Li Mega MPV adds to influx of Chinese electric minivans

Li Auto, a Chinese car manufacturer founded in 2015, has unveiled its first battery-electric model: the Li Mega MPV. This seven-seater adds to the recent influx of electric minivans made in China. However, Li Auto promises low energy consumption and super-fast charging thanks to an 800 V CATL Qilin battery.

The Li Mega is the brand’s fifth model and first fully electric one, after the One, L7, L8, and L9 plug-in hybrid SUVs. It’s also easily the most striking, with a smooth design that provides optimal airflow to the 5,35-meter-long minivan. And it works, as Li Auto claims a 0.215 Cd wind resistance figure, the “lowest of any MPV worldwide”.

500 km in 15 minutes

Not every detail has been revealed yet, but we know the Li Mega uses a 400 kW (544 hp) motor and a 102,7 kWh Qilin battery from CATL. Thanks to an 800 V architecture, this battery allows up to 552 kW of peak ‘5C’ charging capacity, adding 500 km of range in just 15 minutes.

Chinese customers can now place their Li Mega MPV pre-ordered for 5 000 yuan (640 euros), with test drives and the first deliveries expected for January 2024. A larger-scale rollout is expected the month after that. No word on pricing yet, but even the most expensive trim should stay at 600 000 yuan (76 600 euros) below.

The minivan is back in EV form

The Li Mega MPV is the latest in Chinese-built electric minivans, following the XPeng X9, the Zeekr 009-based Volvo EM90, and the Maxus Mifa 9, which has also arrived in Belgium.

This type of vehicle has always been popular in China, with many businesspeople and wealthier people prefer being driven rather than driving themselves. Now, it seems the electric car market has caught up in terms of technology to offer the same level of comfort as with gas-powered models.

In Europe, however, large families and people who want the space still seem to prefer three-row SUVs, with electric alternatives now appearing in the shape of the Mercedes EQS SUV and the Kia EV9.