Li Auto Launches Its Super Luxe Li MEGA “Cybervan”
Li Auto has just officially launched its Li MEGA, which is a vehicle Jo Borras and I called a “Cybervan” four months ago. The Li MEGA is a super luxurious and high-tech van, which is to be expected from Li Auto, a “new energy vehicle” startup in China that has been putting gigantic, expensive, plugin hybrid SUVs on the top 20 list of the biggest and most competitive EV market in the world for the past year.
The Li Mega, as reported previously, is offering ultra-ultra-fast charging as well as a platter of other high tech. “As the Company’s first high-voltage battery electric vehicle, Li MEGA provides big families with a blend of energy replenishment experience as efficient as traditional ICE vehicle refueling, next-generation design and exceptionally low drag coefficient, roomy and comfortable space, flagship-level performance and safety features, and superior intelligent experience.” That’s how Li Auto summarizes it.
In particular, the vehicle is one of the first EVs to use an 800-volt architecture, and it is relying on the jointly developed Li Auto-CATL Qilin 5C battery for its ability to add 500 kilometers (311 miles) of range in a mega-fast 12 minutes. It’s a beast of a battery too (as one would expect from Li Auto’s first BEV), coming in at 102.7 kWh of energy storage capacity. It can drive 710 kilometers (441 miles) on a full charge according to the CLTC rating system. But where can one engage 5C charging? At a Li Auto mega-fast charging station, of course. “Furthermore, the Company has been building its super charging network at scale, with plans to invest an aggregate of at least RMB6 billion in the future and to establish over 5,000 self-operated 5C charging stations. Franchised urban charging stations also will be widely deployed in 2024.”
Li Auto also launched the upgrade versions of its L7, L8, and L9 — all full-size SUVs — at today’s event. But demonstrating that the Le MEGA is indeed the mega model of the bunch, here’s the current price chart for all of the company’s models:
In US dollars, the price of the Li MEGA comes out to $77,787.
Despite being large and expensive, the Li MEGA is also hyper-efficient and part of that comes from its super slippery design. Here’s Li Auto bragging about all of that: “Li MEGA’s distinctive design grants it a remarkably low drag coefficient and low energy consumption. Li MEGA adopts a waterdrop front, a fastback roof, a unique ‘Aero Blade,’ and flawless bodywork, creating a brand-new aesthetic symbol contrary to conventional MPVs. Li MEGA’s 0.215 drag coefficient is the lowest among all current, mass-produced MPVs globally*. Enhanced by silicon carbide power chips, Li MEGA’s energy consumption is 15.9 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers, the world’s lowest among battery electric four-wheel drive MPVs*.” (Wondering about the asterisk? Here’s what that’s for: “* Based on the statistical results of publicly available information on mass-produced vehicles as of November 7, 2023, conducted by Li Auto Laboratory.”)
It’s no sports car, of course, but the Li MEGA is powerful. It can go from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds thanks to 400 kW of power and 542 Nm of torque.
Li Auto officially launched the MEGA today at an event where it was equipped with a fridge and a sofa.
Here’s more on the luxe features and technical leadership of the model: “Equipped with Li Magic Carpet air suspension Max, Li MEGA features a chassis structure with double-wishbone front suspension and H-arm multi-link rear suspension, dual-chamber air spring and continuous damping control (CDC), encompassing extraordinary handling stability and driving comfort. Li MEGA also comes standard with the Fortress Protection System, boasting a body torsional stiffness of 44,000 Newton meter per degree. Meticulously developed according to the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index’s (C-IASI) G rating (the highest rating) criteria for 25% frontal offset impact tests on both the driver and passenger sides, as well as stringent criteria for rear-end collision tests, Li MEGA ensures safety for big families on every journey.
“Li MEGA provides exceptional autonomous driving and smart space experience for big families. With respect to autonomous driving, Li MEGA is powered by dual NVIDIA Orin-X chips with 508 TOPS of computing power, capable of full scenario autonomous driving, automated parking, and AEB active safety. In terms of smart space, Li MEGA is powered by a high-performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295P chip. “Li Xiang Tong Xue,” equipped with Mind GPT, serves as an encyclopedic teacher and a reliable assistant in driving, travel, and entertainment for the whole family.”
Etc. etc.
I expect the Li MEGA to sell very well in China, because it seems everything Li Auto produces sells well and this new model is on the top tier with multiple technical specs and features. It’s got a host of superlatives to brag about, and that should rake in the dough for one of the most successful EV startups of the decade, or century.
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