Amid a thriving EV industry, more Chinese companies integrate innovative LiDAR technologies to automobiles, bringing about a "significant but not yet complete" LiDAR ecosystem, according to a report by market research firm Yole on August 29.

“The Chinese LiDAR push is not limited to LiDAR companies. China has developed a significant, if not yet complete, LiDAR ecosystem. Among the various LiDAR companies, several provide components, design, and software.” a market analyst from Yole pointed out.

As an example, Hitronics(福建海创光电), with 1,700 employees, designs and manufactures optical components, optical systems, receivers, and lasers. In 2022, the company will offer auto-grade 1,550nm fiber lasers for LiDAR, with a manufacturing capacity of 250k units per year.

Another example in the Chinese LiDAR ecosystem is Liangdao(亮道智能). It develops perception software for LiDAR and has also established LiDAR perception evaluation systems. It is now moving into the development of short-range flash LiDAR. Developing LiDAR perception software can require a team of 200 software engineers. OEMs are shifting from internal to external development for this software, reported Yole.

The LiDAR market for automotive and industrial applications is expected to reach $6.3 billion in 2027, with a 22% CAGR between 2022-2027. The automotive application is the primary driver of this growth, with a $38 million market in 2021. The leading players are those in the traditional topography and manufacturing segments. The global top two 3D real-time LiDAR companies are nowHesai(禾赛科技) in Shanghai and RoboSense(速腾聚创) in Shenzhen.

The Chinese ecosystem is not limited to components, design, or software but also involves LiDAR users. The Chinese car industry is developing new electric passenger cars with a lot of technology for autonomous driving, including LiDAR. Logistics, smart infrastructures, robotaxis, and delivery robots are also being developed intensively in China, creating a strong and diverse demand for LiDAR. In parallel, Chinese companies are increasing their development in topographic applications, according to Yole.

There is an important difference between Chinese and foreign LiDAR companies, which could be decisive in the transition to mass-volume production. Although foreign LiDAR companies rely on external manufacturing, RoboSense and Hesai have developed manufacturing capacities in which they will have more control in achieving large-volume production, Yole said.