When it comes to grabbing attention, lidar developer Luminar doesn’t hold back. In 2021, it pledged to deliver the “uncrashable car”. And its website proudly asserts: “First seatbelts. Then airbags. Now Luminar.”
Lofty claims, and it seems manufacturers are being persuaded of the company’s potential.
A multi-billion-dollar deal with Mercedes has been secured and there are also significant agreements in place to supply Volvo, Polestar and Chinese giant SAIC.
But can a start-up that only really began to operate seriously in 2017 revolutionise automotive safety to such a dramatic extent? Autocar spoke to Luminar to find out more about its technology and its long-term vision.
