Li Auto Initiates Production at Beijing Plant with Annual Capacity of 100,000 EVs

Chinese car manufacturer Li Auto announced the beginning of operations at its green and smart vehicle plant on October 16 in Shunyi District, Beijing. With over 6 billion yuan ($933 million) to be invested in total, the automaker projected a production-ready date by the end of 2023, producing brand new battery-electric products in the future.

Li Auto‘s plant is located in the automaker’s recently acquired facility, which is also the former plant of Beijing Hyundai. Due to the aging of equipment, the factory has stopped production since April 2019. The new plant will utilize Beijing Hyundai’s existing workshops as much as possible, up to 60%.

The new plant is expected to realize a production capacity of 100,000 vehicles annually in phase one, Li Auto added. Moreover, the automaker will also build an industrial innovation center, putting Li Auto’s most recent models and technology on public display. It plans on establishing super charging stations as well, providing clients with fast charging services.

At the same time, Li Auto is currently developing two high-voltage pure electric vehicle platforms: Whale and Shark. From 2023, it plans to launch at least two high-voltage pure electric vehicles every year.

According to a report by Li Auto, 7,094 Ideal ONEs were delivered in September, a year-on-year increase of 102.5%. In the third quarter of 2021, a total of 25,116 vehicles were delivered, up 190% year-on-year. In the first nine months of 2021, the total delivery volume of vehicles reached 55,270 units.

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As of September 30, Li Auto has 153 retail centers, covering 85 cities in China, as well as 223 after-sales maintenance centers and authorized sheet metal spraying centers, covering 165 cities across the country.