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1. Hesai Ranks No. 1 in Global Automotive Lidar for the 2nd Year in a Row

• • Hesai Technology has been named the top automotive LiDAR company for the second consecutive year by Yole Group, a global advisory and market analysis firm specializing in semiconductor, photonic, and electronic sectors.
  • Yole Group’s “LiDAR for Automotive 2023” report ranks companies based on key indicators of success in the LiDAR industry.
  • Hesai is ranked as the No. 1 global automotive LiDAR supplier with the largest market share by revenue, securing close to half of the total global automotive LiDAR market.
  • In the global robotic cars LiDAR market in 2022, Hesai maintains an impressive 67% market share of the $147M market, thanks to its strong customer base that includes major industry players like Zoox and Aurora.
  • The global passenger car LiDAR market, including ADAS applications for L2+ and L3, is experiencing rapid growth at 285% YoY. Hesai is leading with a 23% market share by revenue and 31% of the design wins in this market.
  • Hesai is projected to lead this market in 2023 with the largest shipment of ADAS LiDAR units.

2. NAMUGA signs deal with US semiconductor company to supply fixed lidar for ‘autonomous driving’

• • NAMUGA, a camera module specialist, signed a technology and product supply agreement with Lumotive, an American optical semiconductor company, for autonomous driving LiDAR components.
  • The agreement aims to accelerate the launch of NAMUGA’s solid-state LiDAR products and expand its technology to peripheral information recognition solutions, such as autonomous robots.
  • Lumotive is known for applying a digital beam steering chip for LiDAR, which maximizes the range and performance of Time of Flight (ToF) sensors.
  • The majority of current LiDAR products in the market are mechanical, while Lumotive’s fixed LiDAR technology offers advantages in power efficiency, durability, and miniaturization.
  • The automotive LiDAR market is projected to grow rapidly, and fixed LiDAR is expected to see significant growth at an average annual rate of 26%.
  • NAMUGA aims to capitalize on the growing LiDAR market for autonomous vehicles and expand its solutions to the robotics industry, leveraging synergies with its group companies, including Dreamtek and AImatics.
  • The collaboration with Lumotive is expected to provide NAMUGA with a competitive advantage in the global market and drive technological innovation in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and other next-generation device technologies.

3. Release of Volvo EX90 EV delayed due to software development challenges

• • Volvo’s large EX90 electric SUV release has been delayed by 5-6 months due to software development challenges, particularly related to integrating Lidar technology for safety purposes.
  • The addition of Lidar technology aims to make the EX90 safer than previous Volvo vehicles, aligning with the brand’s reputation for safety technologies in its cars.
  • The software complexities faced by Volvo are not unique to the company, as other automakers, such as Volkswagen Group, have also struggled with software development for electric vehicles.
  • The EX90, described as Volvo’s most advanced car, will be the company’s first electric 7-seater vehicle, filling a gap in the market for larger electric SUVs.
  • The SUV will have a powerful dual-motor powertrain setup producing 380kW of power, with a large 111 kWh battery pack providing fast charging capabilities.

4. Waymo is scaling back its self-driving truck ambitions

• • Waymo, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of Alphabet, is putting a pause on its autonomous truck technology development to refocus on ride-hailing services instead.
  • The trucking unit, known as Waymo Via, will have its timeline pushed back, and development in the unit will be scaled back. Some employees were laid off as a result of this decision.
  • Waymo will continue to collaborate with Daimler on developing a driverless truck and will work on its Driver product, which can be scaled to different types of vehicles.
  • California state legislators are considering a bill that would require human drivers to be present at all times inside autonomous trucks, which the industry sees as a threat to driverless truck adoption.

5. Mobileye Unveils New Software That Contorls a Car’s Speed

• • Mobileye has launched the world’s first software for vehicles called Intelligent Speed Assist (ISA) that prevents drivers from surpassing the maximum speed limit on roads using AI and a single camera.
  • ISA can slow down the vehicle to comply with the speed limit or provide a warning to the driver when speeding.
  • The software uses machine learning and advanced technologies to identify speed limits, even in the absence of traffic signs.
  • It is designed for Mobileye’s EyeQ computing chip, which also supports other functions like emergency brake assist and blind spot warnings.
  • The software has been certified for use in all 27 EU countries, as well as Israel, Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey.
  • A major global auto group plans to integrate the software into two vehicle brands for models going on sale in Europe later this year, with more models to follow in 2024.