In what it is calling a “world first, Einride announced it has successfully delivered goods from Sweden to Norway without any human intervention.

Einride made the fully electronic, fully autonomous border crossing on behalf of PostNord – the Norwegian postal service. The OE said the event marks the first cables, electric, autonomous border-crossing in history.

A Challenging Situation 

The demonstration was part of the EU co-founded MODI project, aimed at enabling the safe rollout of autonomous transportation solutions in Europe. 

Einride successfully passed through the Norwegian customs without a driver onboard, facilitated by C-ITS technology from its partner Q-Free.

The autonomous border-crossing took place at the Ørje border crossing and marks the world-first cabless electric autonomous crossing of a country's border. 

Autonomous cross-border vehicle operations are challenging due to differing national regulations as well as technical barriers such as inconsistent road signage and customs procedures. 

According to Einride, this significant achievement represents a major leap forward for autonomous cross-border operations, building on Einride's extensive background in industrial freight. 

Tolletaten, The Norwegian Customs, is supporting the initiative due to the high relevance of automating this use case for their future operations. 

To address the complexities of international border crossings and handle tasks typically managed by a human driver, Einride integrated its systems with Norway’s digital customs solution (Digitoll) through its partner Q-Free. This allows the OE to digitally declare goods in advance to create a seamless border customs clearance process.

Einride showcased the broader capabilities of its electric autonomous technology through the seamless integration of its advanced hardware and software, the company said.

This included the Einride Driver (the company’s proprietary Autonomous Drive Stack), its purpose-built cabless autonomous vehicle, and a Control Tower (an intelligent platform for fleet management and oversight), highlighting how the technology can improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability in road freight.

A Safe Rollout of Autonomous Driving Technology

This world-first cabless electric autonomous border-crossing demonstration is a key component of the EU co-founded MODI project. 

The MODI project aims to enable the safe rollout of heavy-duty autonomous transportation across a wide variety of market applications, thereby improving the transport and logistics industry by accelerating the introduction of Connected, Cooperative, and Automated Mobility (CCAM) solutions.

"We are immensely proud to have completed the world's first cabless, electric, fully autonomous cross-border delivery," said Henrik Green, CTO and general manager for Einride Autonomous Technologies. "We are dedicated to continuously extending our capabilities into new applications, showcasing how autonomous technology can enhance transportation safety, efficiency, and sustainability. The MODI project perfectly embodies this commitment, assisting in the realization of EU value-based objectives by thoughtfully balancing safety with innovation."

The autonomous border crossing is a joint effort between Swedish and Norwegian project partners including Statens Vegvesen, Sintef, Q-Free, Trafikverket and Østfold kommune, conducted on behalf of PostNord, annually shipping nearly 200 million parcels across the Nordic region. 

“At PostNord, we are committed to exploring innovative solutions that make logistics more sustainable and efficient,” said May-Kristin Willoch, Head of Environment & DPO, PostNord Norway. “Taking part in this historic milestone with Einride demonstrates how autonomous and digital technologies can reshape the future of transport, reduce emissions, and improve safety. This achievement is not just about crossing a border – it’s about entering a new era for the logistics industry.”