Chinese lidar sensor maker Hesai eyes European plant as adoption of technology widens amid falling costs

Shanghai-based Hesai is seriously considering building lidar sensor plants outside mainland China to capitalise on the growing use of the technology, CEO Li says

The company’s new products based on its ATX technology can filter out more than 99 per cent of environmental noise such as rain, fog and exhaust fumes

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Shanghai-based lidar maker Hesai counts Chinese carmaker Li Auto among its major clients. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:39pm, 21 Apr 2024

Hesai Group, one of the world’s top makers of lidar sensors used in smart cars, has set its sights on Europe, buoyed by its efforts to make the once-expensive components more affordable to customers.

The Shanghai-based company is seriously considering building plants outside mainland China to capitalise on the accelerating transition in the global automotive industry, said David Li Yifan, co-founder and CEO.

“In the long term, we plan to undertake more development outside China, mostly in Europe,” he said, without disclosing details about the company’s overseas investment plans.

Hesai, which counts among its clients Li Auto, China’s largest domestic maker of premium electric cars, and Geely, owner of Volvo Cars, produces lidars that measure distance using laser beams to generate highly accurate two or three dimensional maps of objects around cars.

Hesai’s long-range automotive lidar - AT128. Photo: Handout

Currently, six out of every 10 new electric vehicles (EVs) worldwide are sold in mainland China, where industry officials view lidars as an essential component in developing fully autonomous vehicles.