Einride CEO: Financing is key to autonomous trucking growth

Einride views financing as a key driver of autonomous trucking adoption.  

AUSTIN, Texas – Stockholm-based Einride, an end-to-end provider of autonomous and EV freight solutions, expects financing to play a “big role” in executing its growth strategy as it prepares to go public, Chief Executive Roozbeh Charli told Equipment Finance News. 

“We regard the financing structures as an equally important part for the industry in this transition to electric and autonomous freight,” he told EFN after an investors presentation on March 19.  

“What are the future financing structures for autonomous vehicles being deployed? What does that look like when the current structures are sort of altered? I think the whole industry is going to have to think about that.” 

— Roozbeh Charli, CEO, Einride

Einride offers leasing solutions and uses a securitization structure that pools revenue from customer contracts, Charli said. This model enables Einride’s freight-as-a-service offering, handling everything from financing trucks to sourcing drivers, he said.  

The company also secured a $300 million debt facility led by Barclays Europe in December 2022 to support its fleet expansion, according to a release.  

“We’re going to continue down the different paths of asset-backed lending, securities on the contracts to find the optimal financing structures,” Charli said. 

Einride, founded in 2016, similarly expects dealers to play a key role in autonomous adoption “in terms of getting the assets to market, but also in terms of financing solutions,” he said. 

AI-powered OS  

The intelligence behind Einride’s platform is Saga — an AI-powered operating system designed to manage, optimize and digitize EV freight operations, aggregating data from trucks, shippers and other sources, Charli told investors during the presentation.  

“The customer journey always starts with us ingesting the transportation data onto our platform.” 

— Roozbeh Charli, CEO, Einride

Einride’s platform aims to route planning, charging efficiency and vehicle utilization while reducing the costs of labor, assets and energy.  

Aggregating data into a unified platform gives Einride and its customers a “deep understanding” of their operations, maximizing the deployment of autonomous solutions, Charli said. 

The road ahead 

Einride has $92 million of annual recurring revenue in signed customer contracts, up from $65 million in mid-2025, according to the presentation. Its customers have logged more than 3,300 driverless hours as of March, up from roughly 1,700 in mid-2025.  

The company expects to build on recent momentum as the autonomous truck market gains traction, with plans to go public in the first half of 2026 through its merger with special purpose acquisition company Legato Merger Corp. III. The deal is expected to deliver $333 million in gross proceeds and $220 million in proceeds from Legato’s cash-in trust.  

Einride will also begin testing its fully autonomous, cab-less truck on a 41-mile stretch of Texas State Highway 130 near Austin later this year.  

Further, the company’s goals for 2026 include capitalizing on AI advancements to enhance self-driving capabilities, Chief Technology Officer Henrik Green told EFN. 

The fourth annual Equipment Finance Connect, a crucial industry event for equipment lenders and dealers, takes place at the C. Baldwin Hotel in Houston from May 18-19. Learn more about the event and register here by April 3 for early-bird savings.