Hesai Announces Plan to Double Annual Lidar Production Capacity at CES 2026

Rhea-AI Summary

Hesai (NASDAQ: HSAI) announced at CES 2026 it will double annual lidar production capacity in 2026 from 2 million to over 4 million units to meet rising ADAS and robotics demand. The expansion builds on Hesai surpassing 2 million cumulative deliveries in 2025, four generations of proprietary ASICs, fully automated lines with a 10-second cycle time, and a new factory in Bangkok expected to begin operations in early 2027. Hesai reported ATX orders exceeding 4 million units with mass production and delivery starting in April 2026 and holds design wins with 24 automotive OEMs.

Positive

• Annual capacity rising from 2M to >4M units in 2026
• Surpassed 2M cumulative deliveries in 2025
• ATX orders exceeding 4M units; production starts April 2026
• JT series surpassed 200,000 cumulative deliveries
• Design wins with 24 automotive OEMs

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Annual capacity 2026 Over 4 million lidar units Planned annual production capacity for 2026 vs 2 million prior

Current capacity 2 million lidar units Existing annual production capacity before 2026 expansion

Production cycle time 10-second cycle time Average time for a new lidar unit to roll off the line

ATX orders Over 4 million units Orders for ATX lidar from multiple OEMs, mass production April 2026

Lidar per L3 vehicle 3–6 lidars Expected lidar count per L3 vehicle under new safety requirements

Accident reduction (fatal) 90% reduction Fatal highway accidents vs camera-only systems in lidar-equipped vehicles

Accident reduction (overall) 30% reduction Regular traffic accidents vs camera-only systems in lidar-equipped vehicles

JT series deliveries Over 200,000 units Cumulative deliveries of JT series robotics/industrial lidars

Market Reality Check

$27.61 Last Close

Volume Volume 1,637,901 is in line with the 20-day average of 1,604,404, suggesting typical trading activity before this news. normal

Technical Shares at $24.08 are trading above the 200-day MA of $21.22, after a 7.5% pre-news gain.

Peers on Argus

Peers in Auto Parts showed mixed moves, with names like DAN up 3.96% and AAP down 1.74%, indicating HSAI’s 7.5% gain looks more company-specific than sector-driven.

Common Catalyst Some peers such as Visteon also issued CES-related product news, but without a clear, broad sector momentum pattern.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 23	Drone lidar partnership	Positive	-0.8%	Supplying FTX lidars for Meituan’s Keeta Drone delivery fleet expansion.
Dec 15	Robotics recognition	Positive	+2.0%	Named sole lidar firm on Morgan Stanley’s “Humanoid Tech 25” robotics list.
Dec 04	CES 2026 preview	Positive	+4.6%	Announced CES 2026 demos highlighting >2M deliveries and 24 OEM design wins.
Nov 11	Li Auto design wins	Positive	-9.9%	Secured exclusive lidar supplier role for Li Auto’s next-gen assisted driving.
Nov 11	Q3 2025 earnings	Positive	-9.9%	Reported profitable Q3, raised GAAP net income guidance and highlighted HK listing.

Pattern Detected

Recent news has often been positive, but price reactions have been mixed, with several strong strategic wins followed by negative one-day moves, suggesting uneven investor response to growth announcements.

Recent Company History

Over the last few months, Hesai has emphasized rapid lidar scale-up and design wins. On Nov 11, 2025, it reported Q3 2025 results with RMB795.4M net revenues, 441,398 lidar shipments, and raised full-year GAAP net income guidance to RMB350–450M, yet shares fell 9.89%. Subsequent news highlighted exclusive Li Auto wins, CES 2026 participation, and robotics recognition, with price moves ranging from -0.75% to +4.58%. Today’s plan to double capacity to over 4M units continues this expansion trajectory.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights Hesai’s plan to double annual lidar production capacity from 2 million to over 4 million units in 2026, backed by in-house manufacturing with a 10-second cycle time and a new Thailand factory targeted for early 2027. Orders for the ATX lidar exceed 4 million units, and JT series deliveries have passed 200,000. Investors may watch how these capacity plans translate into realized shipments, margins, and follow-on automotive and robotics design wins.

