The Zacks Automotive - Original Equipment industry faces significant challenges including weak vehicle demand below pre-pandemic levels, rising R&D and retooling costs, and tariff uncertainties. However, companies with strong engineering capabilities and technology focus in electrification and driver-assistance systems are positioned to outperform. Mobileye Global and Hesai Group are highlighted as beneficiaries of the shift toward advanced autonomous and safety technologies.

Hesai Group (HSAI) is expanding its lidar market presence through new automotive and robotics design wins, with Q2 2026 revenues reaching $126.9 million and Q3 guidance of $162-$169 million. However, the company faces headwinds from declining gross margins (40.1% in Q2 vs. 42.5% prior year) due to lower-margin product mix and a low return on equity of 5.5. The stock is rated a Hold with a Zacks Rank #3.

The autonomous vehicle and robotaxi industry continues to advance with recent developments in self-driving software approvals and infrastructure financing. Three sensing technology companies are highlighted as potential beneficiaries: Hesai Group, which recently partnered with Mercedes-Benz and achieved record lidar shipments; Mobileye Global, planning a U.S. robotaxi launch in 2027 but facing competition from Waymo and Tesla; and Aeva Technologies, developing 4D lidar technology with NVIDIA partnership but still unprofitable.

Hesai Group filed its annual report on Form 20-F for fiscal year 2025 with the SEC and published its 2025 ESG report. The company reported Q4 2025 net revenues of RMB1,000.5 million (US$143.1 million), quarterly lidar shipments of 631,095 units, and quarterly net income of RMB153.2 million (US$21.9 million).

The U.S. solid-state LiDAR market is projected to grow at 17.98% CAGR through 2035, driven by adoption of ADAS and autonomous driving technologies. The global market is valued at $2.18B in 2025 and expected to reach $13.69B by 2035 at 20.17% CAGR. Flash LiDAR dominates with 44.30% market share, while autonomous vehicles account for 43.20% of applications. North America leads with 37.60% market share, while Asia Pacific shows fastest growth at 23.26% CAGR.

Robosense achieved its first-ever quarterly profit of 60 million yuan in Q4 2025, with LiDAR sales for robotic applications surging 12-fold year-over-year. The company sold 912,000 LiDAR units in 2025, up 67.6% from 2024, driven by strong demand in robotics and robotaxi markets. However, the company faces ongoing pricing pressure from China's competitive EV market and must prove profitability is sustainable.

Cheng-Tech, China's third-largest millimeter-wave radar maker, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO to capitalize on the autonomous driving boom. The company reported 464% revenue surge in H1 2025, but faces significant risks from 97.4% customer concentration with BYD. While the millimeter-wave radar market is growing at 13.1% annually, Cheng-Tech's valuation could be challenged by its heavy customer reliance and smaller scale compared to competitors.

Seyond, a U.S.-based LiDAR sensor manufacturer, successfully completed a SPAC listing in Hong Kong after a lengthy regulatory process, becoming only the third firm to do so under the exchange's 4-year-old program.

Hesai Group reported strong Q3 2025 financial performance, with net revenues of RMB795.4 million, representing a 47.5% year-over-year increase. The company achieved record net income of RMB256 million and surpassed one million lidar units in annual production, with significant growth in ADAS and Robotics lidar shipments.

Hesai Group has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Seyond Holdings in Zhejiang province, alleging that Seyond's Robin E1X LiDAR sensor closely resembles Hesai's AT series, potentially impacting Seyond's upcoming Hong Kong SPAC listing.

The driverless vehicle market is poised for significant growth, with multiple companies investing in autonomous technology across automotive and tech sectors. The industry faces challenges in regulation and public trust but offers potential trillion-dollar opportunities by 2030.

Seyond Holdings Ltd., a LiDAR supplier for Nio, received approval for a Hong Kong stock listing through a SPAC merger, with authorization to list up to 190,240,000 shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.