DAF Trucks and Einride have launched a partnership aimed at bringing Level 4 autonomous electric freight closer to commercial deployment.
The collaboration will see Einride’s autonomous driving system, Einride Driver, integrated into DAF’s next-generation electric truck platform.
The companies said the project is intended to support the large-scale commercialisation of autonomous electric freight as the haulage sector faces challenges including driver shortages and rising operating costs.
SAE Level 4 automation allows a vehicle to carry out driving tasks independently within defined operating conditions, without requiring human intervention.
Under the model outlined by the companies, drivers could instead focus on areas of logistics where human expertise and judgement are more valuable.
As an initial step, DAF and Einride will work with Dutch applied research organisation TNO to define and test how the autonomous system can be integrated into DAF’s electric truck platform.
The platform includes the technology behind DAF’s XD and XF Electric models, which were jointly named International Truck of the Year 2026.
Work will include establishing the interfaces needed to support safe and scalable autonomous operation.
Initial testing and validation of key interfaces is scheduled to take place during 2026.
Einride’s autonomous driving software is then expected to be integrated and commissioned in 2027, with further interface validation and functional testing carried out using a DAF truck.
The companies are also working with type approval authorities, supported by TNO, as they seek to ensure the platform can comply with requirements for future expansion onto public roads.
The initiative builds on automated driving work already undertaken by DAF parent company PACCAR, including its North American Autonomous Vehicle Platform programme.
PACCAR is also working with autonomous technology providers as it develops wider capabilities for software-defined heavy-duty transport.
Roozbeh Charli, chief executive of Einride, said: “By leveraging DAF’s decades of manufacturing excellence and market strength, we can expedite the global scale-up of Einride's autonomous technology.”
“This collaboration validates our vehicle-agnostic approach to autonomy and brings us one step closer to deploying safe, scalable Level 4 autonomy at commercial scale.”
Jeroen van den Oetelaar, DAF Trucks’ chief engineer and board member, said the partnership reflected the manufacturer’s focus on preparing the logistics sector for future technologies.
“This collaboration is a testament to DAF's commitment to innovation and future-proofing the logistics sector,” he said.
“By combining our premium truck platform with leading autonomous technology, we are actively shaping a more efficient, safer and sustainable freight ecosystem.”
DAF currently offers a range of electric trucks extending from the 12-tonne XB Electric for urban distribution to the XG and XG+ Electric for longer-distance operations.
The XG Electric and XG+ Electric share technology with the XD and XF Electric, which received the International Truck of the Year 2026 award for their efficiency, driveline performance and driver comfort.
The partnership will now move through testing and validation before the planned integration of Einride’s autonomous software in 2027.