Li Auto takes a jab at VW over its first range extender

The Chinese joint venture SAIC-Volkswagen has started production of a range-extender system for the new China-SUV ID. Era 9X - making it the first VW model with a range extender. The Chinese competitor Li Auto responded with humour on social media, where the company congratulated Volkswagen on the production start of an outdated technology.

Specifically, Li Auto’s Social Media Director took to Weibo to post: “Congratulations to Volkswagen on the successful mass production of a technology that is ‘outdated, highly environmentally harmful, and lacks developmental potential’ – and all in just six years!” While this assessment may sound plausible, Li Auto’s statement was not entirely serious. After all, Li Auto has been one of the biggest proponents of range extenders for years, incorporating them into many of its vehicles.

In reality, the dispute between VW and Li Auto over range extenders dates back almost six years. In September 2020, Volkswagen’s then-China CEO, Stephan Wöllenstein, publicly criticised range extenders – battery-electric vehicles that use a petrol generator to generate electricity and extend their range. Wöllenstein described the technology as ‘the worst possible solution’ and ‘environmentally harmful’. VW’s Head of Research added that the technology was outdated and had no future. Li Auto is now using these very statements to hold a mirror up to Volkswagen.

This was followed by a public feud between the two companies, with Li Auto eventually challenging the media to compare its Li ONE directly with VW’s hybrid models, such as the Audi Q7 e-tron or Porsche Cayenne, to see which consumed less fuel. In December 2021, Li Auto CEO Li Xiang triumphantly announced that the Li ONE alone had outsold five of Volkswagen’s SUV models combined.

The new ID. Era 9X is a 5.21-metre-long SUV. In its base version, it features a 220 kW electric motor combined with a battery offering 51.1 kWh or 65.2 kWh. These batteries enable an all-electric range of up to 267 km or 340 km under the CLTC standard. The powertrain is equipped with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine as a range extender, delivering a maximum output of 105 kW. Volkswagen refers to this range extender as the ‘Golden Range Extender’ – presumably, the use of the word ‘gold’ in this context encouraged Li Auto’s provocative response.

A concept study of the model was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2025. It is part of a product offensive of 30 new models that VW plans to launch in the Chinese market by 2027.

carnewschina.com