- Li Auto's updated models use smaller LiDARs, which are also available for variants equipped with the AD Pro smart driving solution.
- Li Auto will update existing models in May, focusing on upgrades to smart driving hardware.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) has made regulatory filings for models currently on sale, as they will be officially launched in May.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released new regulatory catalogs for public comment yesterday, and all Li Auto models were included.
The public can submit feedback between March 20-26. Entry into the catalogs is the last major regulatory procedure before a model are allowed for sale in China.
Li Auto's current models include the Li Mega MPV (multi-purpose vehicle), as well as SUV (sport utility vehicle) models -- the Li L9, Li L8, Li L7, and Li L6.
None of these models appear in the new model filing catalog, but in the information change filing catalog, which means that their core components will not change.
The main change they have is the use of smaller LiDARs, which are also available for the lower-priced variants equipped with the AD Pro smart driving solution.
Li Auto's current smart driving solutions include AD Pro and AD Max, with the former used in lower-priced variants and the latter in higher-priced variants.
Currently, AD Max uses an AT128 LiDAR supplied by Hesai Technology, while AD Pro does not use this component.
A Li Auto executive hinted at the end of last month that the company would upgrade existing models with smart driving hardware upgrades.
Li Auto will launch updates for existing models in May, focusing on smart driving hardware upgrades, the company's vice president Liu Jie said on Weibo on February 28.
The updated models' battery, electric drive, exterior and interior styling will remain consistent with the current models, he said at the time.
The chip 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.
The AD Max system using both chips provides advanced assisted driving and full-scenario NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) functions, he said.
They will also support the more powerful VLA (Vision Language Action) large models that will be launched later this year, according to Liu.
The chip in AD Pro will be upgraded from Horizon Robotics' Journey 5 chip to the J6M chip, and LiDAR will be added, which will be comparable to AD Max in terms of active safety capabilities, Liu said.
The AD Pro with J5 and J6M both offer advanced driver assistance and highway NOA functions, and will be continuously upgraded via OTA, he said.
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