Innovusion showcased the ultra-long-range LiDAR Falcon that will be on board the Nio ET7 and gave the debut of a short- to medium-range LiDAR called Robin.

(Image credit: Innovusion)

Nio's ET7 flagship sedan, which will begin deliveries at the end of the first quarter, will be equipped with LiDAR, and its supplier is demonstrating the part and announcing a brand new product at the ongoing 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Nio-backed Innovusion, which showcased its ultra-long-range LiDAR called Falcon at the event, said the product will be one of the first high-performance LiDARs in the world to achieve true volume production, according to a press release it issued today.

As a reliable image-grade LiDAR, Falcon can detect up to 500 meters, Innovusion said, adding that its high-quality point cloud data, which can significantly reduce the requirement for vehicle computing power, helps vehicle companies achieve a high level of assisted driving functionality.

Falcon also supports on-demand customization and can be integrated into different vehicles based on different needs, Innovusion said.

"We have established an industrial production line with our partners with stable and reliable capacity and efficiency. After mass production in 2022, this advanced production line will have an annual capacity of 100,000 units of LiDARs," said Bao Junwei, co-founder and CEO of Innovusion.

After several months of capacity expansion, the line could reach even higher production volumes, Bao said, adding that the company is capable of mass-producing LiDARs of consistent and reliable quality to support the future needs of customers worldwide.

Nio said at the launch of its ET7 flagship sedan at the Nio Day 2020 event on January 9, 2021, that the car will feature LiDARs built by it and Innovusion.

At the Nio Day 2021 event on December 18, Nio founder, chairman and CEO William Li unveiled the new sedan ET5, which features the same LiDAR setup as the ET7.

Li said at the time that the ET7 will begin locking in orders on January 20, 2022, and deliveries will begin on March 28. ET5 deliveries will begin in September 2022.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Innovusion was founded in November 2016 and has R&D teams in Silicon Valley, Suzhou and Shanghai. Since its inception, it has accumulated three rounds of funding, with Nio Capital, the venture capital arm of Nio, participating in each one.

In addition to showcasing the ultra-long-range LiDAR Falcon, Innovusion also had another short- and medium-range LiDAR called Robin make its debut at the CES event.

The combination of Robin and Falcon will establish a more effective safety and performance guarantee for a full range of sensing solutions around the vehicle, Innovusion said.

Robin employs cutting-edge electronic and optical technologies that can be integrated into a vehicle's side panels, headlights, taillights or bumpers, Innovusion said, adding that its height of just 35 mm facilitates customer integration.

"Together, Robin and Falcon can form a complete solution for perimeter body sensing, truly a perfect combination of ultra-long detection range as well as full 360° coverage," Innovusion said.

(Size comparison: Robin vs iPhone 11. Image credit: Innovusion)