Luminar (Nasdaq: LAZR), a leading global automotive technology company, announced an expansion of their Mercedes-Benz partnership, the debut of LiDAR-enabled Automatic Emergency Steering (AES) and Automated Valet software, and expanded automotive partnerships. The company also shared its key year-end industrialization milestone, Luminar Semiconductor achievements, and the significance of its partnerships with other technology providers like NVIDIA and Mobileye to deliver advanced safety and autonomy on multiple production vehicles for the world’s leading automakers.
“Mercedes-Benz has expanded our partnership to Formula 1, where they are integrating our same leading technology designed to keep drivers safe in their next generation vehicle lineup into their official world-renowned Safety Car,” said Austin Russell, Founder and CEO of Luminar. “Luminar is abundant throughout CES this year, from automakers, to technology partners, to suppliers, to the track, where we’re showcasing the latest LiDAR and AI powered safety and autonomous features. It’s a glimpse into the future and a testament to our technology and business, and we look forward to it being standard for all drivers, starting with the arrival of the Volvo Cars EX90 this year.”
Mercedes-Benz Expands Partnership
Luminar and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team announced a new strategic collaboration at CES 2024 that will leverage Luminar’s existing development work with Mercedes-Benz to integrate Luminar’s LiDAR technology into the Official FIA F1® Safety Car. The ability to detect still and moving objects at high speeds and under wide ranging conditions make Luminar’s LiDAR an excellent match for the Official FIA F1® Safety Car. Luminar and the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team will work together to integrate Luminar’s technology into the roofline of the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.
New Software and Iris+ Live
Luminar debuted Automatic Emergency Steering (AES) as well as its new Automated Valet software derived from its 3D maps, all powered by the new Iris+ LiDAR at CES 2024, with live on-track crash avoidance vehicle demonstrations. Participants will experience how Luminar’s Iris+ LiDAR-powered Proactive Safety™ provides high-confidence and ultra precise detection, faster and farther than today’s most advanced camera and radar powered ADAS systems, and how new AES capabilities can help avoid collisions and save lives in critical situations drivers can encounter, even those where avoidance by braking is impossible. Luminar has also developed a fully Automated Valet feature based on its LiDAR data and 3D maps collected in real time, so consumers can leave it to Luminar to park.
Innovation at the Chip Level
Luminar has produced six new purpose-built chips for current and future generations of Luminar LiDAR since the formation of Luminar Semiconductor in Q2 2023. By combining Luminar’s chip design subsidiaries Optogration, Freedom Photonics, and Black Forest Engineering into a unified and scalable business, it enables rapid innovations and collective breakthrough developments with custom materials while meeting stringent automotive standards.
2024 Volvo EX90 start of production
Luminar has met its year-end industrialization milestone for readiness for global start of production with Volvo with hardware and software, beginning with the EX90 this year. In Q3 2023, the Luminar successfully passed its first major Run at Rate production test for Volvo Cars at its highly automated, high volume manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico. As a key requirement for automakers in advance of start of production (SOP) and as the precursor to the launch of the Volvo EX90 featuring Luminar as standard on every vehicle, the Run at Rate serves as a rigorous evaluation to assess the company’s ability to manufacture its LiDAR sensors at scale.
Commercial Growth
Luminar is achieving rapid commercial growth across hardware, software/AI, and semiconductors. Its technology is designed into over 20 vehicle models from its automotive partners around the world, which includes both combustion engine vehicles and EV’s.
As more automakers compete to deliver safer, smarter cars, technology providers are also playing an increasingly important role in helping automakers develop advanced safety systems and unlock automated driving functionality. Luminar and NVIDIA are working together to help leading automakers deliver enhanced safety and automated driving on Volvo EX90, Polestar 3, autonomous trucks from Kodiak Robotics and Plus; and across certain Mercedes-Benz production vehicle lines, and as NVIDIA’s long-range LiDAR partner on its Hyperion software platform. Luminar and Mobileye’s collaboration has also recently culminated in its first production implementation with the Polestar 4 as part of a new vehicle platform.
New commercial wins also cover both long-haul trucking and middle-mile logistics for some of the biggest retailers in the world. Kodiak Robotics announced they have now selected Luminar as the exclusive long-range LiDAR provider for their next generation autonomous truck platform. Luminar also announced that it entered a multi-year production agreement with Gatik to standardize our technology on their fleets of middle-mile delivery trucks serving customers.
Luminar’s CES exhibit features a vision of the Official FIA F1® Safety car, the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, and the Polestar 3 at the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall, # 5917, as well as Kodiak Robotics’ Gen 6 autonomous truck and Plus’ autonomous truck outdoors in the West Lot. Gatik features one of their trucks equipped with Luminar LiDAR in the Goodyear booth located in the West Hall, #4917. Mercedes-Benz also features a Concept CLA Class show car equipped with Luminar’s LiDAR in the West Hall, #4941.