Xpeng invests in lidar company to bolster self-driving tech ·
Summary
Why it matters: The investment is another sign of the increasing interest in lidar sensors, seen as a crucial building block for future vehicles by most auto and tech firms. • Zvision plans to use the funds to accelerate the development and mass-production of its automotive-grade lidar sensors, including improving its production line and supply chain. Context: In September, Xpeng had begun delivering the world’s first Lidar-equipped production vehicle, the P5, which the company boasts can distinguish objects within a range of up to 150 meters and can run autonomously under a driver’s supervision on Chinese roads, the South China Morning Post reported. • Xpeng sources lidar sensors for the P5 from Livox, an affiliate of Chinese drone maker DJI, which previously encountered technical issues when attempting to meet the reliability requirements for automobiles, TechNode reported last June. • Rival EV maker Nio has heavily backed Innovusion, a startup formed by two Baidu veterans in 2016, and used the firm’s lidar technology for its first sedan model ET7 as well as the upcoming ET5.