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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 20-F

(Mark One)

REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

OR

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022

OR

TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from            to

OR

SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of event requiring this shell company report

Commission File Number: 001-39407

Li Auto Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

N/A

(Translation of Registrant’s Name into English)

Cayman Islands

(Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

11 Wenliang Street

Shunyi District, Beijing 101399

People’s Republic of China

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Tie Li, Chief Financial Officer

Telephone: +86 (10) 8742-7209

Email: ir@lixiang.com

11 Wenliang Street

Shunyi District, Beijing 101399

People’s Republic of China

(Name, Telephone, Email and/or Facsimile Number and Address of Company Contact Person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class

    

Trading Symbol

    

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

American depositary shares, each representing two Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share

Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share

LI

2015

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC
(The Nasdaq Global Select Market)
The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report:

1,707,099,212 Class A ordinary shares (excluding the 21,666,682 Class A ordinary shares issued to the depositary bank for bulk issuance of ADSs reserved for future issuances upon the exercise or vesting of awards granted under our share incentive plans), par value US$0.0001 per share, and 355,812,080 Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, as of December 31, 2022.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

    Yes        No

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

    Yes        No

Note — Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from their obligations under those Sections.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

    Yes        No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

    Yes        No

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large Accelerated filer

Accelerated Filer

Non-Accelerated Filer

Emerging Growth Company

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements.

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b).

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

U.S. GAAP

International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board

Other

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

    Item 17        Item 18

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

    Yes        No

(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Section 12, 13, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.

    Yes        No

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

ii

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

iv

PART I.

1

ITEM 1.

IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

1

ITEM 2.

OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

1

ITEM 3.

KEY INFORMATION

1

ITEM 4.

INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

67

ITEM 4A.

UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

106

ITEM 5.

OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

107

ITEM 6.

DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES

124

ITEM 7.

MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

136

ITEM 8.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

139

ITEM 9.

THE OFFER AND LISTING

140

ITEM 10.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

140

ITEM 11.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

152

ITEM 12.

DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES

153

PART II.

158

ITEM 13.

DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES

158

ITEM 14.

MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS

158

ITEM 15.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

159

ITEM 16.

[RESERVED]

160

ITEM 16A.

AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT

160

ITEM 16B.

CODE OF ETHICS

160

ITEM 16C.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

161

ITEM 16D.

EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES

161

ITEM 16E.

PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS

161

ITEM 16F.

CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT

161

ITEM 16G.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

161

ITEM 16H.

MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

162

ITEM 16I.

DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS

162

ITEM 16J.

INSIDER TRADING POLICIES

162

PART III.

162

ITEM 17.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

162

ITEM 18.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

162

ITEM 19.

EXHIBITS

163

i

INTRODUCTION

In this annual report, unless otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires:

“ADAS” refers to advanced driver-assistance systems;
“ADRs” refers to the American depositary receipts that evidence the ADSs;
“ADSs” refers to the American depositary shares, each of which represents two Class A ordinary shares of our company;
“BOM” refers to bill of materials;
“CCASS” refers to the Central Clearing and Settlement System established and operated by Hong Kong Securities Clearing Company Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited;
“China” or “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purpose of this annual report only, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan;
“Class A ordinary shares” refers to our Class A ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 per share;
“Class B ordinary shares” refers to our Class B ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 per share;
“CLTC” refers to China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle;
“FOTA” refers to firmware over-the-air, a technology that updates vehicle firmware and software remotely through cloud network;
“Hong Kong” refers to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China;
“Hong Kong dollars” or “HK$” refers to the legal currency of Hong Kong;
“Hong Kong Listing Rules” refers to the Rules Governing the Listing of Securities on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited, as amended or supplemented from time to time;
“Hong Kong Stock Exchange” refers to The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited;
“HPC” refers to high-power charging;
“ICE” refers to internal combustion engine;
“Li Auto,” “we,” or “our company” refers to Li Auto Inc., a Cayman Islands holding company, and its subsidiaries and, in the context of describing our operations and consolidated financial information, the VIEs and their respective subsidiaries, unless otherwise indicated herein. For the avoidance of confusion, “Li Auto Inc.” or “our holding company” only refers to Li Auto Inc.; “our subsidiaries” refers to the entities in which Li Auto Inc. holds direct or indirect equity ownership, and thus consolidates their financial information; for “variable interest entities” or “VIEs,” see stand-alone definition set forth below. Li Auto Inc. does not conduct operations of its own and does not have any equity ownership in the VIEs;
“Macao” refers to the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China;
“Main Board” refers to the stock market (excluding the option market) operated by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which is independent from and operated in parallel with the Growth Enterprise Market of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange;

ii

“Meituan” refers to Meituan, formerly known as Meituan Dianping, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange;
“NEDC” refers to New European Driving Cycle;
“NEVs” refers to new energy passenger vehicles, primarily including (i) “BEVs,” which refers to battery electric passenger vehicles, (ii) “EREVs,” which refers to extended-range electric passenger vehicles, and (iii) “PHEVs,” which refers to plug-in hybrid electric passenger vehicles;
“NOA” refers to navigation on ADAS;
“ordinary shares” or “shares” refers to our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share;
“PCAOB” refers to Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, a nonprofit corporation established by the United States Congress to oversee the audits of public companies, among others;
“Renminbi” or “RMB” refers to the legal currency of China;
“SEC” refers to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission;
“SFC” refers to Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong;
“SUVs” refers to sport utility vehicles;
“U.S. dollars” or “US$” refers to the legal currency of the United States;
“VIEs” refers to variable interest entities, which are PRC companies conducting business operations in China that have entered into a series of contractual arrangements with their respective shareholders and our PRC subsidiaries and whose financial information has been consolidated into the consolidated financial statements of Li Auto Inc. under U.S. GAAP for accounting purposes; and “the VIEs” that Li Auto Inc. consolidates under U.S. GAAP include Beijing CHJ Information Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing CHJ, and Beijing Xindian Transport Information Technology Co., Ltd., or Xindian Information; and
“WLTC” refers to Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Cycle.

Any discrepancies in any table between the amounts identified as total amounts and the sum of the amounts listed therein are due to rounding.

Our reporting currency is Renminbi. This annual report contains translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from Renminbi to U.S. dollars were made at a rate of RMB6.8972 to US$1.00, which was the exchange rate in effect as of December 30, 2022 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The exchange rate in effect as of April 14, 2023 was RMB6.8690 to US$1.00. We make no representation that any Renminbi amounts referred to in this annual report could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars at any particular rate, or at all.

iii

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

This annual report contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. The forward-looking statements are contained principally in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview,” and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.” These forward-looking statements are made under the “safe-harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue,” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy, and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to:

our goals and strategies;
our future business development, financial conditions, and results of operations;
the expected outlook of the automotive market including the NEV market in China;
our expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of our products;
our expectations regarding our relationships with users, suppliers, third-party service providers, strategic partners, and other stakeholders;
competition in our industry
relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry; and
general economic and business conditions globally and in China.

These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Although we believe that our expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may later be found to be incorrect. Our actual results could be materially different from our expectations. Important risks and factors that could cause our actual results to be materially different from our expectations are generally set forth in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview,” “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects,” and other sections in this annual report. You should read thoroughly this annual report and the documents that we refer to with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from and worse than what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

iv

PART I.

ITEM 1.

IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

Not applicable.

ITEM 2.

OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

Not applicable.

ITEM 3.

KEY INFORMATION

Our Holding Company Structure and Contractual Arrangements with the VIEs and Their Shareholders

The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including our principal subsidiaries and the VIEs, as of the date of this annual report.

Graphic

Note:

(1)

Certain other subsidiaries include, among others, Chongqing Lixiang Automobile Co., Ltd., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Leading Ideal HK Limited (Hong Kong).

1

Li Auto Inc. is not a Chinese operating company but a Cayman Islands holding company with no equity ownership in the VIEs and their subsidiaries. We conduct our operations in China through (i) our PRC subsidiaries and (ii) the VIEs, with which we have maintained contractual arrangements, and their subsidiaries. PRC laws and regulations restrict and impose conditions on foreign investment in value-added telecommunication services and certain other businesses. Accordingly, we operate these businesses in China through the VIEs and their subsidiaries, and rely on contractual arrangements among our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs, and their nominee shareholders to direct the business operations of the VIEs. Such structure enables investors to share economic interests in China-based companies in sectors where foreign direct investment is prohibited or restricted under PRC laws and regulations. Revenues contributed by the VIEs accounted for 84.6%, 23.3%, and 0% of our total revenues in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. As used in this annual report, “Li Auto,” “we,” or “our company” refers to Li Auto Inc., its subsidiaries, and, in the context of describing the operations conducted through our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and consolidated financial information, the VIEs in China, including but not limited to Beijing CHJ Information Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing CHJ, and Beijing Xindian Transport Information Technology Co., Ltd., or Xindian Information. Investors in the ADSs are not purchasing equity interest in the VIEs in China but instead are purchasing equity interest in a holding company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and may never directly hold equity interests in the VIEs in China.

A series of contractual agreements, including powers of attorney, business operation agreement, equity pledge agreements, exclusive consultation and service agreements, and equity option agreements, have been entered into by and among our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs, and their nominee shareholders. Terms contained in each set of these contractual arrangements are substantially similar. As a result of the contractual arrangements, we (i) have the power to direct activities of the VIEs that most significantly affect their economic performance and (ii) receive economic benefits from the VIEs that could be significant to them. Accordingly, Li Auto Inc. is considered the primary beneficiary of the VIEs and their subsidiaries and has consolidated the financial information of these companies in its consolidated financial statements under the U.S. GAAP for accounting purposes. Neither Li Auto Inc. nor its investors have an equity ownership (including foreign direct investment) in, or control through such equity ownership of, the VIEs, and the contractual arrangements are not equivalent to an equity ownership in the business of the VIEs. For more details of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with the VIEs and Their Shareholders.”

