Hirain, Arbe win imaging radar contract for L3 driving

Hirain Technologies and Arbe Robotics have won a contract to supply imaging radar for a Level 3 automated driving program. The contract is with an unnamed automaker and will cover multiple brands within that group. Series-production radar deliveries for passenger vehicles in China are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027, ahead of the vehicles' start of production.

Under the agreement, Hirain will be responsible for manufacturing, supply, and system integration. The company will use its automotive manufacturing infrastructure to manage system development, integration, validation, and quality assurance. Arbe's role is to provide the core radar technology.

The Technology and Partnership

The radar system is based on Arbe's ultra-high-resolution radar chipset. Arbe states this chipset generates the dense, detailed radar data required by the vehicle's central automated-driving platform. This contract expands the existing partnership between Hirain and Arbe into the Level 3 automated driving space.

Hirain Chief Technology Officer Chengjian Fan linked the win to the partnership's technical capabilities. "Being chosen for this level 3 programme reflects the trust in our solution and our ability to execute against the standards of a leading global automotive manufacturer," Fan said. "Arbe's radar technology has been central to reaching this point."

Company Backgrounds

Hirain Technologies was founded in 2003 and is headquartered in Beijing. The company supplies electronic systems and technology services to the automotive and transportation sectors. Its offerings span automotive electronics, R&D services, integrated systems, specialized vehicles, and intelligent transportation solutions.

Hirain maintains a global operational footprint. It has R&D and service centres in China, the United States, Germany, and Malaysia. The company also operates four manufacturing plants located in Tianjin, Nantong, Nanchang, and Malacca, Malaysia.

Arbe Robotics is headquartered in Tel Aviv, Israel, with additional offices in the US, Germany, and China. The company designs radar technology, including automotive-grade Radio Frequency transmitter and receiver chips, a radar processing chip, and its Phoenix radar system. The Phoenix system features 2,304 virtual channels and is used in passenger vehicles, robotaxis, heavy machinery, and defence applications.

Path to Production

Arbe CEO Ram Machness emphasized the collaborative effort and the next phase. "We are proud to reach this point together with Hirain, a long-standing Arbe partner, and congratulate their team on the outstanding engineering that brought the program to this stage," Machness stated. "Our focus now turns to execution." The program's timeline indicates radar components will be delivered to the automaker's production lines starting in late 2027.