Not so long ago, details of the EMotion EV were released by Henrik Fisker and the announcement was surrounded by promise and excitement. Not only were they providing a system that would feature Level 5 autonomous capabilities, they were sure it would be ready by January 2018 just in time for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).
With Tesla making huge advancements with ‘Autopilot’ but not expecting it to be ready until 2019, Fisker’s announcement immediately grabbed the attention and we also think it probably made Tesla a little nervous. Within the EV world, no other manufacturer has stepped on the toes of Tesla previously so it was unchartered territory for everybody.
As we head towards the end of 2018, CES looms closer but Fisker recently updated his Twitter followers with a short statement that might cause worry (except for all those at Tesla!). In a post, he said ‘Currently working on fully integrating 5 solid-state LIDAR’s for 2018 CES. Not so easy.’ Perhaps developing ground-breaking technology that will change the face of the auto industry isn't quite as simple as they planned?
In terms of LIDAR, this stands for Light Detection and Ranging which means light can be used as a pulsed laser in order to measure ranges. In simple terms, it’s an amalgamation of a scanner, advanced laser, and GPS. Within the recent Fisker models, we now know the two trapezoidal holes (towards the front) are for radar sensors. Furthermore, Fisker himself noted how, once full autonomy is a genuine option, more sensors will be placed carefully around the car in all the right places.
As long as the company can pull it off before January, we now know the EMotion system will have five solid-state LIDARs at CES. Even for the largest companies with the biggest budgets in the world, this isn't an easy feat to achieve. In fact, if they do pull it off and everything is in place for the show in Las Vegas after the holidays, it’ll instantly earn them bragging rights as one of the first to accomplish the goal.
Considering the company is looking for publicity in this journey to what could be an industry-changing feature, they’ve now got the attention of the whole industry and it’s up to them to get it right!
Tags: Fisker, Fisker Karma, autonomous cars, Electric Cars