Chine
Li
Li Auto (Li Xiang, 理想汽车) is a Chinese automaker founded on July 1, 2015 by entrepreneur Li Xiang, then in his early thirties. Before Li Auto, Li Xiang had founded the technology portal PCPop and then the automotive site Autohome (Autohome.com.cn), one of the largest auto information platforms in China, which earned him the nickname "the Chinese Elon Musk" in some media. The company was initially called Beijing Chehejia Information Technology ("Chehejia" meaning "car and home"). In its early days, it explored producing small low-speed electric vehicles intended for ride-sharing and on-demand transport, a project abandoned in 2018 for lack of a favorable regulatory framework. In 2019, the Cayman Islands-based holding company renamed itself Leading Ideal Inc., and the brand bet on a distinctive niche: extended-range electric vehicles (EREV), fitted with a gasoline engine used solely as a generator. The first model, the Li ONE, was launched in 2019. The company completed its IPO on the Nasdaq (ticker "LI") in July 2020, raising about US$1.1 billion, followed by a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The lineup then expanded rapidly with the L9, L8, L7, and later L6 SUVs, the Mega electric minivan (2023), and the fully electric i6 and i8 SUVs (2025). The head office is located in Beijing, and main production is concentrated in Changzhou (Jiangsu), with a second plant in Beijing's Shunyi district. In 2024, Li Auto delivered more than 500,000 vehicles for revenue of nearly 144.5 billion yuan, becoming one of the most successful electrified-vehicle makers in China. The brand sells almost exclusively in the Chinese market; it has begun expanding into the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) and is evaluating Europe, but has no official sales or production presence in North America to date.
ActiveÉlectrique / hybrideChinoises
History
History of Li
Li Auto (Li Xiang, 理想汽车) is a Chinese automaker founded on July 1, 2015 by entrepreneur Li Xiang, then in his early thirties. Before Li Auto, Li Xiang had founded the technology portal PCPop and then the automotive site Autohome (Autohome.com.cn), one of the largest auto information platforms in China, which earned him the nickname "the Chinese Elon Musk" in some media. The company was initially called Beijing Chehejia Information Technology ("Chehejia" meaning "car and home"). In its early days, it explored producing small low-speed electric vehicles intended for ride-sharing and on-demand transport, a project abandoned in 2018 for lack of a favorable regulatory framework. In 2019, the Cayman Islands-based holding company renamed itself Leading Ideal Inc., and the brand bet on a distinctive niche: extended-range electric vehicles (EREV), fitted with a gasoline engine used solely as a generator. The first model, the Li ONE, was launched in 2019. The company completed its IPO on the Nasdaq (ticker "LI") in July 2020, raising about US$1.1 billion, followed by a listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The lineup then expanded rapidly with the L9, L8, L7, and later L6 SUVs, the Mega electric minivan (2023), and the fully electric i6 and i8 SUVs (2025). The head office is located in Beijing, and main production is concentrated in Changzhou (Jiangsu), with a second plant in Beijing's Shunyi district. In 2024, Li Auto delivered more than 500,000 vehicles for revenue of nearly 144.5 billion yuan, becoming one of the most successful electrified-vehicle makers in China. The brand sells almost exclusively in the Chinese market; it has begun expanding into the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) and is evaluating Europe, but has no official sales or production presence in North America to date.
Public founding or origin of Li.
L7: launch or first listed period.
L8: launch or first listed period.
L9: launch or first listed period.
Li ONE: launch or first listed period.
Technologies
Technologies, innovations and platforms
Li Auto's technical signature is the EREV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle), a series-hybrid system: the wheels are always driven by electric motors, while a small turbocharged gasoline engine (1.5 L on recent SUVs) acts solely as a generator to recharge the battery, never directly driving the wheels. This delivers the quiet, smooth driving feel of an electric vehicle while eliminating range anxiety: electric range of 200 to 290 km (CLTC cycle) and combined range often exceeding 1,300 km. Since 2024-2025, the brand has also been rolling out fully electric models (Mega, i6, i8) on an 800-volt fast-charging architecture. Li Auto invests heavily in driver assistance (Li AD / ADAS system with LiDAR sensors), large screens, family-oriented interiors, and onboard comfort.
Brand image
Identity, reputation, strengths and weaknesses
Positioning
Chinese manufacturer of premium, tech-focused family SUVs, both extended-range electric (EREV) and fully electric, sold mainly in China.
Reputation
In China, Li Auto enjoys a solid reputation, driven by well-finished, technology-rich family SUVs that offer an attractive features-for-the-price ratio against Western premium rivals. Its EREV approach appeals to buyers who hesitate to go fully electric because of range and charging-network concerns. The brand posts sales growth and profitability that are rare among young electric-vehicle makers. Outside China, its name recognition remains limited and its long-term reliability track record is still young. Absent from the North American market, it does not appear in the road tests and reliability or resale-value rankings commonly consulted in Quebec.
Strengths
A clever EREV concept that combines electric smoothness with long range without relying on the charging network, spacious and richly equipped family interiors, generous onboard technology (large screens, driver-assistance features), an aggressive features-for-the-price ratio, and strong commercial growth in China with profitability that is rare among new electric-vehicle makers.
Points to watch
A presence almost limited to China, with no official sales or service network in North America, which complicates access to parts and support in Quebec. A still-young reliability track record, resale value undocumented outside China, and a lineup centered on large, heavy SUVs. The gasoline engine in the EREV system still entails thermal maintenance, unlike a purely electric vehicle.
Models
Li models
Current or active models by market
Notable past models
Production and compatibility
Plants, tires and wheels
Production
Li Auto's production is concentrated in China. The main plant is located in Changzhou, in Jiangsu province, where the L-range SUVs and the electric models are assembled. A second facility was developed in Beijing's Shunyi district starting in 2021 to increase capacity. The brand operates no plant in North America and does not officially sell vehicles there; its international expansion, still recent, is aimed first at the Middle East and, under study, Europe. For the Quebec market, this means that no Li Auto vehicle is homologated or distributed locally by an official network.
Tires and wheels
Li Auto vehicles are large, heavy family SUVs that ride on large-diameter tires and wheels. The L9, the flagship model, comes from the factory with 265/45 R21 tires on 21-inch wheels (width around 9J), and the L8/L7 also typically use 20- to 21-inch fitments. The high weight and power call for tires with adequate load and speed ratings. In Quebec, winter tires bearing the mountain-snowflake symbol are mandatory and strongly recommended on this type of heavy SUV; plan for a second winter set, often in a slightly reduced diameter for cost and traction. With no local distribution, always confirm the exact dimensions and bolt pattern before purchasing.