Issue 37 Unmanned Systems Technology April/May 2021 Einride next-gen Pod l Battery technology l Dive Technologies AUV-Kit l UGVs insight l Vanguard EFI/ETC vee twins l Icarus Swarms l Transponders l Sonobot 5 l IDEX 2021 report

32 with respect to speed, acceleration and cornering, for example, the Pod is designed to conform to the legal requirements that apply to heavy-duty vehicles in the markets in which it is intended to operate. However, Hallgren notes that its cornering limits are mainly set by the grip available and the height of the Pod’s centre of gravity. “Assuming the use of our standard tyres and an unloaded Pod, the limit is the traction,” he says. “Thanks to the low centre of gravity the Pod has a lower rollover risk than conventional diesel trucks.” While the Pod is not required to swerve through Sweden’s tough ‘elk test’ to prove its stability, Hallgren notes that Einride incorporates handling tests into its safety evaluations. Overall, the Pod’s safety is analysed from a system degradation perspective. Cyber security For a vehicle that can be controlled remotely, safety is intertwined with security, Hallgren emphasises. “As is always the case with security, the issue is not tackling one main issue but rather to focus on making sure no single vulnerability can lead to a working exploit,” he says. “It’s not about a few distinct efforts, it’s about being security- minded throughout.” He explains that the Pod’s software can be updated over the air during normal operations. It need not be connected to a charger while updating, but it needs to be stationary. “However, the situations in which an update can be applied during operations depends on the update,” Hallgren adds. Anatomy and propulsion With a gross vehicle weight of 26 t, the Pod is a three-axle vehicle that provides a payload capacity of 16 t on between 15 and 18 standard-size pallets. In terms of structure, the chassis is built from heavy-duty steel frames and integrated with the all-electric drivetrain and batteries, which are mounted on both sides of the chassis frame between the first and second axles. The body and other secondary structures are made from composite materials and alloys. Einride chose pure electric propulsion rather than any kind of hybrid because it considers the future of transport to be completely fossil-free, Hallgren says, stressing that only battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) provide full flexibility regarding the primary energy carrier. “In our home market, electricity is already generated mostly from CO 2 emissions- free sources,” he points out. Einride is not currently looking to use any type of fuel cell, he says, as it considers fuel-cell-based powertrains too complex for vehicles using them to be competitive with pure BEVs, while acknowledging that progress has been made in both hydrogen storage and fuel cell design. “From a sustainability aspect especially, hydrogen-based systems have a lower overall energy efficiency than battery- based energy storage,” Hallgren says. “This is amplified by the constantly improving performance characteristics of lithium-ion batteries, all while their cost continues to fall.” The design range on a single charge of its battery pack is 130-180 km. Einride has worked with several battery suppliers for its earlier EVs, including Northvolt, but is in the process of evaluating different solutions for the next-gen Pod. The same applies to the other major driveline components, from inverters to motor/ generator units, axles, braking system components and suspension. Whichever is eventually selected, it will rely on the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard, with the DC side used primarily for fast charging during daily operations. The AC side is used in conjunction with the Pod’s onboard charger and is mainly for overnight charging. As with the electric driveline components, Einride has worked with several suppliers to ensure interoperability between charging stations and vehicles. The vehicle is now fitted with standard CCS connectors that have to be plugged in manually, but additional options are in the works. “Automated solutions based on the same standards are currently under evaluation for scenarios in which the Pod has to recharge autonomously,” Hallgren says. Battery optimisation and transport planning Any operator with a fleet of autonomous electric trucks has to take both transport planning and optimal use of batteries very seriously. Realising this, Einride founder April/May 2021 | Unmanned Systems Technology Gross vehicle weight: 26 t Length: 7.6 m Width: 2.6 m Height: 3.75 m Payload: 16 t Loading capacity: 15-18 standard pallets Range per charge: 130-180 km Automated charging: CCS Some key suppliers Autonomous vehicle computing platform: Nvidia HD mapping and localisation: DeepMap 5G connectivity: Ericsson Connected vehicle: Telia Asset tracking: Telia Fleet management: Telia Some sensors and devices for which Einride provides SDKs through GitHub Aplicom telematics devices Emlid Reach GNSS receivers Here Maps API Nobil public charger API Velodyne VLP-16 Lidar Xsens MTi IMU Specifications