However, the contractual arrangements may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIEs and their subsidiaries; the nominee shareholders of the VIEs may have potential conflicts of interest with us; and we may incur substantial costs to enforce the terms of the arrangements. As such, the VIE structure involves unique risks to investors of our Cayman Islands holding company. In addition, the legality and enforceability of the contractual agreements between our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs, and their nominee shareholders, as a whole, have not been tested in a court of law in China. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their respective shareholders to maintain a controlling financial interest in the VIEs, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control.” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—The registered shareholders of the VIEs may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.”

There are also substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations, and rules regarding the status of the rights of our Cayman Islands holding company with respect to its contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their nominee shareholders. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to variable interest entity structures will be adopted or, if adopted, what they would provide. If we or any of the VIEs is found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required licenses, permits, registrations, or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with the VIEs do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations,” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.”

2

Our corporate structure is subject to risks associated with our contractual arrangements with the VIEs. If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with the VIEs do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations. Our holding company, our PRC subsidiaries, and the VIEs and their subsidiaries, and investors of our company face uncertainty about potential future actions by the PRC government that could affect the enforceability of the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and, consequently, significantly affect the financial performance of the VIEs and our company as a whole. The PRC regulatory authorities could disallow the VIE structure, which would likely result in a material change in our operations and cause the value of our securities to significantly decline or become worthless. For a detailed description of the risks associated with our corporate structure, please refer to risks disclosed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure.”

We face various legal and operational risks and uncertainties relating to doing business in China. Our business operations are primarily conducted in China, and we are subject to complex and evolving PRC laws and regulations. The PRC government has recently issued statements and carried out regulatory actions relating to areas such as the use of contractual arrangements in certain industries, regulatory approvals on offshore offerings and listings by, and foreign investment in, China-based issuers, anti-monopoly regulatory actions, and oversight on cybersecurity and data privacy. It remains uncertain how PRC government authorities will regulate overseas listing and offering in general and whether we will be able to complete filing or obtain any specific regulatory approvals from the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC, the Cyberspace Administration of China, or the CAC, or any other PRC government authorities for our overseas offerings and listings, as applicable. In addition, if future regulatory updates mandate clearance of cybersecurity review or other specific actions to be completed by China-based companies listed on foreign stock exchanges, such as us, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely obtained, or at all. Therefore, we face risks and uncertainties associated with these statements and regulatory actions, which may impact our ability to conduct certain businesses, accept foreign investments, or list and conduct offerings on a United States or another foreign exchange. These risks could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of the ADSs, significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer securities to investors, or cause the value of such securities to significantly decline. For a detailed description of risks relating to doing business in China, “Item 3.D. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China.”

The PRC government’s significant authority in regulating our operations and its oversight and control over offerings conducted overseas by, and foreign investment in, China-based issuers could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors. Implementation of industry-wide regulations in this nature may cause the value of such securities to significantly decline. For more details, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—The PRC government’s significant oversight and discretion over our business operation could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our ADSs.”

Risks and uncertainties arising from the legal system in China, including risks and uncertainties regarding the enforcement of laws and quickly evolving rules and regulations in China, could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our Class A ordinary shares and the ADSs. For more details, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.”

3

The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act

Pursuant to the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the HFCAA, if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspections by the PCAOB for two consecutive years, the SEC will prohibit our shares or ADSs from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States. On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report to notify the SEC of its determination that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong, including our auditor. In May 2022, the SEC conclusively listed us as a Commission-Identified Issuer under the HFCAA following the filing of our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB issued a report that vacated its December 16, 2021 determination and removed mainland China and Hong Kong from the list of jurisdictions where it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms. For this reason, we do not expect to be identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer under the HFCAA after we file this annual report on Form 20-F. Each year, the PCAOB will determine whether it can inspect and investigate completely registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, among other jurisdictions. If PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate completely registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong and we continue to use an accounting firm headquartered in one of these jurisdictions to issue an audit report on our financial statements filed with the SEC, we would be identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer following the filing of the annual report on Form 20-F for the relevant fiscal year. There can be no assurance that we would not be identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer for any future fiscal year, and if we were so identified for two consecutive years, we would become subject to the prohibition on trading under the HFCAA. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—The PCAOB had historically been unable to inspect our auditor in relation to their audit work performed for our financial statements and the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of our auditor in the past had deprived our investors with the benefits of such inspections” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Our ADSs may be prohibited from trading in the United States under the HFCAA in the future if the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in mainland China and Hong Kong. The delisting of the ADSs, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.”

Permissions Required from the PRC Authorities for Our Operations

We conduct our business primarily through our subsidiaries and the VIEs in China. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. As of the date of this annual report, our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries have obtained the requisite licenses and permits from the PRC government authorities that are material for the business operations of our subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries in China, including, among others, a Survey and Mapping Qualification Certificate, a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License for Internet Information Service, or ICP License, a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License for Information Service (excluding internet information service), an Internet Culture Business Permit, and an Operating License for the Production and Dissemination of Radio and Television Programs. Given the uncertainties of interpretation and implementation of relevant laws and regulations and the enforcement practice by relevant government authorities, we may be required to obtain additional licenses, permits, filings, or approvals for our business operations in the future. For more detailed information, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties, and changes in PRC regulations on automotive and internet-related businesses and companies.”

As of the date of this annual report, in connection with our past issuances of securities to foreign investors, under current PRC laws, regulations, and rules, we, our PRC subsidiaries, and the VIEs (i) are not required to obtain permissions from with the CSRC, (ii) are not required to go through cybersecurity review by the CAC, and (iii) have not received or were not denied such requisite permissions by any PRC authority.

4

However, the PRC government has recently promulgated certain regulations and rules to exert more oversight and control over offerings that are conducted overseas by, and foreign investment in, China-based issuers. In connection with any future capital markets activities overseas, we may need to file with the CSRC, undergo a cybersecurity review conducted by the CAC, or meet other regulatory requirements that may be adopted in the future by PRC regulatory authorities. To the extent such requirements are or become applicable to us, we cannot assure you that we would be able to comply with them in a timely manner, or at all. Any failure to obtain or delay in obtaining the required approval or completing the required procedures could subject us to restrictions and penalties imposed by the CSRC, the CAC, or other PRC regulatory authorities, which could include fines and penalties on our operations in China, delays of or restrictions on the repatriation of the proceeds from our overseas offerings into China, or other actions that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, as well as the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs. For more detailed information, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—The PRC government’s oversight and discretion over our business operations could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.”

Cash and Asset Flows Through Our Organization

Li Auto Inc. is a Cayman Islands holding company with no operations of its own. We conduct our operations in China primarily through our subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries in China. As a result, although other means are available for us to obtain financing at the holding company level, Li Auto Inc.’s ability to pay dividends to the shareholders and to service any debt it may incur may depend upon dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries and license and service fees paid by the VIEs and their subsidiaries. If any of our subsidiaries incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing such debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends to Li Auto Inc. In addition, our PRC subsidiaries are permitted to pay dividends to Li Auto Inc. only out of their retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Furthermore, our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries are required to make appropriations to certain statutory reserve funds or may make appropriations to certain discretionary funds, which are not distributable as cash dividends except in the event of a solvent liquidation of the companies. For more details, see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Holding Company Structure.”

Uncertainties regarding the interpretation and implementation of the contractual arrangements with the VIEs could limit our ability to enforce such agreements. If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements constituting part of the VIE structure do not comply with PRC laws and regulations, or if current laws and regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, our ability to settle amount owed by the VIEs under the VIE agreements may be seriously hindered.

Under PRC laws and regulations, our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries are subject to certain restrictions with respect to payment of dividends or otherwise transfers of any of their net assets to us. Remittance of dividends by a wholly foreign-owned enterprise out of China is also subject to examination by the banks designated by the PRC State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or the SAFE. These restrictions are benchmarked against the paid-up capital and the statutory reserve funds of our PRC subsidiaries and the net assets of the VIEs in which we have no legal ownership. As of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, the total amount of such restriction to which our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries are subject was RMB7.6 billion, RMB11.4 billion, and RMB9.5 billion (US$1.4 billion), respectively. For risks relating to the fund flows of our operations in China, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements that we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.”

Under PRC laws, Li Auto Inc. may fund our PRC subsidiaries only through capital contributions or loans and fund the VIEs or their subsidiaries only through loans, subject to satisfaction of applicable government registration and approval requirements. As of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, the outstanding balance of the principal amount of loans by Li Auto Inc. to our intermediate holding companies, subsidiaries and the VIEs was RMB14.1 billion, RMB23.8 billion, and RMB48.0 billion (US$7.0 billion), respectively.

5

Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries, including Beijing Co Wheels Technology Co., Ltd., or Wheels Technology, to pay dividends to us only out of their accumulated profits, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs and their PRC subsidiaries are required to set aside at least 10% of their respective accumulated profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the total amount set aside reaches 50% of their respective registered capital. Our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries may also allocate a portion of their after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to employee welfare and bonus funds at their discretion. These reserves are not distributable as cash dividends. Furthermore, if Wheels Technology incurs debt on its own behalf in the future, the instruments governing the debt may restrict its ability to pay dividends or make other payments to us. In addition, the PRC tax authorities may require us to adjust our taxable income under the contractual arrangements we currently have in place in a manner that would materially and adversely affect Wheels Technology’s ability to pay dividends and other distributions to us. Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries, including Wheels Technology, to distribute dividends to us or on the ability of the VIEs to make payments to Wheels Technology may restrict our ability to satisfy our liquidity requirements.

