(Yicai) June 11 -- China's sales of in-car millimeter-wave radar chips are expected to expand at an annual compound rate of more than 20 percent, as an increasing number of auto manufacturers replace lidar with millimeter-wave imaging radar to stay ahead of the competition, according to the chief executive officer of radar developer Calterah Semiconductor Technology.

By 2028, there will likely be more than 60 million automotive millimeter-wave radar chips, which use high-frequency radio waves to detect objects, on the market in China, Chen Jiashu, who is also founder of the company, said recently. These chips provide high-resolution detection and require small antennas due to their short wavelength.

More than 20 car companies are using Calterah’s millimeter-wave radar chips and they have been installed on more than 200 models, Chen said. The Shanghai-based company had shipped more than eight million of these chips as of March 31, and this year it expects sales to reach 6 million.

“More than 300 million millimeter-wave radar chips are likely to be in use worldwide by 2028,” Chen said, adding that more car companies want to replace lidar with imaging radar.

4D millimeter-wave radar has high performance and reliability, and its point cloud quality, or sharpness, is equivalent to 64-line lidar, according to EO Intelligence. Yet the cost is only one-tenth that of lidar.

Millimeter-wave radar will become an independent imaging system, Zhao Jie, CEO and chief technology officer of Beijing Autoroad Technology. The technology deeply integrates with human visual senses and can recognize targets. 4D millimeter-wave radar will hopefully have the same performance as laser radar, she added.

Since the beginning of the year, Huawei Technologies and Nio have both unveiled smart driving solutions with millimeter-wave imaging radar instead of laser radar.

Over 20 companies, including Sinpro, Altos Radar and WHST, have moved into the millimeter-wave radar field and some have even started mass production. For instance, Wuhu-based WHST’s 4D imaging radars are already installed on Li Auto’s L7 models.

The global market for millimeter-wave radars is likely to reach USD12.8 billion by 2027, according to French market research firm Yole Group. Of this, 4D and imaging millimeter-wave radars will account for USD8.8 billion.

Editor: Kim Taylor