China’s Hesai Will Double Production as Lidar Sensor Industry Shakes Out

Hesai doubles lidar production to 4M units in 2026 amid industry shakeout—just weeks after Luminar’s bankruptcy filing.
Matilda
China’s Hesai Will Double Production as Lidar Sensor Industry Shakes Out
Hesai Doubles Lidar Production as Industry Consolidates In a bold move signaling confidence amid market turbulence, Chinese lidar manufacturer Hesai Group announced plans to double its annual production capacity to 4 million units in 2026—up from just over 1 million in 2025. The decision comes on the heels of Luminar Technologies’ Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in December 2025, marking a pivotal shift in the global automotive lidar landscape. With rivals retreating, Hesai is positioning itself not just to survive, but to dominate. Credit: Hesai Why Hesai Is Betting Big on Lidar’s Future Lidar—short for Light Detection and Ranging—has become a cornerstone technology for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles. While the market has seen a wave of hype, followed by investor skepticism and consolidation, Hesai sees a clear path forward. “Demand from automakers in China, Europe, and North America continues to grow, especially for cost-effective, mass-producible sensors…