BASF Coatings and Li Auto Form Strategic Alliance to Advance Sustainability and Digitalization

BASF Coatings, a global leader in innovative coating solutions, and Li Auto Inc., a major player in China’s new energy vehicle sector, have signed a Memorandum of Strategic Cooperation. This partnership aims to advance painting technologies through sustainability and digital innovation.

Under this agreement, both companies will jointly explore new low-carbon emission material technologies and create a collaborative innovation platform. Their goal is to develop advanced materials and processes that enhance product performance and offer competitive coating solutions, including e-coat, basecoat, clearcoat, and more.

The partnership also emphasizes digitalization. Through ongoing collaboration on digital solutions, BASF Coatings and Li Auto seek to promote data sharing, system interoperability, and the intelligent, automated integration of their 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.

Since 2016, BASF Coatings has been providing Li Auto with a wide range of customized coating products designed to meet its technical specifications and customer needs. In October 2024, Li Auto reached a significant milestone by delivering one million vehicles in just 58 months, setting a new record as the quickest to reach one million deliveries in China’s luxury car market.

Source: BASF