FERNRIDE Launches Driverless Operations At HHLA TK Estonia Seaport
FERNRIDE, the European pioneer in yard truck automation, announced today that it has begun the transition to driverless operation of terminal tractors. This is occurring at the sprawling HHLA TK Estonia logistics terminal, which is situated on the Baltic Sea near Tallinn. Together, the two companies aim to set new standards for safety and efficiency in port logistics by leveraging driverless technology.
In contrast to driverless freight runs on highways and streets, yard trucks operate on pavement within industrial facilities, moving trailers and/or containers.
FERNRIDE offers a human-assisted autonomy approach to this use case, which allows for remote takeovers of trucks when necessary. This ensures seamless integration and reliable operations for logistics operators. With over a decade of research and high-profile customers, including Volkswagen, HHLA, and DB Schenker, FERNRIDE applies technology to address significant industry challenges, such as driver shortages and the negative environmental impact of logistics operations. The company was founded by Hendrik Kramer, Maximilian Fisser, and Jean-Michael Georg and currently has over 150 employees. Founded in 2020, FERNRIDE has raised more than 60M USD in venture funding.
In the Estonian seaport of Muuga, near the capital Tallinn, HHLA operates the multipurpose terminal HHLA TK (Transiidikeskuse) Estonia. The company handles general, bulk and ro-ro cargo and is connected to the international rail network.
Certification: The Key To Opening Market Opportunity in Europe
Fernride's transition to driverless operations follows the successful certification of FERNRIDE's safety concept and system design by TÜV SÜD, as well as approval by the Estonian Transport Administration (ETA).
In fact, FERNRIDE notes that it is the first company to receive TÜV SÜD certification for an autonomous terminal tractor in accordance with the EU Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC).
TÜV SÜD has been front and center in providing external safety assessments for Automated Driving System developers. On-road truck automation players Aurora and Gatik, among others, have used their services as a key step in moving to driverless operations. But the nature of a TÜV SÜD assessment can vary widely, depending on what the client asks for. In discussions with FERNRIDE for this story, I sought to know more about the level of thoroughness the evaluation entailed.
FERNRIDE asked TÜV SÜD for a holistic approach. The types of assessments conducted by TÜV SÜD covered the entire system, not just individual modules. The analysis encompassed the vehicle, sensors, computing hardware, software, and cybersecurity with respect to ISO 3691-4 (driverless trucks), ISO 12100 (risk assessment and safety), ISO 13849 (functional safety), and IEC TS 63074 (security for functional safety). In addition, the certification included FERNRIDE's safety concept and system design, and full testing of the autonomous terminal tractor. TÜV SÜD confirmed that the whole system meets the European Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC), which defines uniform health and safety requirements for machinery and equivalent products for free trade within the European Economic Area.
According to Benedikt Pulver, Head of the Machine Safety Department at TÜV SÜD, this is the first TÜV SÜD certification for a driverless truck for horizontal container transport worldwide. This sets a new benchmark for autonomous terminal tractors.
To get to this point was not a trivial process. To achieve this level of safety certification, FERNRIDE ran extensive tests. The engineers performed over 2.8 million automated software tests every week and up to 80 physical test scenarios per day on real vehicles. They also conducted 1,200 full-system design validation tests to check the entire system as well as more than 4,800 software test cases to cover edge conditions like object behavior, sensor issues, traffic rules, and stress tests for safety and security. These activities occurred over two years of daily operations at customer sites, verifying that the system worked safely in a real terminal environment.
But more approvals were necessary. HHLA TK Estonia requested approval from ETA to run driverless operations. The ETA reviewed the safety functions built into the FERNRIDE system and the full test reports, which TÜV SÜD had already assessed. The ETA concluded that FERNRIDE's product meets the required safety level for driverless operation in the HHLA TK Estonia port.
What does all this mean? FERNRIDE can now market its product in the European single market and internationally. Customers can buy their vehicles and services as CE-marked container handling equipment, meeting all required safety and procurement standards.
Hendrik Kramer, FERNRIDE CEO, said 'This is a defining moment not only for FERNRIDE but for the entire autonomous logistics industry in Europe. From day one, we've made safety the foundation of everything we build. Meeting Europe's most stringent regulatory standards took a remarkable effort, and I'm incredibly proud of our team's dedication and precision throughout this journey. This certification proves that our technology meets the highest safety benchmarks, not just in theory, but in practice, and brings us one step closer to making autonomous logistics a commercial reality across the EU.'
