL has separately identified a potential regular operating capacity of up to 1,350 pallets daily. The figures come from different descriptions of the project and should not be treated as directly comparable measurements of achieved throughput.

The published information does not establish the number of pallets already moved autonomously over a sustained operating period. Neither the 1,200-pallet forecast nor the higher capacity figure is accompanied by a verified assessment of actual vehicle availability, completed journeys, or average handling time across several weeks of operation.

Replacing diesel trucks with electric vehicles changes the energy requirements of the internal transport operation. Lorenz intends to supply charging electricity from photovoltaic equipment installed at its factory, reducing its reliance on diesel for the movements connecting production and storage.

Electric vehicles do not produce exhaust emissions during operation, although the overall emissions associated with the transport service depend on vehicle production, electricity supply, and the wider equipment lifecycle. Einride and Lorenz have not published a verified annual carbon dioxide reduction for the installation.

The five-year commercial agreement also changes responsibility for the fleet. Rather than purchasing and operating the autonomous vehicles directly, Lorenz obtains transport services from Einride, which owns, manages, and operates the equipment. This arrangement places responsibility for the vehicle operation with the technology provider while Lorenz incorporates the contracted movements into its factory logistics processes.

The commercial model creates a need to coordinate service availability with manufacturing requirements. Production and storage operations depend on the timely movement of pallets, so the contracted transport system must provide suitable capacity throughout the working day. The detailed service-level arrangements and commercial performance measures have not been disclosed.

Lorenz developed the underlying logistics concept through its Pathfinder programme, which received third place in the 2026 German Logistics Award during October. BVL recognised the project for combining automated vehicle operation, electric transport, and digital coordination within an established manufacturing facility.

Stefan Bender, Head of Logistics Germany at Lorenz, described the programme as a permanent operational change rather than a short trial. “We’re not just testing autonomous mobility; we’re making it an integral, long-term part of our plant logistics,” he said.

The companies presented the vehicles at Neunburg vorm Wald on 4 November, when visitors observed autonomous movements taking place as part of the factory’s daily operation. The deployment has therefore entered practical use, although its sustained operating performance will become clearer as the service accumulates regular transport data.

Further development may include automated loading and unloading or autonomous movements beyond the private factory site. BVL identifies these as areas Lorenz is considering, rather than capabilities already included in the current deployment.

The operating system now combines four autonomous vehicles, two conventional electric backup trucks, digital fleet coordination, and human supervision under a five-year service agreement. The next performance measures will be the number of pallets moved consistently each day, the availability of the fleet, and the operation’s energy and transport costs compared with the previous diesel arrangement.