> And why not just use LIDAR that can literally see around corners in 3D?

Based on what I've read over the years: it costs too much for a consumer vehicle, it creates unwanted "bumps" in the vehicle visual design, and the great man said it wasn't needed.

Yes, those reasons are not for technology or safety. They are based on cost, marketing, and personality (of the CEO and fans of the brand).

Lidar is being manufactured in china in the volume of millions a year by robosense, Huawei, and hesai. Bom cost is on the order of a few hundred dollars - slightly more than automotive radar. The situation is a lot different in 2025 than in 2017.