Hesai Launches Color-Detecting Lidar Sensor for Autonomous Driving, Production Planned for Later This Year

Gate News message, April 17 — China’s lidar maker Hesai unveiled a new color-detecting sensor called EXT at an event in Shanghai, designed for autonomous driving applications such as identifying traffic lights. The company plans to begin mass production later this year and integrate the sensor into flagship vehicles by 2027.

The EXT sensor utilizes Hesai’s proprietary Picasso chip. According to co-founder Sun Kai, it is the industry’s first lidar device to combine spatial and color detection in a single unit. Hesai supplies lidar to Chinese EV makers including Li Auto, Xiaomi, and BYD. Global lidar penetration reached 3% of vehicles in 2025, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Hesai also introduced the ETX, an automotive-grade 800-line ultra-long-range lidar targeting Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving with a range of 400 meters for low-reflectivity objects, with production expected to begin in 2026. The company secured an exclusive multi-year design win with a leading European original equipment manufacturer for a next-generation global vehicle platform covering both internal combustion engine and electric vehicle models, extending into the next decade. Additionally, Hesai partnered with NVIDIA as a lidar supplier for the DRIVE AGX Hyperion 10 autonomous driving platform and collaborated with South Korea-based MOVIN to supply lidar for 3D motion-capture systems.