Taxation on Dividends or Distributions

Li Auto Inc.’s source of dividend partly comes from dividends paid by its PRC subsidiaries, including Wheels Technology, which in part depends on payments received from the VIEs under the contractual arrangements with the VIEs. We have never declared or paid any dividend on our ordinary shares and we do not currently intend to pay dividends to shareholders or holders of ADSs. We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. The undistributed earnings that are subject to dividend tax are expected to be indefinitely reinvested for the foreseeable future. See “Item 8. Financial Information—A. Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information—Dividend Policy.” For PRC and United States federal income tax considerations of an investment in our ADSs, see “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation.”

Under the current laws of the Cayman Islands, Li Auto Inc. is not subject to tax on income or capital gains. Upon payments of dividends to our shareholders, no Cayman Islands withholding tax will be imposed. For purposes of illustration, the following discussion reflects the hypothetical taxes that might be required to be paid within mainland China, assuming that: (i) we have taxable earnings, and (ii) we determine to pay a dividend in the future:

    

Tax calculation (1)

 

Hypothetical pre-tax earnings(2)

 

100

%

Tax on earnings at statutory rate of 25%(3)

  

(25)

%

Net earnings available for distribution

 

75

%

Withholding tax at standard rate of 10%(4)

  

(7.5)

%

Net distribution to Parent/Shareholders

 

67.5

%

Notes:

(1)For purposes of this example, the tax calculation has been simplified. The hypothetical book pre-tax earnings amount, not considering timing differences, is assumed to equal taxable income in China.
(2)Under the terms of the VIE agreements, our PRC subsidiaries may charge the VIEs for services provided to VIEs. These service fees shall be recognized as expenses of the VIEs, with a corresponding amount as service income by our PRC subsidiaries and eliminate in consolidation. For income tax purposes, our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs file income tax returns on a separate company basis. The service fees paid are recognized as a tax deduction by the VIEs and as income by our PRC subsidiaries and are tax neutral.
(3)Certain of our subsidiaries and the VIEs qualify for a 15% preferential income tax rate in China. However, such rate is subject to qualification, is temporary in nature, and may not be available in a future period when distributions are paid. For purposes of this hypothetical example, the table above reflects a maximum tax scenario under which the full statutory rate would be effective.
(4)The PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law imposes a withholding income tax of 10% on dividends distributed by a foreign invested enterprise, or FIE, to its immediate holding company outside of China. A lower withholding income tax rate of 5% is applied if the FIE’s immediate holding company is registered in Hong Kong or other jurisdictions that have a tax treaty arrangement with China, subject to a qualification review at the time of the distribution. For purposes of this hypothetical example, the table above assumes a maximum tax scenario under which the full withholding tax would be applied.

6

The table above has been prepared under the assumption that all profits of the VIEs will be distributed as fees to our PRC subsidiaries under tax neutral contractual arrangements. If, in the future, the accumulated earnings of the VIEs exceed the service fees paid to our PRC subsidiaries (or if the current and contemplated fee structure between the intercompany entities is determined to be non-substantive and disallowed by PRC tax authorities), the VIEs could make a non-deductible transfer to our PRC subsidiaries for the amounts of the stranded cash in the VIEs. This would result in such transfer being non-deductible expenses for the VIEs but still taxable income for the PRC subsidiaries. Such a transfer and the related tax burdens would reduce our after-tax income to approximately 50.6% of the pre-tax income. Our management believes that there is only a remote possibility that this scenario would happen.

As of December 31, 2022, the VIEs and its subsidiaries were in the accumulated deficit position, therefore, the VIEs and its subsidiaries did not pay any service fees to Wheels Technology.

Financial Information Relating to the VIEs

The following tables present the condensed consolidating schedules for our consolidated variable interest entities and other entities for the years and as of the dates indicated.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Loss Information

For the Year Ended December 31, 2022

    

    

    

Primary

    

VIEs and

    

    

Li Auto

Other

Beneficiary

VIEs’

Eliminating

Consolidated

Inc.

Subsidiaries

of VIEs

Subsidiaries

Adjustments

Totals

(RMB in thousands)

Third-party revenues(1)

 

45,286,816

 

 

 

 

45,286,816

Inter-company revenues(2)

 

87,741

 

4,230,418

 

7,211,082

 

(11,529,241)

 

Third-party cost

(31,814,443)

(147,566)

(4,534,351)

(36,496,360)

Inter-company cost

 

(7,693,094)

 

 

(8,290)

 

7,701,384

 

Third-party expenses

(36,271)

 

(7,185,416)

 

(3,584,812)

 

(1,638,834)

 

 

(12,445,333)

Inter-company expenses

(3,490,054)

(98,945)

(302)

3,589,301

Share of (loss)/income from subsidiaries and VIEs(3)

(2,300,538)

 

1,070,558

 

679,612

 

 

550,368

 

Other income/(expense)

324,597

 

1,290,985

 

235,124

 

(358,394)

 

3,210

 

1,495,522

(Loss)/income before income tax expenses

(2,012,212)

(2,446,907)

1,313,831

670,911

315,022

(2,159,355)

Income tax (expense)/benefit

(3)

 

126,236

 

(7,927)

 

8,701

 

 

127,007

Net (loss)/income

(2,012,215)

 

(2,320,671)

 

1,305,904

 

679,612

 

315,022

 

(2,032,348)

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

(20,133)

 

 

 

 

(20,133)

Net (loss)/income attributable to shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

(2,012,215)

 

(2,300,538)

 

1,305,904

 

679,612

 

315,022

 

(2,012,215)

    

For the Year Ended December 31, 2021

    

    

Primary

    

VIEs and

    

    

Li Auto

Other

Beneficiary

VIEs’

Eliminating

Consolidated

Inc.

Subsidiaries

of VIEs

Subsidiaries

Adjustments

Totals

(RMB in thousands)

Third-party revenues

 

 

20,715,104

 

 

6,294,675

 

 

27,009,779

Inter-company revenues(2)

 

 

5,891,611

 

2,471,182

 

22,287,788

 

(30,650,581)

 

Third-party cost

 

 

(992,755)

 

(83,709)

 

(20,171,861)

 

 

(21,248,325)

Inter-company cost

 

 

(20,557,830)

 

 

(5,891,611)

 

26,449,441

 

Third-party expenses

 

(28,140)

 

(2,553,106)

 

(1,796,341)

 

(2,401,187)

 

 

(6,778,774)

Inter-company expenses

 

 

(3,860,317)

 

(2,877)

 

(65,750)

 

3,928,944

 

Share of (loss)/income from subsidiaries and VIEs(3)

 

(563,106)

 

2,811,080

 

2,273,551

 

(13)

 

(4,521,512)

 

Other income/(expense)

 

269,791

 

(2,016,893)

 

504

 

2,610,121

 

985

 

864,508

(Loss)/income before income tax expenses

 

(321,455)

 

(563,106)

 

2,862,310

 

2,662,162

 

(4,792,723)

 

(152,812)

Income tax expense

 

 

 

(51,230)

 

(117,413)

 

 

(168,643)

Net (loss)/income

 

(321,455)

 

(563,106)

 

2,811,080

 

2,544,749

 

(4,792,723)

 

(321,455)

Net (loss)/income attributable to shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

 

(321,455)

 

(563,106)

 

2,811,080

 

2,544,749

 

(4,792,723)

 

(321,455)

7

    

For the Year Ended December 31, 2020

    

    

    

Primary

    

VIEs and

    

    

Li Auto

Other

Beneficiary

VIEs’

Eliminating

Consolidated

Inc.

Subsidiaries

of VIEs

Subsidiaries

Adjustments

Totals

(RMB in thousands)

Third-party revenues

 

1,455,542

 

 

8,001,067

 

 

9,456,609

Inter-company revenues(2)

 

7,877,944

 

746,071

 

8,553,798

 

(17,177,813)

 

Third-party cost

 

(92,933)

 

(23,751)

 

(7,790,586)

 

 

(7,907,270)

Inter-company cost

 

(7,682,609)

 

 

(7,877,944)

 

15,560,553

 

Third-party expenses

(9,424)

 

(374,899)

 

(475,846)

 

(1,358,507)

 

 

(2,218,676)

Inter-company expenses

 

(1,575,267)

 

 

(25,858)

 

1,601,125

 

Share of loss from subsidiaries and VIEs(3)

(520,093)

 

(188,821)

 

(489,716)

 

(1,179)

 

1,199,809

 

Other income

377,860

 

59,771

 

340

 

40,309

 

2,180

 

480,460

Loss before income tax expenses

(151,657)

 

(521,272)

 

(242,902)

 

(458,900)

 

1,185,854

 

(188,877)

Income tax benefit/(expense)

 

 

59,156

 

(36,309)

 

 

22,847

Net loss from continuing operations

(151,657)

 

(521,272)

 

(183,746)

 

(495,209)

 

1,185,854

 

(166,030)

Net income from discontinued operations, net of tax

 

 

 

14,373

 

 

14,373

Net loss

(151,657)

(521,272)

(183,746)

(480,836)

1,185,854

(151,657)

Accretion on convertible redeemable preferred shares to redemption value

(651,190)

(651,190)

Effect of exchange rate changes on convertible redeemable preferred shares

10,862

10,862

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

(1,179)

 

 

(5,075)

 

6,254

 

Net loss attributable to shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

(791,985)

 

(520,093)

 

(183,746)

 

(475,761)

 

1,179,600

 

(791,985)

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet Information

For the Year Ended December 31, 2022

    

    

    

Primary

    

VIEs and

    

    

Li Auto

Other

Beneficiary

VIEs’

Eliminating

Consolidated

Inc.

