- Li Auto will upgrade the smart driving chips in updated models, and start using the Nvidia Thor-U chip.
- It will add LiDARs to less expensive variants, making the component standard all models.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) teased part of its product planning for the year, with some potential customers concerned that the introduction of new models could cause their purchases to quickly become obsolete.
The company won’t have 2025 model-year updates for its L-series models and the Li Mega, but will launch smart-driving-edition updates in May based on existing models, focusing on upgrades to the smart driving hardware, Li Auto vice president Liu Jie said today on Weibo.
The updated models’ battery, electric drive, exterior and interior styling will remain the same as the current models, he said.
The preview was made because the company has received a lot of inquiries about whether the L-series models and the Li Mega will get annual facelifts this year, Liu said.
Li Auto is one of the major players in extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) in China, and currently sells mainly L-series extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), including the Li L6, Li L7, Li L8, and Li L9, all of which are SUVs (sport utility vehicles).
On March 1, 2024, the Li Mega MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) went on sale, the first battery electric vehicle (BEV) model from Li Auto. On the same day, the 2024 L-series EREVs were launched.
Earlier this month, Li Auto announced that its first all-electric SUV was named Li i8 and shared several images without mentioning the launch plans.
For the upcoming updates in May, the chips in Li Auto’s AD Max smart driving solution will be upgraded from the previous two Nvidia Orin-X chips to a single Thor-U chip, Liu said today.
AD Max systems using both chips offer advanced assisted driving and full-scenario NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) capabilities, he said.
They will both be able to run the current end-to-end + VLM (Visual Language Models) solution in addition to supporting the more powerful VLA (Vision Language Action) large model that will be introduced later this year, according to Liu.
The AD Max system is currently only available for Li Auto’s more expensive LiDARs-equipped variants. The AD Pro smart driving system — which does not currently use LiDARs — will also begin to carry the component.
The AD Pro’s chip will be upgraded from Horizon Robotics’ Journey 5 chip to the J6M chip, and will add LiDARs, which will be comparable to the AD Max in terms of active-safety capabilities, Liu said.
The AD Pro solutions using both the J5 and J6M offer advanced assisted driving and highway NOA capabilities, and will be continuously upgraded via OTA, he said.
Currently, Li Auto offers limited-time purchase incentives for the L-Series and Li Mega, including three years of zero-interest financing and cash subsidies, which will be scaled back when the updated models go on sale in May, Liu said.
Earlier this month, local media outlet 36kr reported that Li Auto will use LiDAR on all new models this year, bringing enhanced capabilities to its existing smart driving solutions.
Li Auto announced yesterday that it will report its unaudited financial results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024 before the US markets open on Friday, March 14.
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