Most agree that Tesla currently has the most advanced self-driving technology in cars. The Full Self Driving (FSD) package with limited exemption is able to perform tasks that no other system can do – which is currently in the hands of consumers who do not have workers.
Just as many people acknowledge that Tesla’s autonomous driving systems can be the mainstay today, there are also many experts in the industry who say that Tesla will be surpassed by competitors if they do not add LiDAR technology to complement the existing system.
The YouTube channel, E For Electric, addressed this topic in its latest video and discusses the benefits as well as the reasons Tesla (well Elon) why they decided they did not need a LiDAR system to increase autonomous driving capability level 5.
And in cars it is (LiDAR) friggin stupid – Elon Musk
E For Electric’s host, Alex Guberman, points out that one of Elon’s other companies, Space-X, has developed its own LiDAR system internally, and Elon was the leader of the project. Musk therefore knows a lot about LiDAR and how it can be useful in the right circumstances.
Apparently, docking a spacecraft is one of the right applications for LiDAR, but Musk believes it is too excessive and too expensive for land transportation.
Guberman also points out that the cost of LiDAR systems for cars has dropped over the past year and now costs only about $ 500.00 per vehicle. It is true that the vehicles would probably need extra computing power on board if LiDAR were added.
Yet it seems that the cost-effective argument against LiDAR is evaporating, and most other companies developing autonomous management technology include LIDAR, not as a replacement, but as a complement to the camera and radar systems for extra redundancy.
Consumer confidence in these systems is paramount, and I believe many people are still not convinced that autonomous cars will ever be safe enough to be completely trusted. A good way for Tesla to prove that LiDAR is not necessary is to do a side-by-side test of two Tesla vehicles, with one adding LiDAR and undergoing a series of tests.
The LiDAR system will of course have to be added by a third party to ensure that Tesla does not sink it on the sand.
So watch the video and let us know what you think. We know there are probably a lot of hardcore Tesla fans who most likely agree with the path the company has chosen, but think about it before you respond. Shouldn’t it be considered if LIDAR is added to an already very good system? Especially if almost everyone in the industry believes it’s worth adding. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.