“You just pay for the heavily subsidized chip, and then figure out how to maximize combined revenue,” he argued, adding that the sunk costs would be low even if drivers didn’t turn on every feature allowed by the chip. Do it.
But only customers paying for an additional options package will have cars equipped with lidar sensor technology and other hardware for automated “Level 3” driving, which has higher variable costs, Calenius said.
Self-driving sensor maker Luminar Technologies Inc., in which Mercedes has a small stake, said Wednesday it has signed a multi-billion dollar deal with the carmaker to integrate its sensors into a wider range of vehicles by the middle of the decade. made a deal Luminar shares soared more than 25%.