Source: Gasgoo
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk has previously said he wants to abandon the use of LIDAR, which most automakers and technology companies consider an essential sensor for self-driving cars.
“My prediction is that they will all ditch LIDAR,” Musk has previously said. “Mark my words.” However, Tesla appears to be using LIDAR sensors again for now.
On May 7, LIDAR supplier Luminar Technologies said that in the first quarter, “Tesla was our largest LIDAR customer,” according to its disclosed quarterly financial results. Luminar said sales to Tesla accounted for more than 10 percent of the company’s quarterly revenue.
Image source: Luminar
Luminar’s financial documents do not show details about how Tesla is utilizing the LIDAR sensors. Musk is expected to unveil a self-driving taxi on August 8, which may be why Tesla is Luminar’s biggest customer.
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. Luminar declined to comment further.
Before that, Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD driver assistance systems did not use LIDAR sensors. LIDAR sensors use lasers to map the precise position of the vehicle and detect obstacles. Tesla relies on cameras and sometimes radar for these tasks.
Each sensor has advantages and disadvantages, and most automakers use a combination of these sensors in both driver assistance and fully autonomous driving functions.
LIDAR has historically been the most expensive sensor in a car, which is one reason Musk has avoided using it. “Using LIDAR in cars is just plain stupid,” he said in December 2020. “It’s expensive and unnecessary. You use expensive hardware that is worthless in a car.”
