Li Auto to Hold Power Day on October 20, Showcasing In-House Battery and EV Tech Advances

• Li Auto CEO said the company decided to develop batteries in-house in 2020, while its existing battery suppliers remain partners.
• The event will precede the launch of the updated Li i6, which will feature in-house 5C batteries and Mach chip.

Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) will hold its Power Day EV technology event on October 20 to share its latest research and development advances as the Chinese automaker expands the use of in-house batteries across its lineup.

The company announced on Monday that the event will begin at 7:30 pm Beijing Time on Tuesday. It has yet to disclose the specific technologies or performance metrics it will present.

Li Xiang, Li Auto's founder, chairman and CEO, said on Weibo today that automakers' deeper research into core battery technologies benefits both the industry and consumers, stressing that in-house development can coexist with supplier partnerships.

Li said the company decided in 2020 to develop batteries in-house to advance technology alongside specialist partners, guided by vehicle requirements and user needs. Its existing battery suppliers remain partners, he said.

"What we do ourselves and what we do with partners are choices that vary at different stages. There is only 1 criterion: which approach is better for users," he wrote on Weibo.

Citing the personal computer industry, he said both integrated hardware and software development by device makers and continued innovation by specialist chip and operating system suppliers can improve the user experience.

The remarks build on Li's recent explanations of the company's in-house development strategy. On September 28, he said Li Auto would not define that strategy around cutting out particular suppliers, and thanked CATL (HKEX: 3750) for its support in jointly developing batteries for the Li One and Li Mega.

Li said at the time that Li Auto aims to integrate battery cells, packs, battery management systems (BMS), thermal management, electric drive systems and vehicle controls to improve safety, performance and life cycle.

He also said the company is using its in-house Lianshan quality monitoring system to connect data across upstream materials, cell manufacturing, pack production and vehicle use, enabling cell traceability and early detection of quality issues.

Li Auto's expansion of in-house battery development comes amid debate in China's auto industry over the division of responsibilities between automakers and battery suppliers, and the impact of supply chain diversification on competition.

CNII, a media outlet affiliated with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said in a September 22 commentary that adding suppliers and pursuing in-house development are normal market activities, but should not be portrayed as a confrontation between automakers and battery makers.

Li Auto said on September 7 that its in-house batteries were already used in the Li L8, Li L6 and Li i8, with plans to gradually extend them across its entire lineup.

The company said its in-house cell development began in 2020, with its battery technology work spanning 5C cells, packs and battery management systems. The batteries are produced by a joint venture established in 2025 with Sunwoda (SZSE: 300207), in which each company holds a 50% stake.

Power Day will take place 8 days before the launch of the 2026 Li i6. Under the schedule Li Auto announced on October 9, the 5-seat battery electric SUV will launch on October 28, with deliveries in China scheduled to begin in early November.

The updated Li i6 will feature an in-house 5C battery and Mach assisted-driving chip, further expanding the use of internally developed core components in Li Auto's key models.

Li Auto delivered 31,817 vehicles in September, down 6.29% year-on-year. Deliveries in the first 9 months of the year totaled 293,436 vehicles, down 1.25%.