Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
November 17, 2023, marked a new chapter for the Beijing-based automaker Li Auto. Known in China as Lixiang, the company unveiled its very first fully electric model, Li Mega, at the Guangzhou Auto Show.
Two hours later, Li Auto gathered more than 10,000 reservations for the family-oriented MPV capable of driving 710km (CLTC range) powered by a 102.7 kWh battery. The model’s aerodynamic design allows a drag coefficient of 0.215.
However, sales numbers have been disappointing, with year-to-date units totaling less than 600 vehicles as of the end of June, according to data from the industry analyst “ThinkerCar”.
By next year, and to support the future portfolio of fully electric models, the company plans to have over 5,000 superchargers installed across China.
On Tuesday, the company’s Senior Design Director Benjamin Baum shared on Instagram that the studio has opened in Munich, south of Germany.
Baum mentioned “plans for future expansion” as he seeks “talented professional designers” to lead projects in the interior, exterior, and advanced design positions.
The company is expected to unveil its second fully electric model, rumored to be a large SUV, next year.
“We’re excited to announce the opening of our new design studio in Munich, with plans for future expansion. We’re currently seeking talented professional designers who can manage projects from concept to completion,” Baum wrote.
“We have opportunities in Interior, Exterior, and Advanced design positions. If you’re passionate about design and want to be part of our innovative team, we’d love to hear from you,” he added.
In February 2015, after Nio’s Senior Vice President of Design Kris Tomasson formally joined the company, the Shanghai-based EV maker started building its design team in Munich, Germany.
The former Head of Exterior Design for BMW i shared, in a blog post from 2017, that in the first 100 days, 30 employees were hired and the EP9’s design was finalized along with the exterior design of the SUV ES8, the company’s first production model.
Additionally, the team produced a 1:1 EP9 foam model, performed their first wind tunnel test, finalized the Nio brand name and colors, and designed all of the NextEV Nio Formula E Team’s racecar livery.
Avatr, the EV maker founded by Huawei, Changan and the battery giant CATL, has its Design Center in Munich covering Exterior, Interior, CMF and UX/UI Design. The brand revealed the Avatr 12 hatchback at the IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich, Germany.
Li Auto delivered 47,774 new energy vehicles (NEVs) in June bringing second quarter deliveries to 108,581 units.
The delivery result in June represents a growth of 46.7 percent from June 2023. When reporting the latest earnings results, the automaker had projected a delivery range of 105,000 to 110,000 vehicles for the current quarter.
Written by Cláudio Afonso | LinkedIn | X
