Shanghai (ZXZC)- Li Auto inked an agreement a few days ago to build a power semiconductor R&D and manufacturing base in Suzhou Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (or Suzhou New District, called “SND” for short), Jiangsu province, as one of the key projects local authority signed on the same day.

Under the new project, the plant construction is scheduled to commence in mid-June 2022 and be completed this year, according to the company's press release. The trial production of prototypes is expected to begin in May 2023 at the plant, and formal production will start in 2024.

The Suzhou-based plant targets a production capacity of 2.4 million half-bridges annually when the facilities become fully operational.

Signing ceremony; photo credit: SND's WeChat account

Li Auto said the power semiconductor R&D and production base in Suzhou serves as an important part of its strategic industrial deployment of in-house developed core parts.

In March this year, Li Auto and Hunan San'an Semiconductor Co., Ltd. set up a joint venture in Suzhou to focus on the R&D and production of automotive-grade chip modules.

The startup added the newly-signed project would play an important role in its layouts in the third-generation semiconductor materials of SiC. In the future, it will form a new industrial deployment in SND that includes supply chain teams and main partners on electric drive units.