Einride unveils first-of-its-kind study quantifying the impact of AI-powered electrification planning

• Developed with leading research institute Fraunhofer ISI using real-world logistics data from Einride customer REWE, the study confirms that optimized digital planning unlocks higher electrification rates, greater fleet utilization, and 8-13%* lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
• Einride's Planning AI drives the study's results by optimizing fleet operations, boosting electrification, and reducing costs through integrating route and charge planning at the fleet level

STOCKHOLM, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Einride, a technology company that provides digital, electric and autonomous solutions for road freight, today unveiled the results of a first-of-its-kind study conducted in collaboration with the renowned German research institute Fraunhofer ISI. By using AI-powered planning tools, the study is the first to quantify how re-optimizing transport planning at the fleet level, rather than simply swapping diesel to electric truck-by-truck, is the key to making electric transport scalable and cost-effective.

Einride and Fraunhofer ISI analyzed more than 38,000 shipments and operational patterns of over 200 vehicles operating for leading grocery retailer REWE, serving more than 500 sites within a 230 km radius from two distribution centers in the Berlin area, Germany.

"With this study, we're not just saying AI will transform freight, we're proving it with data. Quantifying the impact of AI-powered planning marks a critical step forward for the industry and underscores Einride's leadership in building scalable, intelligent transport systems," said Roozbeh Charli, CEO at Einride. "By unlocking these insights today, we're laying the groundwork for advancements that will shape the next chapter of future-proofed freight."

At the core of these results is Einride's advanced Planning AI engine built into its software platform, that rethinks how freight is planned and executed. Unlike standard approaches in the industry that attempt to replace diesel trucks with electric trucks one-to-one, Planning AI integrates vehicle characteristics, energy constraints, and real-world shipment data to create highly coordinated schedules for all assets in the system. The technology boosts asset utilization, optimizes charging and enables scalable, cost-effective electric operations that outperform the industry standard by taking a fleet-wide perspective.

Key findings from the study include:

• AI-powered planning drives deeper electrification: Using Einride's Planning AI, electric trucks were able to handle up to 85% of total payload and 54% of total mileage which significantly outperformed the 1:1 replacement approach, which reached 57% and 32% respectively.

• Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) through intelligent operations: The replanned system achieved 8-13% reductions depending on the baseline* in fleet-level TCO compared to all-diesel operations. The 1:1 replacement approach yielded 3% savings which turned out to be highly dependent on CAPEX subsidies.

• Charging investments made more effective: Installing 150 kW fast chargers at loading bays reduced costs for both approaches, but fleets optimized with Planning AI relied less on this costly infrastructure to reach high electrification and cost-efficiency.

• Resilience in uncertain economic conditions: Even in scenarios without CAPEX subsidies for electric vehicles, fleets planned with Einride's technology maintained strong electrification rates and cost parity with diesel-only operations, proving AI-based planning can mitigate market volatility and policy shifts.

"The study makes an important scientific contribution to advancing the decarbonization of road freight transport. As an innovation-friendly company, REWE is proud to support corresponding initiatives and research, " said Dr. Fabian Nevries, Head of Transport Innovation & Technology at REWE. "Economic efficiency is ultimately the key prerequisite for the sustainable transformation of truck fleets and at REWE, we continue to closely monitor and support the development of technologies and solutions in this area."

"The results of our study make it clear that if fleet operators switch entirely or partially to electric trucks, they should also optimize their routes to save costs and operate their truck fleets as efficiently as possible. Appropriate planning software that integrates route and charging planning at the fleet level has a significantly greater impact than, for example, increasing battery sizes or the uncoordinated expansion of charging infrastructure," said Prof. Dr. Patrick Plötz, Head of Energy Economics business unit at Fraunhofer ISI. 

The full published study can be found at https://publica.fraunhofer.de/handle/publica/487013. The study was carried out as part of the Swedish innovation project Regional Electrified Logistics REEL, funded by the Swedish program FFI, Strategic Vehicle Research and Innovation.

*8% compared to optimized diesel baseline, 13% compared to estimated historical diesel baseline

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