Cepton, Inc. (NASDAQ:CPTN) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

Mitch Hourtienne: I think, I can offer some color on that. So, the units that Hull is talking about, we have orders for that. That just covers the first couple of platforms at GM. And so, there will be a mix of take rates, whether it’s the high end luxury vehicle, could be up to 100% versus the mid-grade models, which don’t start until next year, where the take rate could be a little bit lower, but they’re higher volume platform. So yes, I think we’re getting more insight obviously as we get the firm orders, but I don’t think there’s anything surprising so far or different from our original assumptions from the nine vehicle platforms at GM.

Samik Chatterjee: Okay. So I mean, just to make that — clarify you’re implying that that 10,000 is a pretty high peak rate on the platforms, the platforms you’re launching on initially in 2023?

Mitch Hourtienne: Yes, on the first few vehicles. Yes.

Samik Chatterjee: And then just secondly, I think most of your peers who have reported this earning season have been setting milestones in terms of number of OEMs, number of wins, they expect to sort of get through in 2023. Wondering sort of — I know, you’ve talked about sort of expansion of the opportunity with GM being sort of for something you’re targeting for 2023. But any milestones in terms of new customer additions, et cetera that you’re targeting for 2023, that we should be sort of tracking you against, just any color on that front?

Mitch Hourtienne: Yes. So, once again, this is Mitch, I’ll answer that, and then you can add any comments. But, we always have the goal of adding additional OEMs. But more than that, this year, I’d say as Hull mentioned, we’re in the late stages at one or two OEMs right now in the top 10. And so, we do really expect them to make decisions within the next six months or so. Of course, no lidar company can dictate the timing from an OEM. And if you look at our target customers, there have been a lot of changes. GM has revealed more details on Ultra Cruise. So that’s a valid public validation. Ford may shut down Argo three, four months ago, but they also said they’re doubling down on ADAS, and so we expect next gen BlueCruise next.

Hony — or Honda announced a joint venture with Sony. So that’s a step in adopting new ADAS tech. And then Toyota just changed CEO. So, there’s a lot of movement at the OEMs that sometimes delays some of their sourcing decisions here. But we’re very much in the discussion, and I would even expand that to Korea and Europe, we’re in the discussion in all the major sourcing.

Operator: Next question comes from Richard Shannon with Craig Hallum. Please go ahead.

Richard Shannon: I think I’m going to follow up on the very first question asked here regarding the 2023 revenue profile here. Hull, I think you mentioned this being a backend loaded year. Maybe you can give more clarity to that, like, how much bigger will the second half be than the first half or some way just to kind of get a sense of what you’re expecting here?

Hull Xu: Yes. So, the ramp does take a little bit of nonlinear fashion. So, I’d say, the backend is probably twice as much as the first half.

Richard Shannon: And then, in terms of your lead OEM here, can you clarify or characterize how many models that you’re shipping into now, or at least are covered in that 10,000 units in your order book?

Mitch Hourtienne: Yes. The preproduction shipments right now are going into multiple vehicle models. It’s more than two. And the hard orders that we have, yes, they also cover the same number of models, so two or three models. But they’re all staged in timing, right? Like they don’t launch the same month.