DiDi Autonomous Driving invests in LiDAR maker Benewake

Beijing (Gasgoo)- On November 17, DiDi Autonomous Driving announced an investment exceeding a hundred million yuan in Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (Benewake) to bolster the latter's development and mass application of robust perception LiDAR.

Photo credit: Benewake

Earlier this year in April, DiDi Autonomous Driving collaborated with Benewake to develop China's pioneering 2K image-level high-precision LiDAR, Benewake Beta. This increased investment marks a significant stride in the deepening strategic partnership between the two entities.

Benewake has been steadfast in advancing domestic LiDAR production since its inception. Its independently developed "Benewake Yinglong" LiDAR platform utilizes a breakthrough technological architecture employing 905nm array transceivers, high-precision 2D scanning, and a custom SoC to address performance, customization, and cost challenges.

The Beiyao Beta, jointly developed with DiDi Autonomous Driving, harnesses this platform, boasting exceptional performance and adaptability for L4 Robotaxi scenarios. Additionally, Benewake has crafted the 256-line automotive-grade LiDAR AD2-s based on the "Benewake Yinglong" platform, capable of measuring distances up to 200 meters at 10% reflectivity, featuring a maximum 0.1° angular resolution and a 120°x25.6° field of view. This suits a wide array of intelligent driving scenarios, meeting the demands of passenger and operational vehicles with L2+ intelligent capabilities and onwards.

In addition to DiDi Autonomous Driving's investment, Benewake recently signed a collaboration agreement with Guangzhou Huadu District to establish a high-performance LiDAR R&D center and national headquarters. The project, with an estimated total investment of about 3 billion yuan, anticipates achieving a revenue of 6 billion yuan within five years, encompassing R&D, intelligent manufacturing, business expansion, and marketing settlement centers.