The Functions of LiDAR Sensors Widely Used in Chinese Electric Cars

KatadataOTO – The latest Chinese electric cars often have an additional safety sensor placed at the top front of the vehicle.

The sensor is called Light Detection and Ranging or better known as LiDAR. This component is also often found in autonomous vehicles.

Many Chinese electric cars in their home country are already equipped with LiDAR. For example, the BYD Seal sedan.

The latest lineup of vehicles from BYD has been using the God’s Eye driving safety system, supported by LiDAR sensors to enhance safety.

Photo: BYD

“LiDAR, a remote sensing technology that uses lasers to measure distances to objects, road surfaces, and accurately create a 3D image of the environment,” said Sony Susmana, an instructor at Safety Defensive Consultant Indonesia (SDCI), to KatadataOTO recently.

Thanks to these lasers, LiDAR can produce an accurate three-dimensional image to help the effectiveness of the car's driving safety system.

So the vehicle can detect and understand the environmental conditions it passes through more accurately than regular sensors.

There is a chance that Chinese cars for the Indonesian market will be equipped with LiDAR sensors in the future. 

Driving safety advocates believe that LiDAR is still relevant for use in Indonesia. However, there are a few things that need attention.

LiDAR only functions as a tool to assist the safety system and the driver to be more aware, not as a substitute for operating the car.

“(LiDAR) definitely helps the driver. But it must remain under constant supervision,” said Sony.

For your information, currently no Chinese electric cars in Indonesia are equipped with additional LiDAR sensors.

For example, BYD, in its home country, has started implementing the God’s Eye system supported by LiDAR. 

In the Indonesian market in early 2025, BYD is instead bringing in a new Seal variant with DiSus-C suspension technology or Intelligent Damping Body Control System, instead of LiDAR.

Photo: BYD

Available in the highest Performance trim, DiSus-C is an adaptive suspension focused on increasing driving comfort.

However, it is not impossible that in the future Chinese manufacturers will start using LiDAR for their vehicle lineup in the country.

Considering that over time, the components of LiDAR technology are starting to decrease in price along with the massive use of the sensor.