Apple is in discussions with multiple suppliers of self-driving car sensors known as LiDAR, Bloomberg News reports, citing “people familiar with the matter” which the outlet characterizes as “a key milestone toward development of its first passenger vehicle.”
Edward Ludlow , Gabrielle Coppola , and Mark Gurman:
The Cupertino, California-based technology giant is in active talks with a number of potential suppliers for these laser-based sensors that allow a car’s computer to “see” its surroundings, said the people, who asked not to be identified due to the private nature of the discussions…
The ongoing discussions are a sign that Apple has yet to settle on a preferred supplier for lidar and that it’s likely mulling a range of options, including a heavily customized version of the sensors, as it moves toward developing a car design. That’s an indication that a finished product is still several years away…
Apple has been testing its robotaxi technology on public roads in California since 2017. The first version of its test cars, modified Lexus SUVs, used a lidar stack made up of off-the-shelf parts, though this has become a more bespoke effort recently…
Reuters reported in 2019 that Apple was talking to lidar makers, but the autonomous vehicle project was fully rebooted afterward. Apple is now in discussions for next-generation lidar that will be considered cutting edge four to five years from now — another indicator of the company’s timeline, said people familiar with the discussions.
MacDailyNews Note: Lumentum is thought to be the primary LiDAR supplier for Apple’s LiDAR-capable iPhones and iPads.