In the first four months of 2024,China’s production and sales increased by 8 and 10 per cent, respectively, at 9 million vehicles. NEV (new-energy vehicles) sales reached around 3 million units, up 32 per cent from the previous year. NEVs accounted for 32.4 per cent of China’s auto sales in the period.
Hesai shipped 52,462 ADAS lidar units in Q1-2024, which is 86.1 per cent more than Q1-2023. Their total (automotive and all other) for Q1 2024 was 59,101 units. Net revenues were C¥ 359.1m (USD $49.7m), a 16.5 per cent drop from the Q1-2023 revenue of C¥ 429.9m. Gross margin stood at 38.8 per cent, up one percentage point from a year ago. The net loss for the first quarter was C¥ 106.9m ($14.8m), compared to a net loss of C¥ 118.9m in the same period last year. R&D expenses totalled C¥ 194.4m ($26.9m).
Robosense’s Q1-2024 revenue from ADAS lidar products was C¥ 310m, compared to C¥ 70m in Q1-2023. In Q1 this year, RoboSense sold around 120,000 units total (up 457.4 per cent YoY), with approximately 116,000 units for ADAS (up 542 per cent). RoboSense reported an adjusted net loss of C¥ 84.1m for the quarter, compared to a net loss of C¥ 95m in Q1-2023. RoboSense’s R&D expenses for the quarter were approximately C¥ 150m.
Aeye has announced a partnership with Accelight Technologies (ATI) and LighTekton. The collaboration aims to introduce AEye’s 4Sight lidar platform to the Chinese market, to advance safety in autonomous trucking and railway systems. ATI brings experience and expertise in high-quality optoelectronic products. Based in China’s Wuhan Optics Valley, LighTekton specializes in photoelectric perception technology, focusing on autonomous driving.
Aeye also announced partnership with Liteon Technology, who bring expertise in optoelectronics and power management, and will be the tier-1. Liteon supports automakers in Europe and North America, from design to manufacturing.
The Volvo EX90 has started production, equipped with Luminar’s advanced lidar sensors. Luminar’s extended partnership with TPK, renowned for manufacturing prowess, is intended to reduce costs and streamline production timelines. The collaboration underscores TPK’s commitment to supporting Luminar’s scale-up in response to growing product demand.
Valeohas secured their 17th Automotive News PACE Award for their Scala3 lidar. This recognition highlights the company’s commitment to innovation, particularly in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving technologies. The SCALA™ 3 lidar is designed to support highway Pilot at speeds up to 80 mph (130 km/h).
Baidu is considering collaborating with Tesla for the beleagured automaker’s announced future robotaxi service. The decision will reportedly be based on particulars of Tesla’s application models and the timing of their robotaxi entry into the Chinese market.
Motional has announced a significant shift in their strategy, emphasizing the delay in the large-scale deployment of their autonomous vehicles. The recent injection of $475m from Hyundai Motor Group highlights continued belief in the long-term potential of autonomous technologies. However, it also underscores a realistic approach towards deployment.