Subsidiaries

of VIEs

Subsidiaries

Adjustments

Totals

(RMB in thousands)

Cash and cash equivalents

974,224

 

18,971,899

 

2,238

 

18,529,655

 

 

38,478,016

Restricted cash

 

962,796

 

 

977,346

 

 

1,940,142

Time deposits and short-term investments

2,195,952

 

7,491,111

 

 

8,344,332

 

 

18,031,395

Trade receivable

 

48,381

 

 

 

 

48,381

Amounts due from the Group companies(5)

47,993,884

 

61,113,464

 

8,058,719

 

37,885,882

 

(155,051,949)

 

Inventories(4)

 

6,804,439

 

 

254

 

 

6,804,693

Prepayments and other current assets

3,132

 

1,492,750

 

25,818

 

168,160

 

 

1,689,860

Investments in subsidiaries(3)

 

7,128,624

 

 

 

(7,128,624)

 

Investments in VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries(3)

 

 

3,827,028

 

 

(3,827,028)

 

Long-term investments

12,968

 

1,179,908

 

149,076

 

142,539

 

 

1,484,491

Property, plant and equipment, net(4)

18

 

10,918,971

 

120,001

 

101,577

 

47,331

 

11,187,898

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

 

2,808,503

 

37,297

 

693,111

 

 

3,538,911

Intangible assets, net(4)

 

363,510

 

290,654

 

740,570

 

(562,114)

 

832,620

Goodwill

5,484

5,484

Deferred tax assets, non-current

 

74,767

 

 

 

 

74,767

Other non-current assets

 

1,760,306

 

77,020

 

583,967

 

 

2,421,293

Total assets

51,180,178

 

121,124,913

 

12,587,851

 

68,167,393

 

(166,522,384)

 

86,537,951

Short-term borrowings

6,965

 

383,785

 

 

 

 

390,750

Trade and notes payable

 

18,652,642

 

48,491

 

1,323,196

 

 

20,024,329

Amounts due to the Group companies(5)

 

91,130,858

 

4,644,571

 

60,539,514

 

(156,314,943)

 

Amounts due to related parties

 

1,309

 

5,858

 

23

 

 

7,190

Deferred revenue, current

 

569,234

 

 

 

 

569,234

Operating lease liabilities, current

 

634,383

 

21,364

 

40,707

 

 

696,454

Accruals and other current liabilities

59,533

 

4,800,392

 

490,386

 

334,333

 

 

5,684,644

Deferred revenue, non-current

 

581,598

 

 

 

 

581,598

Long-term borrowings

6,254,979

 

2,475,828

 

 

500,000

 

 

9,230,807

Operating lease liabilities, non-current

 

1,194,533

 

13,161

 

738,673

 

 

1,946,367

Deferred tax liabilities, non-current

 

74,830

 

 

2,979

 

 

77,809

Other non-current liabilities

 

2,134,692

 

50

 

7,720

 

 

2,142,462

Total liabilities

6,321,477

 

122,634,084

 

5,223,881

 

63,487,145

 

(156,314,943)

 

41,351,644

Total shareholders’ equity

44,858,701

 

(1,509,171)

 

7,363,970

 

4,680,248

 

(10,207,441)

 

45,186,307

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

51,180,178

 

121,124,913

 

12,587,851

 

68,167,393

 

(166,522,384)

 

86,537,951

8

For the Year Ended December 31, 2021

    

    

    

Primary

    

VIEs and

    

    

Li Auto

Other

Beneficiary

VIEs’

Eliminating

Consolidated

Inc.

Subsidiaries

of VIEs

subsidiaries

adjustments

totals

(RMB in thousands)

Cash and cash equivalents

14,762,875

 

7,778,303

 

1,246

 

5,311,800

 

 

27,854,224

Restricted cash

 

222,899

 

 

2,415,941

 

 

2,638,840

Time deposits and short-term investments

7,020,662

 

4,321,036

 

 

8,326,541

 

 

19,668,239

Trade receivable

 

17,137

 

348

 

103,056

 

 

120,541

Amounts due from the Group companies(5)

23,763,053

 

32,475,611

 

2,160,737

 

23,402,104

 

(81,801,505)

 

Inventories(4)

 

225,739

 

 

1,396,992

 

(4,841)

 

1,617,890

Prepayments and other current assets

10,211

 

202,098

 

47,969

 

220,402

 

 

480,680

Investments in subsidiaries(3)

890,788

 

4,082,357

 

 

 

(4,973,145)

 

Investments in VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries(3)

 

 

2,743,171

 

 

(2,743,171)

 

Long-term investments

28,452

 

30,000

 

 

97,854

 

 

156,306

Property, plant and equipment, net(4)

 

2,059,011

 

73,871

 

2,329,507

 

35,880

 

4,498,269

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net

 

1,274,429

 

55,189

 

731,874

 

 

2,061,492

Intangible assets, net(4)

 

67,467

 

897,107

 

703,274

 

(916,388)

 

751,460

Deferred tax assets, non-current

 

11,969

 

7,927

 

 

 

19,896

Other non-current assets

 

854,214

 

19,188

 

1,107,674

 

 

1,981,076

Total assets

46,476,041

 

53,622,270

 

6,006,753

 

46,147,019

 

(90,403,170)

 

61,848,913

Short-term borrowings

 

5,495

 

 

31,547

 

 

37,042

Trade and notes payable

 

782,323

 

46,546

 

8,547,181

 

 

9,376,050

Amounts due to the Group companies(5)

 

48,287,134

 

1,547,360

 

31,999,140

 

(81,833,634)

 

Amounts due to related parties

 

30,000

 

6,178

 

1,277

 

 

37,455

Deferred revenue, current

 

305,092

 

 

 

 

305,092

Operating lease liabilities, current

 

365,967

 

26,672

 

80,606

 

 

473,245

Accruals and other current liabilities

13,798

 

1,074,630

 

275,904

 

515,036

 

 

1,879,368

Deferred revenue, non-current

 

380,949

 

 

8,704

 

 

389,653

Long-term borrowings

5,397,941

 

83,505

 

 

479,453

 

 

5,960,899

Operating lease liabilities, non-current

 

629,939

 

20,258

 

719,628

 

 

1,369,825

Deferred tax liabilities, non-current

 

 

153,723

 

 

153,723

Other non-current liabilities

 

786,448

 

1,478

 

14,333

 

 

802,259

Total liabilities

5,411,739

 

52,731,482

 

1,924,396

 

42,550,628

 

(81,833,634)

 

20,784,611

Total shareholders’ equity

41,064,302

 

890,788

 

4,082,357

 

3,596,391

 

(8,569,536)

 

41,064,302

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

46,476,041

 

53,622,270

 

6,006,753

 

46,147,019

 

(90,403,170)

 

61,848,913

Condensed Consolidated Cash Flow Information

    

For the Year Ended December 31, 2022

    

    

Primary

    

VIEs and

    

    

Li Auto

Other

Beneficiary

VIEs’

Eliminating

Consolidated

Inc.

Subsidiaries

of VIEs

Subsidiaries

Adjustments

Totals

(RMB in thousands)

Net cash (used in)/provided by inter-company transactions(6)

(70)

 

(2,884,657)

 

50,319

 

2,834,408

 

 

Net cash provided by/(used in) other transactions

450,587

 

20,590,505

 

(2,738,637)

 

(10,922,189)

 

 

7,380,266

Net cash provided by/ (used in) operating activities

450,517

 

17,705,848

 

(2,688,318)

 

(8,087,781)

 

 

7,380,266

Inter-company loan financing to group companies(7)

(23,397,234)

 

(23,424,257)

 

 

 

46,821,491

 

Other investing activities with external entities

5,426,871

 

(7,324,717)

 

(317,321)

 

(2,149,494)

 

 

(4,364,661)

Net cash used in investing activities

(17,970,363)

 

(30,748,974)

 

(317,321)

 

(2,149,494)

 

46,821,491

 

(4,364,661)

Inter-company loan financing from group companies(7)

 

23,397,234

 

3,006,631

 

20,417,626

 

(46,821,491)

 

Other financing activities with external entities

2,789,778

 

1,250,737

 

 

1,598,877

 

 

5,639,392

Net cash provided by financing activities

2,789,778

 

24,647,971

 

3,006,631

 

22,016,503

 

(46,821,491)

 

5,639,392

9

For the Year Ended December 31, 2021

    

    

    

Primary

    

VIEs and

    

    

Li Auto

Other

Beneficiary

VIEs’

Eliminating

Consolidated

Inc.

Subsidiaries

of VIEs

Subsidiaries

Adjustments

Totals

(RMB in thousands)

Net cash (used in)/provided by inter-company transactions(6)

 

(8,365,873)

 

1,024,591

 

7,341,282

 

 

Net cash provided by/(used in) other transactions

367,063

 

18,198,999

 

(1,532,536)

 

(8,693,141)

 

 

8,340,385

Net cash provided by/ (used in) operating activities

367,063

 

9,833,126

 

(507,945)

 

(1,351,859)

 

 

8,340,385

Inter-company loan financing to group companies(7)

(10,157,678)

 

(15,423,324)

 

 

 

25,581,002

 

Other investing activities with external entities

7,252,559

 

(2,797,315)

 

(71,443)

 

(8,641,045)

 

 

(4,257,244)

Net cash used in investing activities

(2,905,119)

 

(18,220,639)

 

(71,443)

 

(8,641,045)

 

25,581,002

 

(4,257,244)

Inter-company loan financing from group companies(7)

 

10,157,678

 

564,358

 

14,858,966

 

(25,581,002)

 

Other financing activities with external entities

16,539,225

 

89,000

 

 

81,308

 

 

16,709,533

Net cash provided by financing activities

16,539,225

 

10,246,678

 

564,358

 

14,940,274

 

(25,581,002)

 

16,709,533

For the Year Ended December 31, 2020

    

    

    

Primary

    

VIEs and

    

    

Li Auto

Other

Beneficiary

VIEs’

Eliminating

Consolidated

Inc.

