China Auto Daily丨Li Auto’s i8 EV Surpasses 8 Million Km in Testing

China’s February Power Battery Installations Hit 34.9 GWh, Up 94.1% YoY  

March 11 — China Industry Technology Innovation Strategic Alliance for Electric Veihcle released February 2025 power battery data today. Installations totaled 34.9 GWh last month, down 10.1% month-on-month but surging 94.1% year-on-year. Cumulative installations for January-February reached 73.6 GWh, up 46.5% compared to the same period in 2024.  

U.S. to Hold Hearing on Chinese Legacy Automotive Chips

March 11 — The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will convene a hearing today to discuss potential tariff hikes on China-made mature-node semiconductors, widely used in automotive and industrial applications. The move signals heightened scrutiny over supply chain dependencies in critical sectors.  

Li Xiang Aims to Make Li Auto i8 EV the "Mileage Champion" in Pre-Launch Testing

March 11 — Li Auto CEO Li Xiang announced on Weibo that the brand’s first pure-electric model, the i8, has surpassed 8 million kilometers in validation testing ahead of its July debut. “Competition in the auto industry is intense, but it must drive value for both users and the industry,” he stated, positioning the i8 as a benchmark for rigorous pre-production validation.  

Leapmotor in Talks with Ferrari for Technical Collaboration

March 11 — Leapmotor Chairman Zhu Jiangming revealed today that the EV startup is exploring component partnerships with Ferrari, with the Italian automaker’s delegation scheduled to visit Leapmotor this week. Separately, Zhu confirmed a humanoid robotics R&D team of dozens of members is in place, targeting future in-house production line automation. “Carmakers must evolve into tech integrators,” he noted.  

Hesai Projects 2025 Revenue above RMB 3B on Surging Lidar Demand  

March 11 — Hesai Technology forecasts 2025 revenue to exceed RMB 3 billion (USD 461.5 million*), with ADAS systems contributing 60-65% of total sales. Full-year lidar shipments are projected at 1.2–1.5 million units. The lidar supplier, which counts Li Auto and Xiaomi as key automaker clients, reported 238,000 units shipped for Li Auto’s L6/7/8/9 and MEGA models in 2024, alongside 100,700 units for Xiaomi’s SU7.  

*Exchange rate: RMB 6.5 = USD 1 (as of March 11, 2025).