Tesla test car collects road conditions and is reported to be equipped with "optical radar"

Tesla plans to showcase its self-driving taxi "Robotaxi" on October 10, and is currently actively conducting road tests in Northern California. However, some netizens discovered that the Model X used for testing was equipped with an optical radar (or laser radar, LiDAR) sensing system, which contradicts Tesla's consistent position that "fully autonomous driving does not require optical radar." Previously, Tesla CEO Musk said that optical radar sensing is a "dead end" and any company that relies on this technology is doomed to fail.

Spotted in Palm Beach, Florida. A @Tesla Model Y with #LiDAR and CA Manufacturing (MFG) Plates. Can anyone offer details/insights? pic.twitter.com/5Uh4WU0U41

— Grayson Brulte (@gbrulte) May 20, 2021

According to foreign media reports, Tesla insists on developing electric vehicles with a "vision-first" strategy, and is determined to use external cameras to replace technologies such as optical radar and ultrasonic sensors. Currently, Tesla's fully autonomous driving system relies on external cameras, and Musk has repeatedly emphasized that this technology is sufficient to cope with future driving challenges and does not need to rely on optical radar technology to collect real-time road data.

Photos recently exposed show that a Tesla Model X engineering vehicle is being tested in Northern California, with an optical radar sensor installed on its roof. The device is from Luminar Hydra, a major lidar equipment manufacturer, and is mainly used for autonomous driving data collection and electronic visual analysis. In May 2021, a Model Y with an optical radar installed on its roof was also found in Palm Beach, Florida, which attracted attention.

Tesla is expected to unveil its much-anticipated Robotaxi on Oct. 10 at the Warner Bros. Discovery movie studio, according to people familiar with the matter.

In fact, Musk publicly expressed his negative views on lidar technology in 2019, criticizing it for being expensive and difficult to use, and saying that any company that relies on lidar is doomed to fail. However, lidar equipment giant Luminar announced in May that Tesla had ordered $2 million worth of lidar sensors, which accounted for more than 10% of the company's first-quarter revenue.