Today, we had the opportunity to visit Einride, a groundbreaking company that specializes in autonomous driving trucks. Before this visit, I was unaware of the advancements in this field, making the experience all the more fascinating and enlightening. One aspect that stood out during our time at Einride was their unwavering commitment to sustainability, which served as the driving force behind the establishment of this innovative venture. According to Einride, the future of transportation lies in embracing electric, autonomous, and digital technologies, firmly believing that manual driving and diesel-powered vehicles will become obsolete as society progresses.
What sets Einride apart is its revolutionary approach of completely eliminating the need for drivers in their trucks. Instead, their vehicles operate remotely, with drivers overseeing the decision-making process. Although the trucks are fully autonomous, human interaction is still required through vehicle interfaces. Consequently, Einride is actively seeking to hire individuals to fulfill this role. Einride aims to employ young people in the trucking industry to ensure a steady and capable workforce, considering that the average age of truckers currently surpasses 50. By attracting more youthful, tech-savvy individuals, Einride guarantees a consistent employee base and harnesses the potential for leveraging their familiarity with emerging technologies.
Adopting autonomous electric trucks represents a significant step towards reducing carbon emissions and fostering a more sustainable trucking industry. The introduction of electric trucks can significantly contribute to curbing pollution, particularly for densely populated cities in Europe, such as the ones we encountered during our travels. Einride’s steadfast dedication to sustainability is palpable throughout Sweden, with each location we visited incorporating sustainable practices in its operations. Whether through eco-conscious fashion design or the creation of sustainable products, the Swedish people wholeheartedly embrace these ideals.
Undoubtedly, the digitalization of Einride’s services will prove invaluable globally. By establishing electric charging stations and developing a user-friendly app that pinpoints their locations, Einride is laying the groundwork for the widespread adoption of electric trucks. Through this pioneering initiative, other companies can build upon Einride’s success and further propel the industry forward. The potential for this company is vast, and I am eagerly looking forward to witnessing its future accomplishments and contributions to the transportation sector.
Thanks,
Sam Hartman
Ethan Part 4:
What a great city! I know I said that last time, but it’s still true and I have more reasons for it being great now. Ok, it’s going to go like this: What I’ve done, a recommendation, and then a bit on Ericsson. Let’s get into it.
So yesterday (Stockholm Day 3) I had the pleasure of seeing a movie in Sweden (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse). As a film guy, I’m always interested in the subtle differences between moviegoing from country to country. It seems so simple, a worldwide experience, but it’s always a little off. In Italy, for example, there’s intermission in the middle of random movies. I mean, I know Dune is long, but come on! I was in it! I digress. Here in Sweden, according to my one experience, it’s a little weird.
For starters, they play a lot of ads, and I know trailers are ads, but these are regular commercials. We were still a few minutes into the official start time and getting shown weird McDonald’s ads where it’s just two people making out on a bench for thirty seconds next to a McCafé bag. Then we only got two trailers: Indy 5 and The Flash. Perfectly fine with me, I’ll be seeing both, but what happened next really took the cake. One of the theater staff came out and told us (to the best of my understanding as someone who speaks no Swedish) where the exits were and then something about mobile phones. I assume just not to record. She also asked if there were any Marvel fans and got a handful of half-hearted cheers which was funny. She said a lot more than that, but it went right over our heads. Then she left and I think the movies about to start, but no. Another ad. What a weird way to do things. Anyways I got a sick poster out of it and the movie was great.
After that movie, we did live karaoke with Niklas’ brother and everyone had a blast! We drank and sang and ate good Filipino food. I got the opportunity to play a Bob Dylan song on David’s guitar and later sang one from Elvis Costello. It was a really great time.
Today (Stockholm Day 4), we had our first free day of the trip. The majority of the day was spent in Djurgården, an island with many museums and attractions here in Stockholm. There, I visited the Vasa museum and was able to see a huge 17th-century ship that was pulled out of the water in great condition. It was really interesting seeing how it may have looked back then as well as the choices they made with regard to decorating it. One that caught my eye was making a Polish man (the Swedes enemies at the time) be trapped underneath a very heavy piece of wood that held the anchors. Even more amusing was that it was in direct view of the bathroom. Next, I skipped the ABBA museum and wandered the area as the Stockholm marathon took place. I got a great view of the runners in first and then much later saw the rest of them. After a bit of lunch, I went to Gröna Lund, an amusement park by the water. There, I faced my fear of heights, riding insane aptly named roller coasters, and I came out with a sore neck from ducking during the rollercoaster.
Here’s the recommendation: Don’t duck on the rollercoaster. I almost folded like a piece of paper when the downward track turned upward very quickly. My neck did not appreciate that move. Overall though, worth checking out I’d say.
Ok, let’s get down to business. Get it? Ericsson, the communications company has a really cool studio that we were able to visit. They discussed a lot of the possibilities on the horizon in their industry. They showed us some cool technology, including a small autonomous robot the travelled along a path. They showed us what it saw and went into how exactly it worked. I got to be part of the presentation for all of three seconds at this point. They discussed the future of networks and how they were working on 6G tech, the next step up from 5G. Overall, it was a pretty cool presentation and it seemed as though they were incredibly positive about where things were going in the communications industry in the near future, so keep an eye on that.
Before I end, I’d like to touch on something. I know I write a lot more about the experiences in the city than I do the business visits. That’s not a slight against Ericsson or any of the other great companies we’ve had the pleasure of visiting. It’s just that the time spent within these companies is short and the cultural factors encompass the entire experience so I have more to say about them.
I’ll try to flip the switch on my next one and give a fully business post. We’ll see if I stick to that.
Until then,
Ethan