Key Terms

lidar technical

"Hesai Technology (NASDAQ: HSAI; HKEX: 2525), the global leader in lidar solutions, announced today"

Lidar, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a technology that uses laser beams to create detailed, three-dimensional maps of the environment. It works like a sophisticated eye that measures distances by bouncing light off objects, helping machines see and understand their surroundings. For investors, lidar is important because it enables advancements in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and mapping, which can drive innovation and growth in related industries.

adas technical

"driven by accelerating demand for ADAS and robotics lidar.Scaling to 4 Million Units"

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are electronic systems in vehicles that assist the driver with safety tasks. Examples include automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. These systems use sensors and cameras to improve vehicle safety.

asic technical

"Hesai has developed four generations of proprietary ASICs, enabling rapid product iteration"

ASIC is Australia’s corporate, markets and financial services regulator that enforces rules for companies, financial advisers and market operators; think of it as the referee and rulebook keeper for financial activity. It matters to investors because ASIC’s oversight, investigations and enforcement actions affect company credibility, legal risk and market fairness—actions that can change stock prices, investor confidence and the safety of financial products.

l3 technical

"Elevating Safety with Next-Generation L3 Automotive Lidar SuiteThe ADAS market is"

L3 (Level 3) is a category in accounting that describes assets or liabilities valued using unobservable inputs—meaning their prices aren’t available from markets and rely on management’s own assumptions or models. It matters to investors because Level 3 items carry more uncertainty and judgment, so they can materially affect reported profits and balance sheets; think of them as a recipe with hidden ingredients that are harder to verify than items bought off a shelf.

robotaxi technical

"In the robotaxi and robotruck markets, companies worldwide are rapidly scaling autonomous fleets."

A robotaxi is a self-driving vehicle designed to transport passengers without a human driver. It operates autonomously, using sensors and computers to navigate roads and pick up riders, similar to a taxi service but without a driver. For investors, robotaxis represent a potential shift in transportation, promising lower costs and new opportunities in mobility services.

agvs technical

"including lawn-mowing robots, intelligent companion robots, humanoid robots, AGVs and AMRs, and 3D"

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are driverless robots used to move goods inside warehouses, factories or distribution centers, following preset paths or navigation systems. For investors, AGVs matter because they can cut labor costs, speed up operations and reduce errors much like replacing a fleet of delivery vans with a self-driving system, which can affect a company’s margins, capital spending and competitive edge.

amrs technical

"including lawn-mowing robots, intelligent companion robots, humanoid robots, AGVs and AMRs, and 3D"

AMRS is a stock ticker symbol — a short code used by exchanges and investors to identify a specific publicly traded company’s shares, similar to a car’s license plate that uniquely identifies a vehicle. For investors, the ticker matters because it’s how you look up prices, trade shares, track performance, and compare the company to peers; using the wrong ticker can lead to tracking or trading the wrong investment.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hesai Technology (NASDAQ: HSAI; HKEX: 2525), the global leader in lidar solutions, announced today that it will double its annual production capacity in 2026 — from 2 million units to over 4 million units — driven by accelerating demand for ADAS and robotics lidar.

Scaling to 4 Million Units: Powered by Strong In-House Manufacturing

In 2025, Hesai became the world's first automotive lidar company to surpass 2 million cumulative deliveries. To meet rising demand, the company is expanding its annual production capacity to more than 4 million units in 2026, setting a new benchmark for the industry.

This expansion is backed by Hesai's robust in-house manufacturing capabilities. By building an integrated R&D and production center from the ground up, the company has established a solid foundation for mass production while maintaining consistent quality at scale. Hesai has developed four generations of proprietary ASICs, enabling rapid product iteration, high reliability, and globally replicable production. Its fully automated production lines now feature a 10-second cycle time — the average time for a new lidar unit to roll off the line.

Hesai's scalability will be further enhanced by its newly announced factory in Bangkok, Thailand, currently under development to support rising global demand. Operations are expected to begin in early 2027.

"Our customers are scaling faster than ever, and we are scaling with them. By expanding our annual capacity to over 4 million units and adding our new Thailand facility, we're building a global manufacturing footprint that can reliably support mass production. Our commitment is simple: deliver world-class lidar, at scale, with the consistency and trust that the automotive industry demands," said David Li, Co-founder and CEO of Hesai.

