Boston-based Teradar unveiled its flagship terahertz sensor, Summit, at the Consumer Electronics Show 2026. The company emerged from stealth mode two months earlier with a $150 million funding round. Teradar markets Summit as the first long-range, high-resolution terahertz sensor for cars, “designed for high performance in any type of weather, filling a critical gap left by legacy radar and lidar sensors.”
Summit operates in the terahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum, between microwaves and infrared. As a solid-state sensor with no moving parts, it combines strengths of lidar and radar while minimizing their weaknesses, such as lidar’s high cost and radar’s limitations. Teradar plans to begin shipping Summit in 2028, pending contracts with automakers. The sensor targets partial or full autonomy features in vehicles.
Teradar is validating its technology with five leading U.S. and European automakers and three Tier 1 suppliers. The announcement arrives amid challenges in the automotive sensor market. U.S. lidar firm Luminar filed for bankruptcy protection in December 2025 after losing contracts with Volvo and Mercedes-Benz. Luminar attributed the losses partly to low-cost competition from China.
China’s lidar adoption continues to grow. Hesai, a Chinese lidar company, reported producing more than 1 million sensors in 2025. Other U.S. players are adapting. Ouster, which merged with rival Velodyne following industry consolidation, has expanded into robotics and smart infrastructure markets.
