Innoviz lidar will be on all VW vehicles with automated driving capabilities

Innoviz will supply its lidar sensors and perception software to all vehicles with self-driving capabilities under the Volkswagen Group brands, the company said on Tuesday.

Innoviz will work directly with Cariad SE, VW’s automotive software company, to integrate its technology into future VW vehicles.

The partnership with VW is Innoviz’s third design win with a Tier 1 supplier. BMW revealed in April that Innoviz lidar would be installed on 2023 BMW i7 electric vehicles, and last May Innoviz was selected by another unknown Tier 1 vehicle supplier for its autonomous transport program.

VW has yet to reveal which models will be built first using Innoviz technology, but the automaker has taken several steps to improve its advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving capabilities. Earlier this year, Cariad and Bosch partnered to develop automated driving software for use in VW vehicles, and in May, VW selected the Qualcomm Snapdragon Ride platform for its ADAS and automated driving system.

Innoviz says the VW program, which brings with it an estimated $4 billion order book, boosts the startup’s total sales to $6.6 billion.

Innoviz claims to be able to achieve high levels of performance, visibility up to 300 meters, at low cost using a 905 nanometer (nm) laser. Velodyne, a lidar competitor, also uses a 905nm laser and claims it can operate up to 300 meters. However, the highest performance Velodyne lidar is 128 lines at up to 20 fps. By comparison, Innoviz has 600 lines at up to 20 frames per second, the company says.

Innoviz CEO Omer Kaylaf says Velodyne products are valued at thousands of dollars, while Innoviz is valued at hundreds. TechCrunch was unable to confirm spending with Velodyne.

“What really sets Innoviz and this deal apart is that we won the deal as a Tier 1 supplier,” Kailaf told TechCrunch. “Innoviz is the only lidar manufacturer to receive this title. This signals a major change, not just for Innoviz, but for the entire automotive industry, in how automakers partner with their technology providers. As a Tier 1 supplier, we benefit from direct access to OEMs as well as higher margins and profits.”