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Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) CEO Elon Musk has reaffirmed his longstanding doubt regarding LiDAR technology in response to recent YouTube videos that put Tesla’s electric vehicles to the test using a ‘Wile E. Coyote’-style wall challenge.
What Occurred: Musk expressed his views on the platform X, previously known as Twitter, emphasizing a critical tenet of Tesla’s self-driving philosophy: the reliance on cameras and artificial intelligence is sufficient.
He wrote, “People don’t shoot lasers out of their eyes to drive,” while sharing a clip from Tesla’s 2019 Autonomy Day event. Musk encouraged viewers to experience Tesla’s self-driving feature, which solely utilizes cameras and AI, believing it would demonstrate its effectiveness.
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Musk referred to LiDAR as a “fool’s errand,” cautioning against reliance on expensive and unnecessary sensors. “Anyone relying on LiDAR is doomed,” he claimed, likening them to costly appendages.
Differentiating Tesla from competitors like Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) and (NASDAQ:GOOGL) Waymo or General Motors Co.’s (NYSE:GM) Cruise, Tesla has taken a distinct path by not utilizing LiDAR, relying instead on a vision-based approach.
However, an intriguing development arose when a 2024 earnings report from the LiDAR company Luminar indicated that Tesla had become its largest client, contributing over 10% of Luminar’s first-quarter revenue, which exceeded $2 million.
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Significance: Musk’s remarks on LiDAR emerged shortly after a YouTube video by creator Mark Rober, who is celebrated for his science experiments, showcased a comparison where Tesla’s camera-only Autopilot/FSD system was pitted against a LiDAR-based system empowered by Luminar’s technology.
The video results highlighted that the LiDAR configuration surpassed the camera-based system, particularly in adverse weather conditions such as fog and rain, where visibility is compromised.
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In response to Rober’s experiment, **Kyle Paul**, who aimed to investigate whether the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system could recognize a Wile E. Coyote-style roadblock, presented his own video.
Paul’s trial involved a Model Y utilizing FSD version 12.5.4.2, which showed no improvement compared to Rober’s findings—requiring external intervention to prevent collision with the fake wall, which appeared less authentic to human observers. Conversely, the Cybertruck, running FSD version 13.2.8, managed to detect the barrier in Paul’s test and successfully reduced its speed before stopping entirely.
In a global context, significant advancements in LiDAR technology have been made in China. Data from Tokyo-based Patent Result reveals that since 2000, Chinese firms have submitted over 25,000 LiDAR-related patent applications, significantly outpacing the 18,000 from American firms and 13,000 from Japanese companies, according to a 2024 report by Nikkei Asia.
Chinese companies such as Hesai Technology and RoboSense now lead the world market in LiDAR technology. Hesai, a supplier to manufacturers like GM Cruise and Baidu Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU), held a commanding 47% share of the market in 2022.
Recently, it was revealed that Hesai Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:HSAI) expanded its partnership with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD Co. Ltd. (OTC:BYDDY) (OTC:BYDDF) to provide LiDAR sensors for more than ten upcoming models intended for mass production by 2025.
In a noteworthy development, Tesla’s sales in China have fallen to 30,688 units in February 2025, equating to the lowest monthly total since July 2022, as previously expressed in reports.
Further Reading:
This article Elon Musk Asserts Tesla’s Independence from LiDAR, Stating ‘People Don’t Shoot Lasers Out Of Their Eyes’ After YouTube Experiments originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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