Subsidiaries

of VIEs

subsidiaries

adjustments

Totals

(RMB in thousands)

Net cash (used in)/provided by inter-company transactions(6)

 

(2,813,046)

 

618,704

 

2,194,342

 

 

Net cash provided by/(used in) other transactions

109,961

 

2,111,172

 

(427,398)

 

1,346,069

 

 

3,139,804

Net cash provided by/ (used in) operating activities

109,961

 

(701,874)

 

191,306

 

3,540,411

 

 

3,139,804

Inter-company loan financing to group companies(7)

(10,006,889)

 

(602,462)

 

(701,169)

 

 

11,310,520

 

Other investing activities with external entities

(14,451,131)

 

(2,550,950)

 

(69,662)

 

(1,665,982)

 

 

(18,737,725)

Net cash used in by investing activities

(24,458,020)

 

(3,153,412)

 

(770,831)

 

(1,665,982)

 

11,310,520

 

(18,737,725)

Inter-company loan financing from group companies(7)

 

10,006,889

 

508,336

 

795,295

 

(11,310,520)

 

Other financing activities with external entities

24,876,674

 

(21,277)

 

 

(144,700)

 

 

24,710,697

Net cash provided by financing activities

24,876,674

 

9,985,612

 

508,336

 

650,595

 

(11,310,520)

 

24,710,697

Notes:

(1)Third-party revenues were solely generated from sales of vehicles to customers by certain of the VIE subsidiaries before the 2021 Reorganization. No third-party revenues were generated by the VIEs in 2022 as these same VIE subsidiaries have become equity owned/controlled subsidiaries after the 2021 Reorganization.
(2)It represents the elimination of the inter-company technical service fees, inter-company sales of vehicles and inter-company transfer of intangible assets.
(3)It represents the elimination of the investment in VIEs and our subsidiaries by the Parent.
(4)It represents the elimination of the unrealized profit from inter-company sales of vehicles and inter-company transfer of assets.
(5)It represents the elimination of intercompany balances among parent, VIEs and our subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, there were no balances for management fees charged to VIEs. The amounts due from group companies represent the funds provided by the consolidated VIEs to the WFOEs and the operating receivables resulting from the provision of goods and services to WFOEs. The amounts due to group companies represent the funds provided by group companies to the consolidated VIEs and the operating payables resulting from the technical service fees charged by WFOEs.
(6)For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, cash paid by subsidiaries to VIEs for technical service fees, inter-company sales of vehicles and inter-company transfer of intangible assets were RMB2.2 billion, RMB7.3 billion, and RMB2.8 billion, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, no management fees were paid by VIEs to Wheels Technology as each of the VIEs was in an accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2022 (pursuant to each management fee arrangement with the VIEs).
(7)For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, inter-company loan financing paid by subsidiaries to VIEs were RMB795.3 million, RMB14.9 billion, and RMB20.4 billion, respectively.

10

A.

[Reserved]

Selected Financial Data

The following selected consolidated statements of comprehensive loss data and selected consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2021 and 2022 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in this annual report beginning on page F-1. The selected consolidated statements of comprehensive loss data and selected consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018, 2019, and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this annual report. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results expected for future periods. You should read this selected financial data together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and information under “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” in this annual report. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP.

The following table sets forth our selected consolidated statements of comprehensive loss data for the years indicated.

For the Year Ended December 31,

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

(in thousands, except for share and per share data)

Selected Consolidated Statements of Loss Data:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Revenues:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

—Vehicle sales

 

 

280,967

 

9,282,703

26,128,469

44,106,434

 

6,394,832

—Other sales and services

 

 

3,400

 

173,906

881,310

1,180,382

 

171,139

Total revenues

 

 

284,367

 

9,456,609

27,009,779

45,286,816

 

6,565,971

Cost of sales(1):

 

  

 

  

 

  

  

 

  

—Vehicle sales

 

 

(279,555)

 

(7,763,628)

(20,755,578)

(35,688,343)

 

(5,174,323)

—Other sales and services

 

 

(4,907)

 

(143,642)

(492,747)

(808,017)

 

(117,151)

Total cost of sales

 

 

(284,462)

 

(7,907,270)

(21,248,325)

(36,496,360)

 

(5,291,474)

Gross (loss)/profit

 

 

(95)

 

1,549,339

5,761,454

8,790,456

 

1,274,497

Operating expenses:

 

  

 

  

 

  

  

 

  

—Research and development(1)

 

(793,717)

 

(1,169,140)

 

(1,099,857)

(3,286,389)

(6,780,032)

 

(983,012)

—Selling, general and administrative(1)

 

(337,200)

 

(689,379)

 

(1,118,819)

(3,492,385)

(5,665,301)

 

(821,391)

Total operating expenses

 

(1,130,917)

 

(1,858,519)

 

(2,218,676)

(6,778,774)

(12,445,333)

 

(1,804,403)

Loss from operations

 

(1,130,917)

 

(1,858,614)

 

(669,337)

(1,017,320)

(3,654,877)

 

(529,906)

Other (expense)/income

 

(34,379)

 

(559,260)

 

480,460

864,508

1,495,522

 

216,830

Loss before income tax expense

 

(1,165,296)

 

(2,417,874)

 

(188,877)

(152,812)

(2,159,355)

 

(313,076)

Net loss

 

(1,532,318)

 

(2,438,536)

 

(151,657)

(321,455)

(2,032,348)

 

(294,662)

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

 

(1,849,638)

 

(3,281,607)

 

(791,985)

(321,455)

(2,012,215)

 

(291,743)

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing net loss per share

 

  

 

  

 

  

  

 

  

Basic and diluted

 

255,000,000

 

255,000,000

 

870,003,278

1,853,320,448

1,941,230,998

 

1,941,230,998

Net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders

 

  

 

  

 

  

  

 

  

Basic and diluted

 

(7.25)

 

(12.87)

 

(0.91)

(0.17)

(1.04)

 

(0.15)

Net loss

 

(1,532,318)

 

(2,438,536)

 

(151,657)

(321,455)

(2,032,348)

 

(294,662)

Total other comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax

 

12,954

 

2,851

 

(1,020,728)

(516,687)

1,327,761

 

192,507

Total comprehensive loss, net of tax

 

(1,519,364)

 

(2,435,685)

 

(1,172,385)

(838,142)

(704,587)

 

(102,155)

Comprehensive loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

 

(1,836,684)

 

(3,278,756)

 

(1,812,713)

(838,142)

(684,454)

 

(99,236)

Note:

(1)Share-based compensation expenses were allocated as follows:

11

As of December 31,

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

(in thousands)

Cost of sales

 

 

 

1,515

26,713

44,845

 

6,502

Research and development expenses

 

 

 

60,789

741,793

1,333,710

 

193,370

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

 

 

80,491

332,850

674,610

 

97,809

Total

 

 

 

142,795

1,101,356

2,053,165

 

297,681

The following table sets forth our selected consolidated balance sheet data as of the dates indicated.

As of December 31,

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

(in thousands)

Selected Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Cash and cash equivalents

 

70,192

 

1,296,215

 

8,938,341

27,854,224

38,478,016

 

5,578,788

Restricted cash

 

25,000

 

140,027

 

1,234,178

2,638,840

1,940,142

 

281,294

Time deposits and short-term investments

 

859,913

 

2,272,653

 

19,701,382

19,668,239

18,031,395

 

2,614,307

Total assets

 

5,780,940

 

9,513,422

 

36,373,276

61,848,913

86,537,951

 

12,546,825

Total liabilities

 

2,977,676

 

4,932,291

 

6,569,679

20,784,611

41,351,644

 

5,995,426

Total mezzanine equity

 

5,199,039

 

10,255,662

 

 

Total shareholders’ (deficit)/equity

 

(2,395,775)

 

(5,674,531)

 

29,803,597

41,064,302

45,186,307

 

6,551,399

Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and shareholders’ (deficit)/equity

 

5,780,940

 

9,513,422

 

36,373,276

61,848,913

86,537,951

 

12,546,825

The following table sets forth our selected consolidated cash flow data for the years indicated.

For the Year Ended December 31,

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

(in thousands)

Selected Consolidated Cash Flow Data:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities

 

(1,346,805)

 

(1,793,710)

 

3,139,804

8,340,385

7,380,266

 

1,070,038

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(191,512)

 

(2,574,836)

 

(18,737,725)

(4,257,244)

(4,364,661)

 

(632,816)

Net cash provided by financing activities

 

1,108,658

 

5,655,690

 

24,710,697

16,709,533

5,639,392

 

817,635

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

3,299

 

53,722

 

(376,646)

(472,129)

1,270,097

 

184,146

Net (decrease)/increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

(426,360)

 

1,340,866

 

8,736,130

20,320,545

9,925,094

 

1,439,003

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the year

 

521,883

 

95,523

 

1,436,389

10,172,519

30,493,064

 

4,421,079

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the end of the year

 

95,523

 

1,436,389

 

10,172,519

30,493,064

40,418,158

 

5,860,082

B.

Capitalization and Indebtedness

Not applicable.

C.

Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not applicable.

12

D.

Risks Factors

Summary of Risk Factors

An investment in our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares involves significant risks. Below is a summary of material risks that we face, organized under relevant headings. These risks are discussed more fully in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors.”

Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry

We have a limited operating history and face significant challenges as a new entrant into our industry.
Our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver automobiles of high quality and appeal to users, on schedule, and on a large scale is unproven and still evolving.
We currently and in the foreseeable future depend on revenues generated from a limited number of vehicle models.
We are subject to risks associated with EREVs.
We had negative net cash flows from operations in the past and have not been profitable, which may continue in the future.
Our vehicles may not perform in line with user expectations and may contain defects.
We may not be successful in the highly competitive China automotive market.
Our research and development efforts may not yield the results as expected.
We could experience disruptions in supply of raw materials or components used in our vehicles from our third-party suppliers, some of which are our single-source suppliers for the components they supply.
Our business is subject to various evolving PRC laws and regulations regarding data privacy and cybersecurity. Failure of cybersecurity and data privacy concerns could subject us to penalties, damage our reputation and brand, and harm our business and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure

We are a Cayman Islands holding company with no equity ownership in the VIEs and we conduct our operations in China through (i) our PRC subsidiaries and (ii) the VIEs, with which we have maintained contractual arrangements, and their subsidiaries. Investors in our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs thus are not purchasing equity interest in the VIEs in China but instead are purchasing equity interest in a Cayman Islands holding company. If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with the VIEs do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations. Our holding company in the Cayman Islands, the VIEs, and investors of our company face uncertainty about potential future actions by the PRC government that could affect the enforceability of the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and, consequently, significantly affect the financial performance of our consolidated VIEs and our company as a group.
We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their respective shareholders to maintain a controlling financial interest in the VIEs, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control.
Our ability to enforce the equity pledge agreements between us and the VIEs’ shareholders may be subject to limitations based on PRC laws and regulations.

13

Risks Relating to Doing Business in China

Changes in China’s economic, political, or social conditions, or government policies could have a material and adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.
The PRC government’s oversight and discretion over our business operations could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.
Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.
We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties, and changes in PRC regulations on automotive and internet-related businesses and companies.
The PCAOB had historically been unable to inspect our auditor in relation to their audit work performed for our financial statements and the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of our auditor in the past had deprived our investors with the benefits of such inspections.
Our ADSs may be prohibited from trading in the United States under the HFCAA in the future if the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in mainland China and Hong Kong. The delisting of the ADSs, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

Risks Relating to our ADSs and Class A Ordinary Shares

The trading price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs has been and may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.
Our dual-class voting structure will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs may view as beneficial.

Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry

We have a limited operating history and face significant challenges as a new entrant into our industry.

We were founded in 2015, started volume production of our first vehicle model in November 2019, and delivered over 257,334 vehicles as of December 31, 2022. There is limited historical basis for making judgments on the demand for our vehicles or our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver vehicles, or our profitability in the future. It is difficult to predict our future revenues and appropriately budget for our expenses, and we may have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business, particularly when we introduce all new models or adopt technologies where we have less experience, such as BEVs or BEV technologies. You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and challenges that we face as a new entrant into our industry, including with respect to our ability to continually advance our NEV technologies such as EREV and HPC BEV technologies, develop and manufacture safe, reliable, and quality vehicles that appeal to users, achieve vehicle delivery and servicing in a large volume, turn profitable, build a well-recognized and respected brand cost-effectively, expand our vehicle lineup, navigate the evolving regulatory environment, improve and maintain our operating efficiency, manage supply chain effectively, adapt to changing market conditions, including technological developments and changes in competitive landscape, and manage our growth effectively. We may adjust our strategies and plans from time to time to remain competitive as a new entrant into our industry. If we fail to address any or all of these risks and challenges, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

14

Our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver automobiles of high quality and appeal to users, on schedule, and on a large scale is unproven and still evolving.

The sustainability of our business depends, in large part, on our ability to timely execute our plan to develop, manufacture, and deliver on a large scale automobiles of high quality and appeal to users. Our vehicles are produced in our own manufacturing bases, and the production volume can be increased with our increased efficiency and technological capabilities. However, our production capacity may not be sufficient to meet the future demand of our vehicles. To date we have limited automobile manufacturing experience to balance production volume and vehicle quality and appeal, and therefore cannot assure you that we will be able to achieve our targeted production volume of commercially viable vehicles on a timely basis, or at all.

Our continued development, manufacturing, and delivery of automobiles of high quality to achieve our targeted production volume are and will be subject to risks, including with respect to:

lack of necessary funding;
delays or disruptions in our supply chain;
delays in the research and development of technologies necessary for our vehicles;
quality control deficiencies;
compliance with environmental, workplace safety, and relevant regulations; and
cost overruns.

Historically, automakers are expected to periodically introduce new and improved models to stay abreast of the market. To remain competitive, we may be required to introduce new vehicle models and perform facelifts on existing vehicle models earlier or more frequently than is originally planned. We cannot assure you that facelifts on our existing models or any future models we launch will appeal to the users as we expect or that any introduction of new models or facelifts will not affect the sales of existing models.

Furthermore, we rely mostly on third-party suppliers for the provision and development of many of the key components and materials used in our vehicles. To the extent our suppliers experience any difficulties in providing us with or developing necessary components, we could experience delays in delivering vehicles. Any delay in the development, manufacturing, and delivery of our existing or future models, or in performing facelifts to existing models, could subject us to user complaints and materially and adversely affect our reputation, demand for our vehicles, and our growth prospects. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We currently and in the foreseeable future depend on revenues generated from a limited number of vehicle models.

Although we already have established a multi-model product line, we currently and in the foreseeable future depend substantially on the sales and success of a limited number of vehicle models. Our current product line comprises large and full-size SUVs with similar exterior designs, which may not appeal to certain consumers. To the extent our product variety, design, and cycles do not meet consumer expectations, or cannot be achieved on our projected timelines and cost and volume targets, our future sales may be adversely affected. Given that for the foreseeable future our business will depend on a limited number of vehicle models, to the extent a particular model, such as our planned HPC BEV model, is not timely launched or well-received by the market, our sales volume could be materially and adversely affected, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Our vehicles are designed and manufactured for Chinese families, and this is likely the case in the foreseeable future. If the demand for our vehicles significantly decreases, due to a significant change in the average spending power of Chinese families, significant decrease in the number of Chinese families, mismatched market positioning, or other reasons, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

15

In addition, our current pricing model may not be as effective as intended. While we are providing more personalized configurations in our recent vehicle models, we generally provide premium and technology features that are typically offered as costly add-ons by our competitors as standard in our vehicles to save users’ time and money while alleviating our burden in production, sales, and support. However, we cannot assure you that such endeavors will succeed. Users may prefer more personalized features based on diverse tastes and needs. In addition, our pricing range, which targets the premium segment of the market, could still exceed certain users’ budget significantly. To the extent that we are unable to meet various user needs in promoting current pricing model for our vehicles, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

We are subject to risks associated with EREVs.

EREV technologies are advanced technologies with limited instances of successful commercialization. We cannot assure you that EREVs will continue to be accepted by the market. Moreover, our business and future results of operations will depend on our ability to continue to develop our EREV technologies and improve the performance and efficiency in a cost-effective and timely manner. Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in the EREV technologies as well as developments in other NEV technologies, including BEV technologies, which may reduce the competitive advantages of EREV technology. As technologies evolve, we plan to upgrade or adapt our vehicles and introduce new models with the latest technologies, including EREV technologies. This will require us to invest resources in research and development and to cooperate effectively on new designs with our suppliers, develop actionable insights from data analysis and user feedback, and respond effectively to technological changes and policy and regulatory developments.

As a pioneer to successfully commercialize EREVs in China, we have limited experience to date in volume production of EREVs. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain efficient and automated manufacturing capabilities and processes, or reliable sources of component supply that will enable us to meet the quality, price, design, engineering, and production standards, as well as the production volumes to satisfy the market demand for our existing and future models.

We also believe that user confidence in EREVs is essential in promoting our vehicles. As a result, consumers will be less likely to purchase our EREVs if they are not convinced of the technical and functional superiority of EREVs. Any defects in or significant malfunctioning of the range extension system, or any negative perceptions of EREVs with or without any grounds, may weaken consumer confidence in EREVs, cause safety concerns among consumers, and negatively impact our brand name, financial condition, and results of operations. Similarly, suppliers and other third parties will be less likely to invest time and resources in developing business relationships with us if they are not convinced that our business will succeed.

We had negative net cash flows from operations in the past and have not been profitable, which may continue in the future.

We have not been profitable since our inception. We incurred net losses of RMB151.7 million, RMB321.5 million, and RMB2.0 billion (US$294.7 million) in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. Although we had positive net cash flows from operating activities of RMB3.1 billion, RMB8.3 billion, and RMB7.4 billion (US$1.1 billion) in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, we had negative net cash flows from operating activities in prior years. We made capital expenditures of RMB675.2 million, RMB4.0 billion, and RMB5.1 billion (US$743.5 million) in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. The pressure on us to maintain positive cash flow may be exacerbated by our contractual obligations, including capital commitments, operating lease obligations, purchase obligations, finance leases and borrowings. We expect to continue to invest in research and development, production ramp-up of our new models, development of our manufacturing bases, and expansion of retail stores, galleries, and delivery and servicing centers to further expand our business. These investments may not result in revenue increase, or at all, and we may have negative net cash flows from operations in the future.

We may not generate sufficient revenues or continue to incur substantial losses for a number of reasons, including lack of demand for our vehicles, increasing competition, and other risks discussed herein, and we may incur unforeseen expenses, or encounter difficulties, complications, or delays in deriving revenues or achieving profitability.

Our vehicles may not perform in line with user expectations and may contain defects.

Our vehicles may not perform in line with user expectations. Any product defects or any other failure of our vehicles to perform or operate as expected could harm our reputation and result in negative publicity, lost revenue, delivery delays, product recalls, product liability claims, harm to our brand, and significant expenses including warranty and other items that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

16

Our vehicles may contain design and manufacturing defects. The design and manufacturing of our vehicles are complex and could contain latent defects and errors, which may cause our vehicles not to perform or operate as expected or even result in property damage or personal injuries. Furthermore, our vehicles use a substantial amount of third-party and in-house software codes and complex hardware to operate. We rely mostly on third-party suppliers for the provision and development of many of the key components and materials used in our vehicles. Advanced technologies are inherently complex, and defects and errors may be revealed over time. Our control over the long-term consistent performance of third-party services and systems is limited. We also have limited control over the effectiveness of our third-party suppliers’ quality control procedures. While we have performed extensive internal testing on our vehicles’ software and hardware systems, we have a limited frame of reference by which to assess the long-term performance of our systems and vehicles. We cannot assure you that we will be able to detect and fix any defects in the vehicles on a timely basis, or at all.

