Li Xiang Defends Lidar, Says Musk Would Benefit from Understanding China’s Driving Conditions

Li Xiang, founder, chairman, and CEO of Chinese electric vehicle startup Li Auto, made headlines when he spoke about Elon Musk’s approach to self-driving at the AI ​​Talk event. “I believe that if Musk had ever driven on different highways in China deep in the night, he would have chosen to keep a LiDAR in the front as well,” Li Xiang said, adding that Musk needs to understand the driving environment in China.

He emphasized the differences in driving conditions between China and the US, saying, “You’ll see large trucks with broken taillights, and the large trucks with broken taillights may even be parked right on the main road.”

Li Xiang discussed the limitations of cameras compared to LiDAR in low-light conditions. He explained that cameras can only detect objects up to a little over 100 meters away in environments without lighting at night, while LiDAR can detect objects up to 200 meters away. Li Auto highlighted that LiDAR’s extended detection capability enables the implementation of the automatic emergency braking (AEB) function even at speeds up to 130 km/h (81 mph).

“I think it’s very important because our cars are family-oriented, and the safety of everyone’s life is very important,” he said.

Chinese automakers tend to make lidar a basic feature of luxury vehicles’ ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). However, Xpeng followed Tesla’s approach by not including lidar in its new P7+ sedan, which launched in November this year.

Tesla is developing its own system using this approach, using only eight camera sensors instead of lidar or radar in its autonomous driving system.

Li Xiang’s remarks are evaluated as an example of each company’s differentiated approach to developing autonomous driving technology while emphasizing the necessity and importance of lidar in China’s road environment.