September 20, 2022

LiDAR shipments are predicted to cross 100 million units by 2030 driven by the automotive market. The increase in need for LiDAR will match the increase in demand for ADAS and automatic driving in passenger cars and robotaxis. As the number of LiDAR sensors for every auto boosts, achieving a most likely maximum of 8 units to allow totally autonomous driving, the LiDAR marketplace is expected to develop at a CAGR of 65.9% to get to $15 billion by 2030.

Level 3 and previously mentioned automatic driving will demand a fusion of LiDAR, radar and camera sensors. While a several businesses, like Tesla and Wayve, will glimpse to make autonomous driving thriving without the need of LiDAR, most car companies, like Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, BMW, Stellantis, Volkswagen and Volvo, have presently introduced their intention to consist of LiDAR in their sensor suites for ADAS/Advertisement in approaching car types.

The most significant menace to LiDAR will come from option systems such as cameras and machine eyesight. A tiny range of companies believe that that eyesight-dependent techniques are ample to help autonomous driving. This can hamper the advancement of LiDAR as the value of switching to less costly vision-based mostly solutions is reasonably very low.

Automotive LiDAR marketplace

The present LiDAR market is crowded as far more than 70-80 businesses are working globally, focusing on unique industries and areas. From 2020 onwards, a whole of nine firms – Velodyne, Luminar, Aeva, Ouster, Innoviz, Aeye, Indie Semiconductor, Quanergy and Cepton – have declared listing of shares via SPAC mergers.

Valeo’s Scala is the world’s initial mass-generated LiDAR for vehicles. In 2021, Mercedes-Benz and Honda released Degree 3 versions S-Class and Legend respectively. Each are outfitted with Scala LiDAR. Because 2017, Valeo has delivered much more than 170,000 LiDAR models.

According to a Counterpoint analyze, the price of the automotive LiDAR sector attained all-around $100 million in 2021 as vehicle providers such as Toyota, Honda and Chinese providers like Xpeng introduced models outfitted with LiDAR. Many car or truck OEMs have signed specials with LiDAR suppliers for their future models. Chinese automakers are at the forefront in getting into such partnerships.

Long term of automotive LiDAR market

According to Counterpoint’s International Autonomous Passenger Automobile Forecast, by 2025, 10% of the new cars and trucks offered globally will have Level 3 driving capabilities. Made marketplaces like the US and Europe will have a larger percentage of Level 3 cars and trucks and will first see the entry of Amount 4 cars and trucks (subject matter to regulatory acceptance). This suggests LiDAR has a significant expansion option as Stage 3 and earlier mentioned cars will get to the mass sector in unison by 2030. According to Counterpoint’s Automotive LiDAR Sector Traits and Implications, 2022 analyze, the LiDAR sector is envisioned to grow from $.1 billion in 2021 to more than $15 billion and around 100 million models shipped in 2030.

Summary

After the first use of LiDAR in the automotive section, it took more than 5

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The Giant Propel Advanced SL 0 is the latest flagship aero road bike from the Taiwanese behemoth.

While the previous Propel (which launched in 2018) went all in on aerodynamic efficiency at the expense of some added weight, this latest version is intended to offer the best of both worlds.

With an exceptionally low weight of just 6.91kg, the Propel is competitive on the scales with some of the best climbing bikes, yet appears to sacrifice little in terms of outright speed on the flats.

On top of this, smart refinements such as an increase in tyre clearance, an overhauled cable routing system and a new two-piece aero cockpit, make the new Propel a bike that isn’t overly specialised or difficult to live with.

While at €12,000 / $12,500 / AU$13,999 (UK pricing is yet to be confirmed) the price of this WorldTour spec race bike is predictably lofty, the Propel Advanced SL 0 is a true do-it-all road bike with few compromises.

Giant Propel Advanced SL frameset

Unusually for a self-styled aero road bike, the headline feature on the new Propel frameset is its low weight.

At a claimed 1,429.5g for a size medium frameset, the 2023 Propel is only 163.5g heavier than the latest Giant TCR Advanced SL frameset – an almost imperceptible difference.

It’s clear Giant isn’t lying about this either. Our size ML test bike weighs a feathery 6.91kg, including the new aero bottle cages and an out-front computer mount.

There are relatively few competitors in the aero road bike space that can come close to matching that weight figure (bikes such as the Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7, Factor Ostro VAM and Canyon Aeroad CFR spring to mind).

In its top-spec guise, the new Propel is an exceptionally light aero road bike.

Simon von Bromley / Our Media

Of course, the new Propel likely gives up some aerodynamic efficiency compared to heavier, more aggressively aero-optimised bikes such as the Cervélo S5, Cannondale SystemSix, Orbea Orca Aero or Trek Madone SLR.

But given the balance of comments we receive on the subject, the compromise struck by the Propel is likely closer to what most people want from a high-performance road bike.

Nevertheless, Giant claims the aerodynamic performance of the latest Propel surpasess that of the previous version as a complete bike by 6.21 watts at 40kph, equating to 27 seconds over 40km.

Notably, though, this figure includes the new Contact SLR Aero cockpit, Cadex 50 Ultra Disc wheelsystem and Cadex Aero Tubeless tyres (more on these later).

How much of that 6.21 watts improvement is attributable to the various component parts is unclear, but if you’re buying it as a complete bike, it arguably doesn’t matter.