An autonomous truck is only one part of the equation. For freight operations to become truly autonomous, the entire workflow - including charging - must function without human intervention, and that includes charging.
As ex9 advanced its X HUB project, focused on industrialising and deploying eco-friendly autonomous vehicles in logistics environments, it became clear that automating the energy component was essential. As one of the partners in the X-HUB project, Elonroad stepped in to address this challenge. Both ex9 and Elonroad recognised that large-scale road freight electrification cannot be solved by a single technology or player.
Yard charging infrastructure presents significant challenges in terms of grid capacity, power management, and operational efficiency, particularly in environments where vehicles are expected to operate continuously and increasingly without drivers.
Through discussions within the D2XCEL network and the X HUB project, it became evident that ex9 and Elonroad address interconnected parts of the same system challenge. ex9 focuses on autonomous vehicle operations, while Elonroad enables scalable and automated charging infrastructure. Bringing these capabilities together was a natural step toward closing the loop between transport and energy.
ex9 builds autonomous electric trucks that move trailers around logistics hubs, combining self-driving yard vehicles with advanced fleet orchestration software to automate logistics flows in terminals and industrial environments.
Elonroad provides the charging infrastructure. By integrating ground-based, cable-free charging rails with ex9’s trucks, vehicles would be able to power up automatically, both while standing still and, in future phases, while in motion. There are no manual plug-ins and no need for human intervention. This creates a system where charging would become as automated as the transport itself.
Together, the companies are building a more flexible and resilient energy ecosystem that reduces peak loads, improves asset utilization, and supports scalable electrification strategies. The result is yard environments that are efficient, automation-ready, and designed to support continuous operations.
“True autonomy means removing every manual bottleneck. By working with Elonroad, we’re making sure that charging is just as automated as the transport itself.”
Ksenia Duarte, CEO, ex9
“If we want autonomous freight to scale, charging must become seamless and system-integrated. This collaboration with ex9 is about future-proofing logistics infrastructure so that vehicles can operate, charge, and move with minimal interruption, both today and in the autonomous fleets of tomorrow.”
Karin Ebbingshaus, CEO, Elonroad
The collaboration currently includes the deployment of Elonroad’s stationary charging rails within the X HUB project. The next step is advancing toward dynamic charging, enabling trucks to charge while in motion and supporting 24/7 operations without downtime.
Looking ahead, the partners plan to expand integrated demonstrations and explore hybrid charging strategies in high-demand logistics hubs and terminal environments.
This project has received funding from the European Union under grant agreement Nº101121100. Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.