Hesai Secures Another LiDAR Order From Motional

On September 4th, Hesai Technology announced that it has received another order for close-range LiDAR from the American autonomous driving company Motional for their all-electric IONIQ 5 Robotaxi. It is reported that this model is equipped with four Hesai LiDAR units per vehicle.

Including Baidu Apollo, Pony.ai, and WeRide, statistics show that eight out of the world’s top ten Robotaxi companies have chosen Hesai as their lidar supplier.

As one of the world’s leading LiDAR suppliers, Hesai currently offers a variety of products, including the AT128, AT512, ATX, ET25, AT1440, ETX, and FTX for smart vehicles, as well as the JT series specifically designed for robotics and industrial applications.

ETX is an automotive-grade long-range LiDAR specifically designed for L3 conditional autonomous driving, capable of achieving an ultra-long detection range of 400 meters (@10% reflectivity). At the same time, the ETX's window height is only 32 mm, allowing it to be mounted behind the windshield inside the cabin, achieving high performance while maintaining a compact design. It is reported that at the upcoming IAA, Hesai will officially release the ETX in-cabin integration solution and publicly showcase its real-time point cloud effects for the first time.

According to Hesai's previously released semi-annual report, in the first six months of 2025, Hesai's total lidar deliveries reached 547,913 units, representing a year-on-year growth of 276.2%, surpassing the total for the entire year of 2024. In the second quarter and recently, Hesai secured 20 model designations from 9 leading automakers, with plans to deliver them gradually between 2025 and 2026.

Moreover, in the field of robotics, the cumulative delivery of the Hesai JT series exceeded 100,000 units in less than five months since its release.

Image source: Hesai Technology

Motional is a joint venture between Aptiv and Hyundai Motor, focusing on the development and commercialization of L4 autonomous vehicles. However, in early 2024, Aptiv publicly stated that it would reduce its stake in Motional and would not make further investments in Motional. Prior to this, Aptiv had already lost millions of dollars due to its investment in Motional.

In May, Aptiv announced it would sell its stake in Motional, while Hyundai Motor would further invest an additional $475 million in Motional. Reportedly, after Hyundai’s investment, Motional’s subsequent development will be fully led by Hyundai Motor. Currently, Motional’s fully electric IONIQ 5 self-driving taxis have joined the Uber network, providing autonomous ride services to numerous consumers.