Hyperdrive
Tesla Tests Luminar Sensor Musk Scorned as ‘Fool’s Errand’
- Tesla confirmed to own Model Y seen with lidar rigged to roof
- EV maker said to have contract to use Luminar sensors in tests
Luminar Technologies lidar demonstration in Portola Valley, California.
Photographer: David Paul Morris/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Tesla Inc., whose boss Elon Musk says he can develop a fully self-driving car without using laser-sensor technology, has a contract to use such sensors from Luminar Technologies Inc. for testing and development, according to people familiar with the matter.
A photo of a Tesla Model Y with a roof rack of lidar sensors posted to Twitter on Thursday stoked speculation that the companies were working together, sending Orlando, Florida-based Luminar’s shares up more than 10% that day. While similar images of Teslas with lidar sensors have popped up before on social media, it was unclear until now what the relationship is between Tesla and Luminar.