The most beautiful LiDAR?

On June 17th, NIO released a concept video for the design of the NIO S·Yao, titled “Netalks”. Mr. Chang Bing, the Vice President of NIO, shared the unique design charm of the NIO S·Yao.

Previously, I had detailed the information of NIO S, and everyone can review it by clicking the following links:

  • “NIO S: Start the challenge from the basics” (https://www.42how.com/article/6337)
  • “NIO S information summary! pure EV + Range Extender Sports Coupe” (https://www.42how.com/article/6245)

This time, while Mr. Chang Bing shared the exterior and interior design of the NIO S, I also noticed several small details that were not previously revealed, which I want to share with everyone here:

  • The narrowest part of the daytime running light is only 5mm, which is composed of 68 light beads;

  • The “Fangtian Huaji” taillights are composed of 168 light beads;

  • In addition to the three front screens and AR-HUD, there is also a small screen at the rear of the central armrest, which can display the time and temperature for the rear seats;

  • The NIO AR-HUD was also exposed for the first time. The upper layer projects stereo navigation guidance, and the lower layer can display vehicle status, speed, navigation information, and even entertainment information;

  • The front passenger seat is equipped with a holographic push-and-pull device, and even the backrest of the rear seat can be adjusted at an angle of 8°;

  • The wheels are divided into three types: Star, which has a star-like shape; Aero, with good sealing and aerodynamic performance; and Force, with exaggerated styling and adopting forging technology.- The last small detail is that the tail wing of Nazha S Yao Shi version is made of real carbon fiber.

  • The exterior colors of Nazha S are interestingly named with a sense of speed, including Particle Blue, Flash Red, Comet White, Nebula Purple, Polar Green, Phantom Black, Vigorous Yellow, Raptor Brown, and Dust Silver.

  • The interior is full of the charm of ancient Chinese military, for example: Assassin Black, Samurai Orange, Iron Knight Gray, and so on.

“The Most Beautiful” Design of LIDAR?

Regarding the hidden design of LIDAR, we must mention it. The above picture is an early concept of Nazha S. We can clearly see that the LIDAR is placed on the top of the car.

In the production version, the position of the LIDAR has been moved to the black triangle area under the headlight cluster, becoming a hidden design. So, I think this is currently the least obtrusive design of LIDAR in production models, is it not too much to say so?

The Ideal ONE L9 and NIO ET7 are placed on the roof, while the JAC ARCFOXa 5 (“P5”) and the Geely GeometryAuto (“JiLi”) are closer to the position of the Nazha S.

Moving from the top of the car in the concept picture to the front of the car, the detection range of LIDAR will change significantly. There will be debates about performance and appearance, and I believe there are also some debates internally in Nazha. Unfortunately, yesterday’s event was a design review, and there is no official explanation on this matter yet.

We can refer to XPeng P5, which is more similar to NETA S. XPeng’s ADAS is mainly based on vision and two lidars are involved to make up for the blind spots of low height on the left and right. Compared with the arrangement on the top, the requirements for lidar performance here are not high, but generally each side needs to be equipped with one.

From the results, NETA S still chose appearance, but this requires designing the square-shaped lidar, similar to a mobile phone, into the body from the beginning. Moreover, this triangular area not only has a lidar, but also integrates ultrasonic corner radars. If you look closely, you can also see some specially designed protrusions to enhance pedestrian protection.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.