On September 8, Li Auto responded to concerns about its self-developed batteries: PACK is self-developed and self-manufactured, cells are self-developed and contract-manufactured, and after-sales service will not differ based on manufacturing source. Self-developed batteries have entered mass production on the L8, L6, and i8; MEGA orders locked after 15:00 on September 7 will switch to self-developed 5C ternary lithium batteries, with deliveries beginning in November; the i9 will fully switch after capacity ramp-up; in the fourth quarter, the 2026 i6 will be equipped with self-developed 5C batteries and Mach chips. This article reviews the switching cadence and examines the significance of battery autonomy and controllability for the cost and supply cadence of overseas models.
1. Response: Technology Route, Partners, and After-Sales
On September 8, Li Auto responded to questions regarding the technology route, partners, and after-sales service for its self-developed batteries. The company said it has achieved self-developed and self-manufactured PACK (battery packs), while cells adopt a self-developed contract manufacturing model; it maintains open cooperation with multiple cell manufacturing partners, with all solutions built around a unified product definition and Li Auto standards, and Li Auto ultimately takes responsibility for the user experience. Regarding after-sales differences that users care about, Li Auto explicitly stated that it will not let users bear additional quality or service risks due to different manufacturing sources.
2. Cadence: Three Models Already in Mass Production with the Batteries; MEGA Switches for Orders Locked on September 7
According to Li Auto, self-developed batteries have been mass-produced and installed on three models, the L8, L6, and i8, and will later cover all models. Product switching is being advanced model by model:
- New-generation MEGA: the first batch uses CATL 5C ternary lithium batteries; users who lock orders from 15:00 on September 7 will switch to Li Auto self-developed 5C ternary lithium batteries, with deliveries expected to begin in November.
- All-new Li i9: launching in mid-September, the first batch still offers CATL batteries, and a full switch will occur after the self-developed battery completes capacity ramp-up.
- 2026 Li i6: to be launched in the fourth quarter, equipped with the self-developed 5C battery and self-developed Mach chip, with reservations planned to open at the end of September and deliveries planned to start in early November.
From the timetable, Li Auto is adopting a method in which new models first use dual-source supply and switch after capacity is in place, rather than a one-time replacement. Capacity ramp-up progress and delivery milestones constitute the actual constraints on the switching cadence.
3. Model: Cell Contract Manufacturing and In-House PACK in Parallel
Li Auto began independent cell R&D in 2020 and has built a complete battery technology system covering 5C cells, PACK, and BMS. In this system, cells are contract-manufactured by partners according to Li Auto standards, PACK is self-manufactured, and BMS is self-developed. The company also emphasized that advancing self-development is not a rejection of existing quality suppliers, and CATL's industry position as a leading battery company will not change because of this.
From a supply chain perspective, the direct result of this model is bringing product definition rights, as well as key links such as PACK and BMS, back into its own system, while retaining flexibility for multi-source supply in the cell link. Cell production line investment is large and the ramp-up cycle is long; contract manufacturing can reduce initial capital expenditure while maintaining technical definition rights; the corresponding cost is increased reliance on the contract manufacturer's process consistency and quality control, requiring more complex supplier management and validation processes.
4. Overseas Perspective: Autonomy and Controllability Affect Cost and Supply Cadence
For Chinese automakers planning to go overseas, the degree of autonomy in the battery link is mainly related to two things: cost structure and the controllability of supply cadence. Batteries are usually the single component with the highest cost share in pure electric models, and platform sharing of cell specifications and chemistry systems helps reduce calibration, validation, and certification costs caused by multi-source switching. If the same battery definition can be reused across multiple contract manufacturing sources, automakers also have relatively more room to adjust supply sources when overseas market regulations or capacity conditions change.
What needs to be distinguished is that controllable definition is not equivalent to controllable capacity. Overseas markets have different requirements for battery origin, carbon footprint, and recycling, among others. The flexibility of the contract manufacturing model in responding to origin rules depends on the geographic distribution of contract manufacturing capacity, not merely on the ownership of technical definition rights. Therefore, in the overseas expansion context, Li Auto's battery autonomy is closer to controllable definition plus selectable multi-source supply, which is not the same concept as building its own cell capacity. Its actual value still needs to be tested by the cost data and delivery stability of overseas models.
5. Three Variables to Watch
- Actual progress of capacity ramp-up: MEGA's delivery cadence from November and the timing of the i9's full switch are the first inspection windows.
- Consistency performance under multiple sources: whether products from different cell manufacturers are truly indistinguishable in quality and service requires subsequent after-sales data support.
- Stacked validation of key components: the 2026 Li i6 simultaneously carries the self-developed 5C battery and Mach chip, marking Li Auto's simultaneous adoption of self-developed solutions in two core components, batteries and chips; its mass-production performance is worth continued tracking.
