LiDAR Industry Begins 'Racing' on Performance, Experts Predict Imminent Inflection Point for Autonomous Driving

The intense competition over costs has temporarily subsided; now the race is about performance." Regarding recent changes in the LiDAR industry, Sun Kai, co-founder and chief scientist of Hesai Technology, made these remarks at Hesai's 2026 Technology Open Day event. Attendees from various segments of the supply chain widely agreed that the LiDAR industry is transitioning from a "price war" to a "value war." Meanwhile, with escalating expectations for L3 deployment, increasing penetration of advanced autonomous driving features, and rising psychological acceptance among users, the autonomous driving industry is standing on the eve of an "inflection point." "This 'inflection point' is approaching; more directly, I believe it will happen this year," said Yu Kai, CEO of Horizon Robotics, at the event. (Shanghai Securities News)