BASF Coatings, a leading global supplier of innovative coatings solutions, and Li Auto Inc., a leader in China’s new energy vehicle market, have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation, with the primary goal of promoting and implementing painting innovations powered by sustainability and digital innovations.

Guided by the Memorandum, BASF Coatings and Li Auto will collaboratively explore the field of new low-carbon emission material technologies, and establish a joint innovation platform to develop new materials and processes that improve product performance and provide competitive coatings solutions encompassing e-coat, basecoat, clearcoat, and more.

Digitalization is another focus of the cooperation. Through sustained and in-depth cooperation in digital solutions, BASF Coatings and Li Auto aim to facilitate data sharing and system openness, achieving intelligent and automated interconnection of business operations.

“We are thrilled to deepen our collaboration with Li Auto, a pioneering market leader that shares our core values in innovation, sustainability, and digitalization. We are confident that this partnership will enhance the operational efficiency and quality levels of both parties, ultimately creating a more competitive business model that carries significant value for the entire ecosystem of new energy vehicles,” said Jack Zou, Vice President, Global Key Account Management Asia Pacific OEMs, Global Automotive OEM Coatings, BASF.

“We met BASF at the start of our business, and have journeyed together for nine years. We appreciate the excellent solutions provided by BASF in color design, anti-corrosion coatings, and beyond. We look forward to continuing to deepen our cooperation with BASF, creating opportunities for collaboration, and working hand in hand to promote the development of the automotive industry,” said Liao Mengjun, Vice President of R&D Operations at Li Auto.

Starting from 2016, BASF Coatings has been supplying Li Auto with a comprehensive range of coatings products tailored to meet its technical requirements and consumer demands. In October 2024, Li Auto achieved the milestone of delivering one million vehicles in just 58 months, setting a new record for the fastest one million deliveries in China’s luxury car market.