Volvo drops lidar, Tesla pushes EU approval for Full Self-Driving

Volvo Cars announced that it will remove lidar sensors from its EX90 and ES90 models, saying that advances in 4D radar and other technologies make the light‑based sensor unnecessary. Norwegian customers who ordered the vehicles will receive compensation. The move follows a comment from Elon Musk, who said, “I did try to warn them. Humans drive using neural nets and optical sensors. Same is true for robot cars,” and comes after the US lidar supplier Luminar went bankrupt.

At the same time, Tesla is seeking European Union approval for its Full Self‑Driving (FSD) system. The EU Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles discussed the safety of the level‑2++ system, with provisional approvals already granted in the Netherlands, Denmark, Lithuania and Estonia. A qualified majority of 15 of the 27 member states is required for a final decision, and France has voiced opposition, while other large markets such as Germany, Italy and Spain will be influential.