A Li i6 electric SUV on display at the Beijing Auto Show in April 2026. Credit: CnEVPost.
- The new-generation Li Mega and upcoming Li i9 will gradually switch from CATL batteries to batteries developed in-house by Li Auto.
- Pre-orders for the 2026 Li i6 will open in late September, with deliveries starting in early November.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) plans to roll out batteries developed in-house across its entire lineup and launch the 2026 Li i6 electric SUV (sport utility vehicle) with its own battery and chip in the fourth quarter.
The Chinese automaker detailed the roll-out in a WeChat post on Monday, advancing its strategy to control core battery and chip technologies.
The 2026 Li i6 will feature Li Auto’s in-house 5C battery and Mach assisted-driving chip. Pre-orders will open in late September, with deliveries starting in early November.
The Li i6, a 5-seat all-electric SUV, was first launched in September 2025. The updated model will bring more internally developed core components to one of the company’s key products.
Li i6 deliveries totaled 135,863 in the first 7 months of this year, according to data compiled by CnEVPost. July deliveries fell 28.12% from June to 15,420, but still accounted for about half of the company’s monthly total.
Li i6 Monthly Deliveries 2025-2026
Month
2025
2026
January
16,883
February
16,007
March
24,198
April
21,024
May
20,878
June
21,453
July
15,420
September
404
October
5,775
November
6,798
December
15,994
Li i6 monthly deliveries
2025
2026
Li Auto said its in-house batteries are already used in the Li L8, Li L6 and Li i8, with deployment set to expand to all models.
Initial deliveries of the new-generation Li Mega use 5C ternary lithium batteries from CATL (HKEX: 3750). The model will switch entirely to Li Auto’s in-house 5C ternary lithium batteries once production preparations are complete.
Orders in the first few days after the new-generation Li Mega’s launch exceeded expectations, leaving CATL battery inventories close to depletion, the company said.
Customers who lock in Li Mega orders at or after 3:00 pm Beijing Time on September 7 will receive vehicles with Li Auto’s in-house batteries. Deliveries are expected to begin in November.
Li Auto launched the new-generation Li Mega on September 2, pairing a lower price with major hardware upgrades to boost demand for the flagship all-electric MPV (multi-purpose vehicle). Initial deliveries began on September 5.
The Li i9, a flagship 6-seat all-electric SUV set to debut in mid-September, will also initially use CATL’s 5C ternary lithium batteries.
The Li i9 will switch entirely to Li Auto’s in-house batteries once production ramps up.
Li Auto began developing battery cells in-house in 2020, with its technology now covering 5C cells, battery packs and the battery management system (BMS), it said.
The company said integrated battery and vehicle design, along with its experience in 5C ultra-fast charging, would support battery quality, safety and long-life.
Development of the Mach chip began in 2022, and Li Auto plans to continue investing in future iterations.
The technology shift comes as Li Auto increases its investment in a battery manufacturing partner. Sunwoda (SZSE: 300207) disclosed on September 4 that Li Auto plans to inject capital into its power battery subsidiary, Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co Ltd (Sunwoda EVB).
Li Auto will directly hold an 8.79% stake in Sunwoda EVB after the transaction, becoming its second-largest single shareholder.
The companies established a 50-50 joint venture in 2025 to manufacture batteries developed by Li Auto.
Scaling up the use of internally developed components is also a key part of Li Auto’s response to cost pressures. Its vehicle margin was 9.4% in the second quarter, down from 19.4% a year earlier.
Management said on an August 26 earnings call that it would control costs through integrated design, in-house technology and supply chain optimization, and had decided against passing the latest cost increases on to customers.
Li Auto will directly hold an 8.79% stake in Sunwoda’s power battery unit, while its related entities will have a combined stake of 11.17%.