Riia Sillave, CEO of HHLA TK Estonia, added that 'Entering the phase of driverless terminal transport marks a significant milestone – not just for our collaboration with FERNRIDE, but for the future of terminal operations. As one of the first terminals to take this step, we are shaping the path toward a more intelligent and efficient logistics. We trust that innovation succeeds by including the know-how of our employees – our team's engagement is the foundation for the integration of this technology into everyday operations.' Noting that FERNRIDE is the first to receive TÜV SÜD certification for a specific port application involving autonomous trucks, Benedikt Pulver, head of the machine safety department at TÜV SÜD, emphasized that 'This milestone could establish a new benchmark for safety and compliance in autonomous trucking for terminal applications.'
FERNRIDE and HHLA have had an ongoing partnership since early 2023, working closely to ensure a seamless transition into live operations, executing productive moves on the terminal. The strategy focuses on implementing a gradual approach to integrate FERNRIDE-enabled autonomous terminal tractors at HHLA TK Estonia without safety drivers. Three FERNRIDE tractors are currently in operation at the terminal. FERNRIDE has implemented structured roll-out scenarios and standard procedures to train on-site personnel through the transition to fully driverless operations.
Bottom Line
FERNRIDE characterizes this achievement as 'a significant milestone for autonomous logistics in Europe.' They are not alone in this space. Competitors Forterra, ISEE, and Outrider are highly active in the U.S. and in some cases are working with European yard truck manufacturers.
The market for yard trucks is substantial. Success for any one of the players, as well as the end-users, constitutes a rising tide for industrial autonomy.
Disclosure: Richard Bishop is an Advisor to and/or an equity holder in the following companies mentioned in this article: Aurora, Forterra, Gatik, Outrider.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
These are the Slowest-Selling Cars In the U.S. Right Now
These are the Slowest-Selling Cars In the U.S. Right Now originally appeared on Autoblog. It's likely not surprising to hear that some cars take longer to sell than others, but some sit for much longer than expected. CarEdge recently compiled a list of the slowest-selling cars in America, with two models averaging more than a year on dealers' lots. The Audi S6 was the slowest seller in CarEdge's research, taking an average of 482 days to sell. It's followed closely by its more pedestrian counterpart, the A6, which averaged 409 days to sell. The remaining slowest-selling cars include: Audi S6: 482 days Audi A6: 409 days Volkswagen ID.4: 297 days Audi Q4 e-tron: 271 days Jaguar F-Pace: 239 days Nissan Murano: 234 days Ram 2500: 233 days Porsche Taycan: 229 days Kia EV6: 217 days Land Rover Discovery: 216 days The keen-eyed among you will quickly pick out Audi's two models at the top of the list, which both took far longer to sell than others. Part of that is likely due to their average sales prices, which reaches almost $90,000 for the S6 and nearly $70,000 for the A6. Beyond poking fun at Audi, you can use this information in real-world car-buying situations. You might not care that a particular vehicle has been sitting for an extended period on a dealers' lot, but they do. Dealers have to finance the cars they sell, so the longer a model sits, the more expensive it is for the store. You can use that to your advantage in negotiating a better price if you're interested in one of the models on the list. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Toyota Sienna, Toyota Highlander, and Lexus RX Hybrid were the fastest-selling vehicles, averaging around 20 days to sell. In fact, most of the vehicles on the list of the fastest sellers were from Toyota or Lexus, with only the Cadillac Escalade and Ford F-150 cracking the top ten. These are the Slowest-Selling Cars In the U.S. Right Now first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 26, 2025 This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
The killer speedboats designed to defend Britain's coastline
Credit: Kraken Technology As they zoomed around the Baltic Sea last month, a pair of British drones provided a glimpse of how navies are adapting to a new age of warfare. The K3 Scout unmanned surface vessels (USVs), made by Kraken Technology, were deployed alongside other maritime robots as part of an exercise conducted by NATO's Task Force X. With a top speed of 55 knots, the autonomous boats can be sent on reconnaissance missions hundreds of miles away, dispatched laden with troops and cargo, or loaded up with explosives for kamikaze missions. They can also carry powerful sensors and fire tube-launched loitering munitions, known as suicide drones. In the future, dozens of these relatively low-cost devices – each about 27 feet long – could be unleashed to create a high-tech 'picket fence' around the British Isles. This would allow the Royal Navy to rapidly intercept smugglers, enemy ships or investigate suspicious activity without having to dispatch crewed vessels. 'Once you've detected an object of interest, either above or below the surface, you can shadow them for some time,' says Mark Exeter, Kraken's operations chief. 