- Li Auto opened an R&D center in Munich, Germany, which it said is the first step in its global R&D strategy.
- The German team will help Li Auto gain insights into the European market and build development and testing capabilities based on European automotive regulations.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) has opened its first overseas research and development center, setting its sights on the global market.
On January 17, Li Auto opened its R&D center in Munich, Germany, its first overseas R&D center and the company’s first step toward globalizing its R&D strategy, according to an announcement.
Previously, Li Auto had set up R&D centers in Beijing and Shanghai.
The German R&D center will work with Chinese R&D teams on next-generation technologies in the areas of forward-looking styling, power semiconductors, intelligent chassis and electric drives, Li Auto said.
The company has already developed the first generation of SiC power modules in China, and the German and Chinese R&D teams will work together to develop the next generation of power semiconductor technology, it said.
The German R&D team will support Li Auto’s R&D efforts at its Beijing headquarters in China, assisting with next-generation research into cutting-edge chassis technologies such as brake-by-wire, steer-by-wire and fully active suspension.
The team will also help Li Auto gain insights into the European market and establish development and testing capabilities based on European automotive regulations, it said.
This will help it meet local user needs and bring more families a more convenient and comfortable mobility experience in the future, Li Auto said.
The company sees its German R&D center as a key underpinning of its core AI (artificial intelligence) strategy.
Li Auto currently spends nearly half of its R&D investment on the development and application of AI technologies, and is committed to building a complete systematic capability in the field of AI, it said.
The company will next continue to explore the globalization of its R&D layout, absorbing global R&D talents from different backgrounds to build a diversified talent team, it said.
Li Auto is one of the few major new car-making forces in China that has yet to start expanding overseas. Its local peers Nio (NYSE: NIO), Xpeng (NYSE: XPEV) and Zeekr (NYSE: ZK) are actively doing that.
Last October, local media outlet 36kr reported that Li Auto had created a first-tier division responsible for overseas market expansion, putting back on the table its international expansion plans, which had gone through a number of changes.
The company delivered a record 58,513 vehicles in December, bringing full-year deliveries to 500,508 units, up 33.10 percent year-on-year.
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