In addition, we have limited operating history in testing, delivering, and servicing our vehicles. Although we have established rigorous protocols in each process of testing, delivering, and servicing of our vehicles where manual operations are required, there could be maloperation, negligence, or failure to follow protocols by our employees or third-party service providers. Such human error could result in failure of our vehicles to perform or operate as expected. We cannot assure you that we will be able to completely prevent human errors.

In addition, any defects in or significant malfunctioning of the range extension system may weaken user confidence in EREVs. If any of our vehicles fail to perform or operate as expected, whether as a result of human error or otherwise, we may need to delay deliveries, initiate product recalls, provide servicing or updates under warranty at our expense, and face potential lawsuits, which could adversely affect our brand, business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may not be successful in the highly competitive China automotive market.

The China automotive market is highly competitive. We compete with ICE vehicles and new energy vehicles, including BEVs. Many of our current and potential competitors or new market entrants have significantly greater financial, technical, manufacturing, marketing and branding, talents, and other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and support of their vehicles.

We expect competition in the China automotive market to intensify in the future in light of intense price competition and phase-out of government subsidies. Factors affecting competition include, among others, technological innovation, product quality and safety, product pricing, sales efficiency, manufacturing efficiency, quality of services, branding, and design and styling. Increasing competition may lead to lower vehicle unit sales and increasing inventory, which may result in downward price pressure and may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. Our ability to successfully compete against other vehicle brands will be fundamental to our future success in existing and new markets and our market share. We cannot assure you that we will be able to compete successfully in our markets. If products from our competitors successfully compete with or surpass the quality or performance of our vehicles at more competitive prices, our profitability and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

We may not succeed in continuing to establish, maintain, and strengthen our brand, and our brand and reputation could be harmed by negative publicity with respect to us, our directors, officers, employees, shareholders, peers, business partners, or our industry in general.

Our business and prospects are affected by our ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen our brand. If we fail to do so we may lose the opportunity to build a critical mass of users. Promoting and positioning our brand will likely depend significantly on our ability to provide high quality vehicles and services and engage with our users as intended, and we have limited experience in these areas. In addition, we expect that our ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen the brand will depend heavily on the success of our branding efforts. We market our brand through media, word-of-mouth, events, and advertising. Such efforts may not achieve the desired results. If we do not develop and maintain a strong brand, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects will be materially and adversely affected.

17

Our reputation and brand are vulnerable to many threats that can be difficult or impossible to predict, control, and costly or impossible to remediate. From time to time, our vehicles are reviewed by media or other third parties. Any negative reviews or reviews that compare us unfavorably to competitors could adversely affect consumer perception about our vehicles. Negative publicity about us, such as alleged misconduct, unethical business practices, or other improper activities, or rumors relating to our business, directors, officers, employees, or shareholders, or negative publicity about third parties that use the same or similar brand name as ours, can harm our reputation, business, and results of operations, even if they are baseless, irrelevant, or satisfactorily addressed. These allegations, even if unproven or meritless, may lead to inquiries, investigations, or other legal actions against us by regulatory or government authorities as well as private parties. Any regulatory inquiries or investigations and lawsuits against us, perceptions of inappropriate business conduct by us or perceived wrongdoing by any member of our management team, among other things, could substantially damage our reputation, and cause us to incur significant costs to defend ourselves. Any negative market perception or publicity regarding our suppliers or other business partners that we closely cooperate with, or any regulatory inquiries or investigations and lawsuits initiated against them, may also have an impact on our brand and reputation, or subject us to regulatory inquiries or investigations or lawsuits. Moreover, any negative media publicity about the auto industry, especially the NEV industry, or product or service quality problems of other automakers in the industry in which we operate, including our competitors, may also negatively impact our reputation and brand. In particular, given the popularity of social media, including WeChat and Weibo in China, any negative publicity, whether true or not, such as road accidents, vehicle self-ignition, or other perceived or actual safety issues, could quickly proliferate and harm user perceptions and confidence in our brand. Perceived or actual concerns on battery deterioration that are often associated with NEVs could also negatively impact user confidence in EREVs and our vehicles in particular. If we are unable to maintain a good reputation or further enhance our brand recognition, our ability to attract and retain users, third-party partners, and key employees could be harmed and, as a result, our business, financial position, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Our research and development efforts may not yield the results as expected.

As an emerging automaker, we heavily rely on research and development to establish and strengthen our market position. We develop electric vehicle technologies, such as next-generation EREV powertrain system, high C-rate battery, high-voltage platform, ultra-fast charging technologies, autonomous driving technologies, next-generation intelligent cockpit, operating systems, and computing platforms. In 2020, 2021, and 2022, our research and development expenses amounted to RMB1.1 billion, RMB3.3 billion, and RMB6.8 billion (US$983.0 million), respectively. Our research and development expenses accounted for 11.6%, 12.2%, and 15.0% of our total revenues in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. As technologies evolve, we plan to upgrade or adopt our vehicles and introduce new models with latest technologies, which will require us to invest resources in research and development. Therefore, we expect that our research and development expenses will continue to be significant. As research and development activities are inherently uncertain, we cannot assure you that we will continue to achieve desirable developments from our research and development activities and successfully commercialize such developments. Consequently, our significant research and development efforts may not yield the results as expected. If our research and development efforts fail to keep up with the latest technological developments, we could suffer a decline in our competitive position, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We could experience disruptions in supply of raw materials or components used in our vehicles from our third-party suppliers, some of which are our single-source suppliers for the components they supply.

We collaborate with various third-party suppliers for sourced parts, including battery cells and semiconductor chips, to build our vehicles. Some of the third-party suppliers are currently our single-source suppliers selected from two or more suppliers that are readily available in the market for these components, and we expect that this may continue for our future vehicles consistent with market practice. We also rely on key raw materials, such as steel and aluminum, sourced from our third-party suppliers. The prices for these raw materials may fluctuate depending on factors beyond our control, including market conditions and global demand for these materials, and thus could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. The supply chain exposes us to multiple potential sources of delivery failure or component shortages. The supply of our chips had been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as it caused disruptions to semiconductor manufacturers and an increase in global demand for personal computers for work-from-home economies. Although the situation has been significantly improved and normalized since January 2023, we still may experience supply chain constraints as China’s automotive industry is undergoing a structural change that is leading to increased demand for advanced components and chips, many of which are used in our vehicles. In addition, the current tension in international trade and politics, including various restrictions related to the Chinese semiconductor industry imposed by the U.S. government, may also adversely affect the supply of our chips. In the past, we adjusted our delivery outlook and may continue to make similar adjustment in the future due to various reasons, such as supply chain constraints or insufficient consumer demand, and such adjustments may have a negative impact on the prices of our Class A ordinary shares and the ADSs.

18

We do not control our third-party suppliers or their business practices. Accordingly, we cannot assure you that the quality of the components manufactured by them will be consistent and maintained to a high standard. Any defects of or quality issues with these components or any noncompliance incidents associated with these third-party suppliers could result in quality issues with our vehicles and hence compromise our brand image and results of operations. Additionally, we cannot assure you of third-party suppliers’ compliance with ethical business practices, such as environmental responsibilities, fair wage practices, and compliance with child labor laws, among others. A lack of demonstrated compliance could lead us to seek alternative suppliers, which could increase our costs and results in delayed delivery of our products, product shortages, or other disruptions of our operations.

Furthermore, qualifying alternate third-party suppliers or developing our own replacements for certain highly customized components of our vehicles may be time consuming and costly. Any disruption in the supply of components, whether or not from a single-source supplier, could temporarily disrupt production of our vehicles until an alternative supplier is fully qualified by us or is otherwise able to supply us the required material. We cannot assure you that we would be able to successfully retain alternative third-party suppliers or supplies on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. Changes in business conditions, force majeure, government changes, or other factors beyond our control or anticipation, could also affect our third-party suppliers’ ability to deliver components to us on a timely basis. Moreover, if we experience a significant increase in demand or need to replace our existing third-party suppliers, we cannot assure you that additional supplies will be available when required on terms that are favorable to us, or at all, or that any third-party supplier would allocate sufficient supplies to us in order to meet our requirements or fill our orders in a timely manner. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

Orders for our vehicles may be canceled by users despite their deposit payment and online confirmation.

Our users may cancel their orders for many reasons out of our control, and we have experienced cancelation of orders in the past. In addition, users may terminate their orders even after they have paid deposits and waited for 24 hours upon which their orders automatically become confirmed orders and the deposits become non-refundable. The potentially long wait from reservation to delivery could also impact user decisions on whether to ultimately make a purchase, due to potential changes in preferences, competitive developments, and other factors. If we encounter delays in the deliveries of our existing or future vehicle models, a significant number of orders may be canceled. As a result, we cannot assure you that orders will not be canceled and will ultimately result in the final purchase, delivery, and sale of the vehicles. Such cancelations could harm our business, brand image, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

Our future growth is dependent on the consumer demand for NEVs.

The demand for our vehicles will highly depend upon consumers’ demand for and adoption of NEVs, including EREVs and BEVs. The market for NEVs is still rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, intense competition, evolving government regulation and industry standards, and changing consumer demands and behaviors.

Other factors that may influence the adoption of NEVs include:

perceptions about vehicle safety in general, in particular safety issues that may be attributed to the use of advanced technology, including BEV and EREV technologies, regenerative braking systems, and autonomous driving;
perceptions about NEV quality, safety, design, performance, and cost, especially if adverse events or accidents occur that are linked to the quality or safety of NEVs, whether or not such vehicles are produced by us or other automakers;
concerns about electric grid capacity and reliability and the availability of other supporting infrastructure;
the availability of servicing for NEVs;
the actual or perceived deterioration of battery capacity over time;
the environmental consciousness of consumers;
access to charging stations and cost of charging vehicles;

19

the availability of tax and other governmental incentives to purchase and operate NEVs or future regulation requiring increased use of nonpolluting vehicles;
improvements in the fuel economy of the ICE vehicles; and
macroeconomic factors.