'It has the speed and performance to keep up with anything or intercept it. You can't shake us off.' The drones highlight the lessons Britain and its allies are learning from the war in Ukraine, where low-cost drones are being used to destroy far more expensive platforms. Yet it also represents a change in tack for Kraken's founder, who was still focused on high-performance powerboat racing as recently as five years ago. From powerboats to firepower Portsmouth-based entrepreneur Malcolm Crease decided to pivot towards defence during the pandemic, after getting several approaches from industry. Interest was originally spurred by the advent of low-earth satellites, which opened up the possibility of controlling drones remotely, but took on fresh urgency as operations in Ukraine demonstrated a need for speed in drone operations. In the Black Sea, Kyiv's forces have put swarms of explosive-laden USVs to devastating effect against the Russian navy, causing so much havoc that Moscow's fleet has effectively been confined to port. They have even been armed with missiles and used to shoot down aircraft, including a Russian Mi-8 helicopter and a Su-30 fighter jet, according to reports. But according to Crease, there is another, far more important reason that companies like Kraken are suddenly in vogue: 'The ability to rapidly iterate and think on our feet is our greatest strength. 'We didn't have to go through months and years of development. We were able to accelerate through that very rapidly – we think like a race team. 'When we started out there was confusion about our background – people would say, 'But you're the racing guys, what do you know about defence?' 'Now, four years down the track, it's a real credibility statement for us. People like that pedigree because they understand why we are able to do what we can do. 'When you start getting out into open water and high sea states and temperatures and wind chill factors and everything else, it's a very, very different, difficult environment to operate in. 'But it's sort of our backyard – it's what we used to do for fun in a racing context. So it's in our DNA.' Small and agile alternative His firm is just one of several British engineering companies turning their hands to defence as Western governments scramble to re-arm. In the UK, ministers have said they want more of these 'small, often family-owned, firms to bring their innovations, their agility and their expert workforce' to the fore, offering a nimbler alternative to the industry's slower-moving defence giants, such as BAE Systems, Babcock and Rolls-Royce. The Strategic Defence Review, published in June, also called for the development of 'dual use' technologies that can be used for both civilian and military purposes, making the defence industry more resilient to supply chain shocks. And though small businesses are unlikely to build multibillion-pound fighter jets or submarines, there is currently an insatiable appetite for what is known in military jargon as 'mass'. These cheap weapons range from largely disposable first-person view drones to more sophisticated platforms such as Kraken's K3 Scout, which are considered 'attritable' rather than indispensable. Yet all tend to have one thing in common: they are easily produced at scale and fast. For example, while the European consortium that makes Typhoon fighter jets can currently muster 20 to 30 jets per year at a push, Kraken will soon expand its operations to make 1,000 Scout drones annually. The company has secured a contract with the Ministry of Defence and has also just secured backing from NATO's investment fund and an unnamed country in the alliance. Another business that has entered the military space is Oxfordshire-based MGI, which was founded by ex-Formula 1 engineer Mike Gascoyne in 2003. Originally, the company provided design consultancy services, but it has since expanded to manufacture unmanned aerial and maritime vehicles, as well as an ultra-cheap missile. This month, MGI demonstrated its SkyShark drone at its airfield near the village of Enstone. It can be sent on intelligence missions, loaded up with munitions or used for one-way kamikaze strikes, at a fraction of the price of a traditional cruise missile. Crucially, it also relies on an all-British supply chain, including gas turbine engines made by fellow Oxfordshire firm Argive or a silent, electric fan engine made by London-based Greejets. His company has also secured contracts with the Ministry of Defence, which he says he cannot discuss. 'Traditionally, defence projects take years to develop, but the essence of Formula 1 is you've got to develop rapidly and move really quickly,' adds Gascoyne. 'You make a new car every year, and every two weeks, somewhere around the world, you're racing a different version of it, constantly updating to stay in the game and remain competitive. 'Now, the military has realised what they need as well.' Start-up struggles Still, while the success enjoyed by the likes of MGI and Kraken so far is promising, many executives say there is still a long way to go to make the defence industry more welcoming to start-ups. It is still common for smaller companies to struggle to obtain bank accounts owing to controversial environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing rules. Many businesses also struggle to stay afloat while they wait months and often years for the Ministry of Defence to award contracts. This limbo period has been dubbed the 'valley of death' by the industry. 'British industrial creativity is second to none,' says Labour's Fred Thomas, a former Royal Marines commando who is now MP for Plymouth Moor View and a member of the defence committee. 'We have the best engineers, designers and thinkers in the world. 'Applying these advantages to defence innovation is vital for our country's security. It's on the Government to incorporate these capabilities into the national arsenal.' Ministers have vowed to improve the situation by requiring officials to award contracts far more quickly. They have also established the new UK Defence Innovation organisation, which has been given a ring-fenced budget of £400m per year and a mandate to seek out innovation. With luck, it should mean that more companies like Kraken can contribute to Britain's defences. 'We've done this in a slightly unconventional way, but we're now being taken very seriously,' Crease adds. 'We're anticipating explosive growth.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Volkswagen seeks audience with Trump, dangling more than $10 billion in U.S. investments in exchange for tariff exemptions
