Chinese electric car maker Nio have launched their luxurious ET7 model in select markets.
A remarkable aspect accompanying the launch is that the vehicle’s lidar sensor was presented as a key technology item. The sensor is placed and carefully integrated just above the windshield. With the ET7 now on sale, Nio are ramping up the marketing, starting with promoting the car’s lidar. The lidar for production vehicles is not for show, it is a lidar system that responds to the needs of L3 and L4 autonomous driving, a reliable complement to L2. Nio even presented a video explaining the performance of ET7’s lidar, which was developed with Innovusion. Nio’s video does not introduce too much information, but Innovusion have previously disclosed that the lidar is a high-performance product, with a 120° ultra-wide viewing angle, that can detect objects at up to 500 metres’ distance. According to Innovusion, the ET7’s lidar has a laser wavelength of 1,550 nm, which meets human eye safety standards. The lidar has ultra-high resolution, enabling high-precision detection to better cope with complex road conditions and detecting small objects also at long distance.
The key element of this news is that a carmaker actively promotes lidar sensors, notably at the launch of a new model. The “world record” statements about the lidar system’s performance are less relevant, as long as the installed lidar sensor contributes to road safety.
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