Li Auto launches Lianshan in-house EV system with lifetime battery safety pledges

Lianshan unveiled at Power Day

Li Auto launched Lianshan, its in-house developed electric powertrain technology system, at its Power Day event in China on October 20, as reported by CnEVPost. The company said the system covers the Lianshan battery, the Lianshan electric drive and its charging network, and that it will take care of "everything about electricity." ¹

Li Auto said the Lianshan battery uses a high-stability cathode, a low-lithium-consumption anode and a dual-formula electrolyte for long life, supporting continuous dynamic repair. It stated that batteries across all models will retain at least 75% health within 8 years or 160,000 kilometers. These are manufacturer claims presented at the event, not independent test findings. ¹

The launch had been trailed the previous day: CnEVPost reported that Power Day would open at 7:30 pm Beijing time on October 20, with the company yet to disclose specific technologies beforehand. Founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang said on Weibo that automakers' deeper research into core battery technologies benefits both the industry and consumers, and that in-house development can coexist with supplier partnerships. ²

Li Xiang used a computing-industry analogy in his Weibo commentary on October 19, as reported by Gasgoo, arguing that comparing Apple's integrated hardware-software approach with the PC industry's supplier-driven model shows that massive industries need both specialist suppliers and manufacturers that go deep into core technologies. He said Li Auto set its course for in-house battery development in 2020 and that its battery partners remain collaborators. ⁵

Strategy: proprietary designs, outsourced production

Li Auto plans to rely entirely on proprietary battery designs across its entire product lineup after 2026, president and chief engineer Ma Donghui said on September 21, according to Caixin Global. Rather than investing in capital-intensive cell plants, the company is outsourcing production to manufacturing partners: Caixin Global reported that Li Auto has tapped CALB Group and Sunwoda to build its self-developed batteries. ³

The batteries are produced by a 50-50 joint venture Li Auto established with Sunwoda in 2025, CnEVPost reports, and Li Auto also disclosed on September 4 that it plans to invest 2.65 billion yuan (about $394 million) in Sunwoda's power battery subsidiary, Sunwoda EVB, to hold an 8.79% stake after closing. The shift comes as Li Auto accelerates moving its models' batteries away from CATL, the world's largest power battery maker. ¹

Li Xiang said on September 28 that the company would not define its in-house development strategy as "de-anyone" and thanked CATL for its support in jointly developing batteries for the Li One and Li Mega, CnEVPost reports. He said the company aims to integrate battery cells, packs, battery management systems, thermal management, electric drive systems and vehicle controls to improve safety, performance and lifecycle. ¹²

Barriers and qualifications for the in-house battery push

Persuading customers to accept Sunwoda-made batteries may not be easy: CnEVPost notes CATL's batteries are generally seen by Chinese consumers as safer and more premium, and suggests the safety commitments unveiled at Power Day appear aimed at that concern. When CATL signed a five-year strategic cooperation agreement with Li Auto in September 2025, the battery maker said more than 1 million Li Auto vehicles with its batteries had been delivered with no thermal runaway incidents caused by the batteries themselves. ¹

There is also legal and supply history to weigh. Sunwoda EVB was sued in December 2025 by Vremt, a Geely-affiliated company, which sought 2.31 billion yuan in damages alleging quality problems with battery cells it had delivered, CnEVPost reports. In January, Li Auto delayed some Li i6 deliveries due to insufficient battery supply and encouraged order holders to switch to versions equipped with Sunwoda batteries, offering an additional 2-year or 40,000-kilometer battery warranty extension. ¹

The debate over automaker-supplier relations has drawn official-adjacent commentary: a CNII piece affiliated with China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said on September 22 that adding suppliers and pursuing in-house development are normal market activities that should not be portrayed as confrontation between automakers and battery makers, CnEVPost reports. ¹²

Performance and safety claims presented at the event

Li Auto said cell-level material improvements, highly integrated packs and vehicle-level energy management have increased range across all models: under the CLTC standard, the new Li L8 offers 430 km of pure electric range and the 2026 Li i6 780 km, an overall improvement of more than 8% over the 2025 versions, per CnEVPost's reporting of the event. On safety, the company said the Lianshan battery's underside can withstand a 500-joule impact without fire or explosion, remains watertight after 48 hours submerged in 1 metre of water, and that the full pack will not catch fire for 24 hours after a single cell goes into thermal runaway at 50 degrees Celsius. All are manufacturer statements from the event. ¹

On the electric drive, CnEVPost reports Li Auto said the Lianshan drive uses a proprietary patented CAR119 cast aluminium rotor material, adding more than 15 km of pure electric range in urban driving and more than 8 km on highways, and that a restructured power module adds another 30 km of range while freeing 24 mm of headroom. The company also said 4 million of its in-house silicon carbide power chips have gone into production vehicles over the past year with zero failures. ¹

On charging, Li Auto said its supercharging network now exceeds 4,200 stations covering cities, highways and scenic areas, with all highway stations equipped with 5C superchargers and equipment availability of 99.9%. The company said an average of one station every 100 kilometers along expressway corridors is to be achieved within the year. ¹

What it means for the 2026 Li i6 and buyers

The most immediate application is the refreshed 2026 Li i6. Under the schedule Li Auto announced on October 9, the five-seat battery-electric SUV launches in China on October 28 with display vehicles in 485 stores from October 11, and deliveries begin in early November. Official upgrade points include a 96 kWh in-house 5C pack rated at 780 km CLTC and Qualcomm 8797 plus Mach M100 chips. Pricing has not been announced. ⁴

For buyers of Li Auto's Chinese-market models, the Lianshan rollout means in-house batteries will spread across the lineup — Li Auto said on September 7 that they are already used in the Li L8, Li L6 and Li i8, with extension to all models planned — backed by the two lifetime guarantees and the stated 75% health retention within 8 years or 160,000 kilometers. The guarantees carry eligibility conditions that Li Auto has not fully detailed, so the practical value of the commitments for any individual claim depends on those terms. ¹

All specifications, range figures and guarantee terms discussed above apply to Li Auto's Chinese-market vehicles. No Australian availability or specifications for the Li L8, Li i6 or other Lianshan-equipped models have been established. ¹