The Chinese car manufacturer Li Auto has opened its first foreign research and development centre in Munich, Germany. There, the company plans to develop semiconductors, smart chassis systems and electric drive technology, as well as gain insights into European markets.
It is the company’s first step towards globalising its R&D strategy and is intended to support the existing development centres in Beijing and Shanghai. The German centre will work on next-generation technologies in areas such as semiconductors, smart chassis systems and electric drives.
With the establishment of the new research centre, Li Auto also hopes to gain insights into the European market and establish development and testing capabilities based on European automotive regulations.
“This R&D center marks the official start of Li Auto’s global strategy,” said Ma Donghui, president of Li Auto. “It will also serve as a cornerstone of our artificial intelligence (AI) core strategy, with nearly half of our R&D investment currently directed toward AI technologies.”
The centre even garnered political attention, as Qiu Xuejun, China’s consul general in Munich, stated: “It will accelerate the green transformation process, aligning with the shared interests of both nations and supporting the global automotive industry’s transition toward sustainability.”
Li Auto had launched with high ambitions in China in 2023, initially planning to launch 5 battery-electric vehicle models by 2025. However, as the launch model, the ‘Mega’ electric van, failed to meet expectations, the second model was then postponed until 2025. The company did not rest on only developing vehicles, however, and then invested in charging technology last year, as well as signing a charging cooperation with Xiaomi.