Luminar, a global automotive technology company, announced its achievement of the start of production milestone and reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2022, ended Sept. 30, 2022. SAIC is the largest Chinese automaker, and the R7 is the first flagship vehicle from its new smart electric brand RISING AUTO. Its debut, featuring Luminar, marks an inflection point in the industry as Luminar’s technology makes its way into consumer production vehicles.
Luminar’s technology helps power the vehicle’s RISING PILOT Intelligent Driving Program to enable advanced safety features and automated driving capabilities over time. The launch follows RISING AUTO’s high-speed testing across China, encompassing more than 400,000km.
“With the start of series production, autonomous technology has for the first time evolved from R&D into consumer production vehicles,” said Austin Russell, Luminar Founder and CEO. “The team and I couldn’t be more proud to bridge that chasm with China’s largest automaker and power what is set to be their most advanced and safest vehicle on the road. As we continue to successfully prove ourselves, major automakers are becoming more convinced that the path to autonomy will be paved by Luminar lidar and will begin with next generation safety.”
Polestar unveiled the Polestar 3 vehicle featuring lidar by Luminar, which Polestar referenced as “the best long-range lidar in the world.” Luminar Iris is expected to be available to order on Polestar 3 beginning in Q2 2023. Next week, Volvo Cars is set to unveil its new fully-electric flagship SUV, the Volvo EX90, which will come standard with Luminar on every vehicle.
Luminar released the capstone to its Path to Series Production video series, which can be viewed at: www.luminartech.com/path. The video underscores the recent start of series production for SAIC’s RISING AUTO and spotlights Volvo Cars’ design approach to sleekly integrating Iris into the Volvo EX90 prior to its upcoming reveal on Nov. 9.
Major 2022 Milestones – Q3 Status:
Luminar outlined its four major milestones to measure success at the beginning of the year. Last quarter, the company raised guidance for the growth of commercial programs (major commercial wins) and forward-looking order book. Luminar is on track to meet or beat each of these targets by year-end, and has achieved its number one major 2022 milestone with the start of Iris production.
- Iris Industrialization for Series Production: Luminar successfully launched its Iris lidar into series production, leveraging manufacturing partners in Mexico and Thailand, driven by Luminar’s advanced manufacturing team. The company continues its focus on industrialization with construction of a new dedicated higher volume production facility in Monterrey, Mexico that is on track to be production ready by the second half of 2023.
- Software: The company continued to make strong progress improving and refining critical components of its software stack, including the on-road performance of Proactive Safety™ and highway autonomy features. The company remains on track for its beta version milestone by the end of 2022 and expects to demonstrate it live at CES in January 2023.
- Commercial Programs: Luminar remains on track to achieve its previously increased goal of 60% YoY growth for major commercial program wins.
- Forward-Looking Order Book: Luminar remains on track to achieve its previously increased goal of 60% YoY growth for its forward-looking order book.
Key Q3 2022 Financials:
Luminar exceeded its Q3 financial guidance and maintains a strong balance sheet for accelerating business growth and reaching positive cash flow.
- Revenue: Q3 revenue of $12.8 million, ahead of expectations and up 60% YoY, and 29% compared to the prior quarter.
- GAAP and Non-GAAP net loss: Q3 GAAP net loss was $117.6 million, or $(0.33) per share; Q3 Non-GAAP net loss was $63.4 million, or $(0.18) per share.
- Cash, Cash Equivalents and Marketable Securities were $553.1 million as of Sept. 30, 2022. Q3 cash spend (operating cash flow less capital expenditures) was $52.5 million. Luminar is maintaining prior cash spend guidance of 2022 cash spend moderately higher than 2021.
- Q4 2022 Financial Outlook: Maintaining full-year revenue outlook of $40 million to $45 million, which the company raised in August.
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