Li Auto reportedly to make LiDAR standard on all new models as smart driving race heats up

Li Auto will make LiDAR standard on all new models this year, bringing enhanced smart driving capabilities, according to local media. BYD's vehicle intelligence strategy has made both traditional car companies and new car-making forces feel threatened. (A Li L7 on display at a CATL showroom in Chengdu, Sichuan province in August 2024. Image credit: CnEVPost) Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) will reportedly use LiDAR on all new models this year to bring enhanced smart driving capabilities, as competition in the space heats up. The automaker will make LiDAR sensors standard on the smart driving systems of all new models this year, covering facelifts of its current extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) models, and its new battery electric vehicle (BEV) models, according to a report in local media outlet 36kr today. Li Auto's current smart driving solutions include AD Pro and AD Max, the former for less expensive variants and the latter for more expensive variants. The AD Pro uses the Journey 5 chip from local chipmaker Horizon Robotics, with a single chip computing power of 128 TOPS. The solution's hardware system does not use any LiDAR, and the smart driving algorithms are provided by supplier QCraft. It only supports pilot-assisted driving functions on highways. AD Max utilizes 2 Nvidia Orin X chips for a total computing power of 508 TOPS. The solution is equipped with high-performance sensors, including an AT128 LiDAR supplied by Hesai Technology, and the algorithms are developed in-house by Li Auto. In addition to the pilot-assist driving function on highways, the AD Max solution also supports the NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) function in urban areas. In the next new models, those equipped with the AD Pro solution will also be equipped with LiDAR, according to 36kr. In addition, AD Pro models will also receive a significant upgrade to the smart driving chip platform, with some models using 1 Horizon Robotics J6M chip and the algorithms still being handled by QCraft, according to the report. The AD Pro will enable memory pilot in cities, and Li Auto is even planning to implement urban NOA feature in the solution, the report said, citing a person familiar with the matter. With the cost of LiDAR dropping rapidly amid a fierce price war in the smart driving space, this has greatly increased the willingness of car companies to use the component, the report noted. Hesai's new ATX lineup is typically quoted at around $200, with prices going lower with larger shipments, 36kr cited an industry source as saying. Li Auto has had to come up with strategies to strengthen the competitiveness of its products at a time when competition in the smart driving space has intensified, the report noted. On February 10, BYD unveiled its vehicle intelligence strategy and brought Smart Driving Edition updates to 21 models. BYD's move made both traditional car companies and new car-making forces feel threatened, the 36kr report noted. Li Auto had originally planned to offer features including pilot-assisted driving, urban memory pilot on highways and urban expressways only on its AD Pro solution based on the Horizon Robotics J6M platform. However, after BYD announced its latest strategy, Li Auto is already looking at adding urban NOA feature to the AD Pro solution, according to 36kr. Deutsche Bank's 2025 delivery estimates for Chinese EV trio: Nio 450,000, Xpeng 400,000, Li Auto 700,000