UAE to Witness Autonomous, Electric Trucks Running on a Massive Freight Grid by 2028

Enride, the zero-emission truck manufacturer company, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the UAE’s Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure to develop a massive freight mobility grid for autonomous and electric trucks. 

The grid named “Falcon Rise” will be spread across 341 miles (550 KM), connecting Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. 

Nearly 2000 electric and 200 autonomous vehicles are expected to run through the grid. They will be 8 charging stations and more than 500 charging points to power them. 

The entire freight ecosystem and the grid are executed, monitored, and optimized through Enride’s Saga platform. 

This collaboration gets to the core of what Einride provides – the transformation to effective and sustainable shipping that is fully electric,” said Robert Falck, Einride’s CEO and founder. 

“By partnering on this deal, we’ll be able to showcase how entire regions are able to make the switch in an intelligent and cost-effective way.” 

The venture aims to reduce emissions, achieve uninterrupted operations and improve road freight management in the UAE. It will be completed over the next five years. 

Sharif Al-Olama, MOEI’s undersecretary for energy and petroleum affairs, was highly optimistic about the venture and added, “The establishment of the UAE Falcon Rise grid represents a significant milestone in our journey toward sustainable and intelligent transportation.”

The Swedish company has been concentrating its efforts majorly in the United States and Europe. The company plans to set up its high-end tech in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Norway.

 Its fully autonomous trucks have already cleared tests on public roads in Selmer, Tennessee. A string of radar and lidar sensors and cameras will help with autonomous driving. At the same time, the trucks will continue to be remotely monitored by human operators. 

The UAE has launched a number of initiatives over the past few years to become a world leader in innovative mobility solutions. 

Dubai, specifically, has plans to make 25% of its travels autonomous by 2030 through autonomous boats, self-driving taxis, and more. Read more here.