Group CEO Oliver Blume is prepared to invest a minimum $10 billion in the United States in hopes of securing a like-for-like reduction in the company's tariff bill. On Friday the world's second-largest carmaker by vehicle sales slashed its 2025 guidance for revenue, margins, and cash citing Q2 headwinds from U.S. import duties totaling roughly $1.4 billion. Once the company knows what tariffs are agreed to by the Trump administration and the European Union, VW aims to enter into bilateral talks directly with the White House to seek carve-outs. Oliver Blume wants to make a deal. The CEO of Volkswagen Group, the world's second-largest carmaker, is prepared to put a minimum of $10 billion on the table in exchange for lower tariffs levied by the Trump administration. Under the proposal, for every dollar that Volkswagen invests, it would like to receive in return an equal amount offset against its tariff bill. The VW boss is only waiting on the European Commission to reach a deal on behalf of the entire EU so he then knows what precise rates he can expect on goods exported to the U.S. market. 'Every company has got a special situation in the U.S., and therefore I think it should be possible to add a specific deal on company level,' Blume said on Friday, after revealing his company just paid $1.4 billion to the U.S. customs authorities. 'We can offer huge investments.' White House spokesman Kush Desai told Fortune in a statement: 'The Trump administration is always ready to encourage and support new investment into the United States. President Trump, however, has been clear: The best way to avoid tariffs is to build your product in the USA.' Volkswagen in fact already operates a U.S. assembly plant in Chattanooga, where it builds the Atlas SUV and ID.4 electric crossover. It is currently investing $2 billion in a new site in Blythewood, S.C., where it is planning a new family of electrified vehicles under the resurrected Scout brand first launched by defunct manufacturer International Harvester. VW could not confirm whether this figure was included in the $10 billion. Typically, trade policy falls under the responsibility of Congress. But the White House capitalized on a legal loophole to seize control over tariff rates by declaring the import of foreign-built passenger cars poses a demonstrable risk to national security. The Trump administration argues the U.S. must rebuild a domestic manufacturing base, now gutted by the offshoring of jobs, that can ward off potential military threats. Bilateral deals could prove costly in the long run A special quid pro quo exemption or carve-out negotiated bilaterally between a corporation and a federal government is not typical under the rules governing World Trade Organization members like the United States. Thanks to the two previous U.S. administrations, the WTO's ability to settle and enforce trade disputes has been neutralized as its highest court—known as the Appellate Body—was effectively dismantled. At the end of 2019, Trump blocked appointments needed to achieve a quorum in a tactic that was later adopted by President Biden as well. Regardless of the legal issue, the idea that corporations could sidestep their national governments by lining up, one after the other, to each strike their own special deal with the White House has experts concerned that the rules of trade could end up becoming permanently chaotic. 'This is a new development that is anything but positive, since it introduces unpredictability. In the long run it could prove very expensive when it comes to overall prosperity,' says Julian Hinz, director of the Trade Research Center at Germany's Kiel Institute for the World Economy. Guidance cut 'The great thing about the rules-based system is that they were valid for everyone—you didn't have to negotiate with every conceivable economic actor,' the global trade economist told Fortune. 'It might offer a temporary advantage over your competitors, but it's extremely myopic.' Earlier on Friday the company behind VW, Audi, and Porsche slashed its 2025 guidance across the board, reducing expectations for everything from its annual sales revenue and operating margin through to even how much cash it has at year-end. And the chief culprit, according to Volkswagen Group, is the 27.5% duty levied by the president on all vehicles and car parts entering the United States. The gross sum from tariffs is estimated to wipe a full two percentage points off its operating margin should they remain at current levels. Once planned mitigation efforts are factored in this would result in a 4% operating profit margin. In a more optimistic scenario based on tariffs of just 10%, it expects that number to hit 5%. Previously it had guided for a range of 5.5% to 6.5% versus 5.9% in 2024. Its tariff bill from U.S. Customs and Border Protection ballooned from €100 million ($117 million) in the first three months of this year to €1.2 billion in the second quarter alone. That means the $1.4 billion in equivalent U.S. currency it paid exceeds the $1.1 billion that Detroit rival General Motors paid during the past three months. Update: July 25, 2025: This article has been updated with a comment from the White House. This story was originally featured on Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
