Enlarge (credit score: Lucid)
Electrical automotive startup Lucid would not just like the phrase “Tesla killer,” however the comparability is difficult to keep away from. The corporate raised $1 billion from Saudi Arabia two years in the past and is engaged on the Lucid Air, a high-end battery electrical sedan harking back to Tesla’s Mannequin S. Lucid is scheduled to formally unveil the automotive in September and start promoting it subsequent yr.
One space the place Lucid is trying to differentiate itself from its extra established electrical rival is with its superior driver-assistance system (ADAS) referred to as DreamDrive. Elon Musk has formidable objectives for Tesla’s Autopilot know-how, however the firm has struggled to fulfill them. One doable issue: Musk has dominated out utilizing lidar, a sensor that’s extensively utilized by firms trying to develop totally driverless autos.
“Anybody counting on lidar is doomed,” Musk stated at an occasion final yr to showcase Tesla’s progress in self-driving know-how. Musk believes that cameras and radar shall be ample to attain full autonomy and that lidar is a “crutch” that distracts firms from pursuing extra basic breakthroughs.
Learn 18 remaining paragraphs | Feedback
