Tesla Was Luminar’s Largest Sensor Customer in the First Quarter

Elon Musk has famously said that lidar is a fool’s errand.

And yet, Tesla Inc. has purchased $2 million worth of the laser-based sensor technology from Luminar Technologies Inc.

Tesla was the company’s largest lidar customer in the first quarter, comprising more than 10% of revenue, Luminar said in its letter to shareholders Tuesday. The Orlando-based company reported $21 million in revenue for the period.

Musk has staked Tesla’s future on a next-generation, self-driving vehicle concept called the robotaxi that he has promised to unveil on Aug. 8. Musk has been talking about autonomous driving for years, but the renewed ...