Great Scott! The sci-fi daydreams of driverless cars are becoming a reality in Louisville with the deployment of the US’s first self-driving, electric truck set to operate at GE Appliances, a Haier company.
In a partnership with Sweden-based freight tech company, Einride, GEA is looking to make shipping greener, safer + more cost-effective by enlisting a fleet of the tech company’s electric and autonomous trucks to transport its products.
One of the vehicles, dubbed “The Pod,” represents Einride’s first US installation + will operate at GE Appliances’ 750-acre Appliance Park at 4000 Buechel Bank Rd.
The Pod isn’t short of a futuristic look either. The 11-ton, 15-ft-long white truck looks like it drove straight out of a Ridley Scott film. While it can reach a top speed of 55 mph, The Pod is taking it slow at GEA’s park — driving between 3 and 10 mph to transport materials between buildings.
GEA is testing The Pod for a few weeks as part of a pilot program, but don’t ditch your car keys yet, it could be four years before The Pod ever sees the open road.
In addition to the self-driving truck, GEA plans to launch six of Einride’s electric vehicles in February at Appliance Park and facilities in Tennessee + Georgia. With this implementation of electric vehicles, GEA is expected to save 970 tons of CO2 emissions within the first year.
