Li Auto begins sales of the world’s largest electric MPV

In China, the car market is huge – the largest in the world – and the products of the market are also big because many consumers like larger cars and the image they convey. Because it is such a huge market, the German carmakers have even been willing to make extended body versions just for the market.

Chinese carmaker Li Auto recently began sales of an example of ‘bigger is better’ with its new Mega electric MPV. The model was first seen at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November when bookings were taken for the MPV which has a price of about 560,000 yuan (RM269,200).

Largest passenger EV in the world
At 5.25 metres long and 1.97 metres wide, it lays claim to being the largest passenger EV in the world. Presumably, Li Auto differentiates its model from the LEVC L380 which is slightly larger but is intended for public transport.

The Mega’s monoform is typical of MPV designs and with its ‘waterdrop’ front, fastback roof and ‘Aero Blade’, it has an exceptionally low Cd of 0.215. The company says this is the lowest among all current, mass-produced MPVs globally.

The target buyers for the Mega are those with a larger group of family members at home – typical in China (and Asia) where 3 generations might live in the same household. Unlike in America where there might be two cars, many families may have one so more seating would be required and the MPV is the ideal vehicle.

Flexible seating layout
Thus Li Auto has designed the Mega to suit this need and with a wheelbase of 3.3 metres, the usable interior space is 3.79 metres which can accommodate up to 7 persons. The generous dimensions allow for flexibility in seating layout where the rear seats can be converted into sleeping areas. Of course, certain layouts should be only used when the vehicle is parked.

This is clearly meant for private use so the interior designers have provided premium features which include a small refrigerator. The spacious ambience is enhanced by large areas of glass, with total glazing around the bodywork exceeding 8.26 square metres.

Range up to 710 kms
Li Auto expects that the big families will travel for holidays together often so it’s made sure that the Mega can cover long ranges. The Qilin 5C battery jointly developed by Li Auto and CATL has a capacity of 102.7 kWh which is good for a range said to be up to 710 kms. Enhanced by silicon carbide power chips, the MPV’s energy consumption is claimed to be 15.9 kWh/100 kms, the world’s lowest figure for fully electric AWD MPVs.

With the 800V architecture and using the carmaker’s own 5C super-charging stations (currently available in 114 cities in China) which have a DC supply of 520 kW, a 12-minute charge is said to provide up to 500 kms of range.

The drivetrain has an intelligent, dual-motor, all-wheel drive system with maximum output of 400 kW/542 Nm to give a claimed 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.5 seconds. Autonomous motoring is possible though to what level is not mentioned. However, the Mega’s control system has powerful dual NVIDIA Orin-X chips with 508 TOPS of computing power, said to be capable of ‘full scenario autonomous driving’. This presumably means hands-off driving without the need for the driver to monitor the car’s movements.

The vehicle’s platform has a chassis structure with double wishbone front suspension and H-arm multi-;ink rear suspension. Dual-chamber air springs and continuous damping control make up what is called the Li Magic Carpet air suspension Max.

Protected like a ‘fortress’
Safety is, of course, much more important with so many people on board and the carmaker’s Fortress Protection System provides high levels of protection. The body structure has been engineered to meet the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index 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.

No export sales planned
Although Li Auto, founded in 2015, has been listed on the US NASDAQ stock market in New York city, it has not been active in overseas markets and does not plan to be till 2025 when it aims to reach annual sales of 1.6 million units.

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