Beijing (Gasgoo)-Lotus Car’s first battery-electric SUV, the Eletre, will be powered by LiDAR technologies from China's LiDAR suppliers, Hesai Technology and RoboSense, the suppliers announced on March 31st. 

Photo credit: Lotus Car

The Eletre is branded as a HYPER SUV, equipped with four LiDARs, high-resolution cameras, and 4D millimeter-wave radars to improve perception capabilities. The car made its debut on March 30th.

Specifically, Hesai Technology’s hybrid solid-state AT128 LiDAR with 128 laser beams works as the main LiDAR on the front and the rear end of the Eletre, featuring a reversible design to cut down wind drag when autonomous driving functions are not in use.  

The AT128 is broadly used by multiple local auto startups, including Li Auto, JIDU, and HiPhi. The LiDAR will start large-scale delivery in the second half of 2022, in Hesai Technology’s Maxwell intelligent factory with a designed production capacity of one million units per year. 

On the other hand, RoboSense’s signature RS-LiDAR-M1 smart solid-state LiDAR is placed on the side of the wheels of the Eletre, improving lateral perception. Aside from Lotus Car, the RS-LiDAR-M1 has also landed RoboSense numerous procurement orders from various enterprises within the industry, namely BYD, GAC AION, WM Motor, ZEEKR, Inceptio Technology, and Zhito Technology, empowering supercars, coupes, SUVs and heavy-duty trucks. 

Notably, LiDARs are becoming more and more popular among newly made intelligent vehicle models. According to data compiled by Gasgoo, at least 15 new models hitting the market this year are equipped with LiDARs. However, not many of them adopt LiDARs from two suppliers as Lotus Car did.