Li Auto: Will adopt a dual-brand strategy with self-developed batteries and CATL in 2026

Tech Home March 13 News, Li Auto’s Executive Director and President Ma Donghui stated during the Q4 2025 and full-year financial report call yesterday that starting from 2026, all Li Auto models will adopt a unified “Li Auto brand” and CATL (300750) dual-battery approach.

He said that regardless of which supplier the batteries come from, their performance, quality, and safety standards must meet Li Auto’s unified requirements, ensuring that users do not perceive any difference in real-world experience.

Regarding the widely discussed battery strategy, Ma Donghui emphasized that Li Auto’s quality assurance is not determined by a single supplier but is based on a full-stack self-developed technology system, strict quality control processes, and long-standing corporate values. Equipping all models in 2026 with both Li Auto-branded batteries and CATL-branded batteries means that Li Auto’s collaboration with core partners will deepen further, while also taking control to ensure product reliability and consistency.

He also revealed the market performance of the latest models. It is said that the all-new pure electric model i6 has strong order demand since its launch, and the previously troubled supply chain bottleneck has been thoroughly resolved. The subsequent monthly delivery capacity of the i6 will be able to reach 20k units.

Regarding the impact of rising component prices, he stated that Li Auto will strengthen collaboration with supply partners, sign long-term LTA agreements with relevant suppliers to lock in prices or shares in advance, and try to absorb external price increases internally, including self-developing range extenders and chips. “Li Auto will comprehensively consider component costs, user value, and other factors to determine the price of new models, and is confident that a series of measures can keep raw material impacts within a reasonable range.”