Elevating Safety with Next-Generation L3 Automotive Lidar Suite

The ADAS market is experiencing rapid growth, and lidar has become a standard safety feature. Acting as an "invisible seatbelt," lidar plays a critical role in preventing accidents before they occur. Lidar-equipped vehicles reduce fatal highway accidents by 90% and lower regular traffic accidents by 30% compared with camera-only systems^[1]. The impact is now measurable at scale: China's EV market lidar adoption rate has reached 28%, meaning one in four electric vehicles on the road is now equipped with lidar^[2].

To date, Hesai has secured design wins from 24 automotive OEMs for mass-production programs. Key partners include a top European OEM, a leading global automaker in NEV sales, Li Auto, Xiaomi, Changan, Geely, Great Wall Motor, Chery, Zeekr, Leapmotor, SAIC Audi, SAIC-GM, a Toyota joint venture, among other top automakers. Hesai's new ATX lidar has already secured orders exceeding 4 million units from multiple leading OEMs, with mass production and delivery starting in April 2026.

Driven by new safety regulations and redundancy requirements, each L3 vehicle is now expected to adopt up to 3-6 lidars, significantly expanding Hesai's addressable market. At CES, Hesai is presenting its next-generation L3 automotive lidar suite, featuring the long-range ETX and short-range FTX lidars. With compact form factors designed to simplify vehicle integration, ETX is optimized for behind-the-windshield, in-cabin installation, while FTX enables short-range blind-spot detection.

Enabling the Next Wave of Physical AI with Hesai Lidar

Beyond the ADAS market, the robotics industry is entering a hyper-growth phase powered by breakthroughs in AI. As robots move from controlled environments into a wide range of real-world applications, reliable, high-precision perception has become essential — and Hesai lidar serves as the "eyes" of physical AI.

In the robotaxi and robotruck markets, companies worldwide are rapidly scaling autonomous fleets. Because safety in this market is non-negotiable, customers require the highest-performing, highest-quality lidars. As a result, Hesai is at the center of this transformation. At CES, visitors can see live point-cloud demonstrations from the 360° long-range OT128 and learn how it is powering large-scale L4 robotaxi deployments at Baidu, Pony.ai, Motional, WeRide, and other innovators, with some vehicles integrating up to eight Hesai lidars each.

In the robotics and industrial markets, Hesai's JT series mini 360° hyper-hemispherical 3D lidars have achieved strong, market-proven success. Featuring an extremely compact form factor, ultra-low power consumption, and an ultra-wide field of view, the JT series enables seamless integration across a wide range of mobile robots and industrial platforms. Since launch, the JT series has surpassed 200,000 cumulative deliveries. This momentum is reflected at Hesai's CES booth, where an expanding range of robotics applications now leverage the JT series — including lawn-mowing robots, intelligent companion robots, humanoid robots, AGVs and AMRs, and 3D digitalization devices — from leading innovators such as DREAME, Vbot, MOVIN, and Realsee. Together, these collaborations are accelerating the deployment of physical AI.

As robotics and automotive technologies advance toward large-scale deployment, Hesai's lidar solutions are emerging as critical enablers of next-generation intelligent systems. Visitors are invited to stop by Hesai's booth (LVCC West Hall #5601) at CES to experience firsthand how the company's latest innovations are shaping the future of autonomy across industries.

For more information, or to book an interview with the Hesai team on-site, members of the media are invited to contact our PR team at pr@hesaitech.com.

[1] According to Li Auto's official data

[2] According to Gasgoo, data from November 2025

 

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SOURCE Hesai Technology

FAQ

What production capacity did Hesai announce for 2026 (HSAI)?

Hesai announced annual capacity will increase to >4 million units in 2026, up from 2 million.

When will Hesai begin mass production and delivery of the ATX lidar (HSAI)?

Mass production and delivery for the ATX lidar are scheduled to start in April 2026.

Which new manufacturing site did Hesai announce and when will it start operations (HSAI)?

Hesai is developing a factory in Bangkok, Thailand, with operations expected to begin in early 2027.

How many automotive OEM design wins has Hesai secured (HSAI)?

Hesai has secured design wins with 24 automotive OEMs for mass-production programs.

What cumulative delivery milestones did Hesai report in 2025 (HSAI)?

Hesai reported it became the first automotive lidar company to surpass 2 million cumulative deliveries in 2025.