The sensor used for the drive around Detroit did not include Doppler, but that feature will be there when Baraja lidars go to automakers for testing later this year. The technology measures object velocity and direction of travel.

The administration has set an aggressive target for half of all U.S. new-vehicle sales to be battery-electrics by 2030. To get there, more government-backed programs likely will be needed to support charging infrastructure and incentives to lure buyers into the market, industry insiders and analysts say.

The TM technology uses crowd-sourced data about road conditions to alert drivers to potential hazards before they encounter them. Pairing it with Nexteer’s electric-power-steering systems is increasing its chances for widespread deployment.

Targeting battery production under the Defense Production Act puts another $750 million toward support of battery-material mining and processing, but the movement to increase lithium-ion capacity in the U.S. was already under way.

The startup says its camera-based sensor system for ADAS and autonomy applications can track objects 1,000 m ahead, will cost much less than lidar and last the life of the vehicle.

The startup believes it will be first with volume output of a 4D solid-state radar.