Any of the factors described above may change the consumer demand for our vehicles, including causing current or prospective users not to purchase our vehicles. If the market for NEVs, and HPC BEVs in particular, does not develop as we expect or develops more slowly than we expect, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects will be affected.

Our future growth is dependent on the consumer demand for passenger vehicles, the prospects of which are subject to many uncertainties.

China is currently one of the world’s major automotive markets, and its passenger vehicle sales volume reached 24.4 million units in 2018. However, since July 2018, China’s automotive industry had experienced negative year-over-year growth in sales volume, and new automobile purchases in China had been declining consecutively until April 2020. COVID-19 also had a significant adverse impact on automobile sales in China. As a result, China’s passenger vehicles sales volume decreased by 9.6% to 21.4 million units in 2019, and further decreased by 6.0% to 20.2 million units in 2020. Although the sales volume bounced back in 2021 and 2022, we cannot predict how the consumer demand for passenger vehicles will develop in the future.

Amid the market slowdown, certain automakers operating in China have suffered declining performance or financial difficulties. China’s automotive industry may be affected by many factors, including the potentially continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, general economic conditions in China, the urbanization rate of China’s population, the growth of disposable household income, the costs of new automobiles, the trade tensions and other governmental protectionist measures, as well as taxes and incentives related to automobile purchases. If the consumer demand for passenger vehicles in China does not recover as expected, or at all, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Changes in PRC government policies that are favorable for NEVs or domestically manufactured vehicles could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

The growth of our business benefits from PRC government policies at central and local levels that support the development of NEVs and domestically manufactured vehicles. There are uncertainties about government support for an HPC network, which is essential to our plan to launch HPC BEVs.

The PRC government has been implementing strict vehicle emission standards for ICE vehicles. On December 28, 2018, the PRC State Administration for Market Regulation, or the SAMR, and the PRC National Standardization Administration jointly issued the Electric Vehicle Energy Consumption Standards, effective on July 1, 2019, to regulate electric vehicles regarding their energy efficiency. Our EREVs are equipped with both an ICE-based range extension system and electric motors and are thus required to comply with both standards. If the electric vehicle energy consumption standards and vehicle emission standards become significantly stricter, we may incur significant costs to obtain advanced energy technology to upgrade our vehicles or design new vehicles if we are able to at all, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

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In addition, changes in classification of NEVs and license plate policies have affected, and may continue to affect our business. In certain cities in China, municipal governments impose quotas and lottery or bidding systems to limit the number of license plates issued to ICE vehicles, but exempt NEVs from these restrictions to incentivize the development of the NEV market. Nevertheless, in January 2018, the Beijing municipal government announced that it would only allow BEVs to be considered the NEVs exempt from the license plate restrictions, and EREVs would be treated as ICE vehicles in Beijing for the purposes of obtaining license plates. On December 10, 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission, or the NDRC, promulgated the Provisions on Administration of Investment in Automotive Industry, effective on January 10, 2019, which categorize EREVs as electric vehicles, although its impact on the Beijing municipal government’s license plate policy remained uncertain. Similarly, in February 2021, the local counterpart of the NDRC and other four governmental authorities in Shanghai announced similar arrangements that only BEVs would be considered the NEVs exempt from the license plate restrictions starting from January 1, 2023. As a result, our EREVs sold in Beijing and Shanghai are ineligible to enjoy the exemptions from the license plate restrictions available to the BEVs. There are uncertainties whether the arrangements regarding license plate restrictions will reduce the demand for EREVs in Beijing and Shanghai, which are two of the major markets for our vehicles. Although we are currently not aware of any government plan to adopt similar policies in areas other than Beijing and Shanghai, changes in government policies on the classification of NEVs and license plates, at a local or central level, may materially and adversely affect the demand for our existing and future EREVs, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial conditions, and prospects.

Furthermore, changes in government incentives or subsidies to support NEVs could adversely affect our business. EREVs enjoy certain favorable government incentives and subsidies, including exemption from vehicle purchase tax, one-time government subsidies, exemption from license plate restrictions in certain cities, exemption from driving restrictions in certain cities, and preferential utility rates for charging facilities. However, China’s central government has implemented a phase-out schedule for the subsidies provided for purchasers of NEVs and the national-level subsidies for NEVs ceased as of the date of this annual report.

We cannot assure you that any further changes in regulatory policies would be favorable to our business. Furthermore, any reduction, elimination or discriminatory application of government subsidies and economic incentives because of policy changes, the reduced need for such subsidies and incentives due to the perceived success of NEVs, fiscal tightening or other factors may affect government incentives or subsides and result in the diminished competitiveness of the NEV industry generally.

Our vehicles sales are also affected by government policies including tariffs on imported cars. According to an announcement by the PRC government, the tariff on imported passenger vehicles (other than those originating in the United States of America) was reduced to 15% starting from July 1, 2018. As a result, pricing advantage of domestically manufactured vehicles could be diminished. The restriction on foreign ownership of automakers for NEVs was lifted in 2018. In addition, pursuant to the Special Administrative Measures for Market Access of Foreign Investment (2021), or the 2021 Negative List, which was jointly promulgated by the NDRC and the Ministry of Commerce on December 27, 2021 and effective on January 1, 2022, there is no restriction on foreign ownership of automakers for ICE passenger vehicles. As a result, foreign NEV competitors and foreign ICE automakers could build wholly-owned facilities in China without the need for a domestic joint venture partner. For example, Tesla has completed its construction of a factory in Shanghai without a joint venture partner and has begun operations. These changes could intensify market competition and reduce our pricing advantage, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial conditions, and prospects.

We may be unable to adequately control the costs associated with our operations.

We have devoted significant capital to developing and growing our business, including developing and manufacturing our vehicles, purchasing land and equipment, constructing our manufacturing bases, procuring required raw materials, and building our sales and servicing infrastructure. We expect to further incur significant costs that will impact our profitability, including research and development expenses as we roll out new models and improve existing models, expenditures to expand our retail stores, expenditures in the expansion of our manufacturing capacities, additional operating costs and expenses for production ramp-up, raw material and auto parts procurement costs, expenditures to roll out our HPC network, and selling expenses as we build our brand and market our vehicles. In particular, the prices for raw materials such as aluminum and steel fluctuate upon factors beyond our control, and could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials such as aluminum and steel would increase our cost of revenue and our operating expenses, and could reduce our margins. Furthermore, currency fluctuations, tariffs or shortages in petroleum and other economic or political conditions may result in significant increases in freight charges and raw material costs. In addition, we may lose control over the increase of costs in connection with our services including after-sale services. Our ability to become profitable in the future will not only depend on our ability to successfully market our vehicles and other products and services but also to control our costs. If we are unable to design, develop, manufacture, market, sell, and service our vehicles and provide services in a cost-efficient manner, our margins, profitability, and prospects would be materially and adversely affected.

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The global shortage in the supply of semiconductor chips may disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Since October 2020, the supply of semiconductor chips used for automotive manufacturing has experienced a global shortage following the disruption to semiconductor manufacturers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in global demand for personal computers for work-from-home economies. For example, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, the production of chips dedicated for our millimeter-wave radar supplier had been severely hampered, and our production and deliveries for the third quarter of 2021 had been adversely affected. We cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to obtain sufficient quantity of chips or other semiconductor components at a reasonable cost. In addition, similar to other components, many of the semiconductor components used in our vehicles are purchased by us from a single source although we reserve the flexibility to obtain the components from multiple sources. If the suppliers for the semiconductor components become unable to meet our demand on acceptable terms, or at all, we may be required to switch to other suppliers, which could be time consuming and costly. In addition, rising tensions between the United States and China could also materially and adversely affect the supply of semiconductor chips for our business. See “—The current tensions in international trade and rising political tensions, particularly between the United States and China, may adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.” If we fail to find alternative suppliers in time, or at all, our production and deliveries could be materially disrupted, which may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

The global shortage in the supply of battery packs may disrupt our operations and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our vehicles currently make use of lithium-ion battery cells, which we purchase from third-party suppliers. The prices for the battery cells fluctuate, and their available supply may be unstable, depending on market conditions and global demand for the battery cells and the materials used in the battery cells, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese. There has been a looming shortage of battery packs since mid-2020 as a result of an increase in global demand due to increased production of NEVs, rising demand for raw material of battery cells, and the disruption in the supply chain due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Any increase in the price of battery packs, regardless of whether resulting from the foregoing factors, may result in increasing sale price of our vehicles and thus lower demand for our vehicles, which in turn may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Although as of the date of this annual report, we had not experienced any disruption in the manufacture of our vehicles due to a shortage in the supply of battery packs, we cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to obtain sufficient amount of battery packs at a reasonable cost. Our business is dependent on the continued supply of battery packs used in our vehicles. We purchase battery pack from CATL, Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co., Ltd., and SVOLT Energy Technology Co., Ltd., with which we have developed close partnership for battery packs. If any of these battery pack supplies becomes unable to meet our demand on acceptable terms, or at all, we may be required to switch to alternative suppliers. Any disruption in the supply of battery packs from any of these battery pack supplies could disrupt production of our vehicles until such time as we find an alternative supplier. We cannot assure you that we would be able to successfully retain alternative suppliers on a timely basis, on acceptable terms or at all. If we fail to find alternative suppliers in time, our production and deliveries could be materially disrupted, which may materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, the price of battery packs may also rise at a faster pace in connection with the global supply shortage and the increased prices for the materials used in the battery cells, which may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

If we fail to effectively manage our inventory, our financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

We are exposed to inventory risks that may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and prospects as a result of increased competition, seasonality, new model launches, rapid changes in vehicle life cycles and pricing, defective vehicles, changes in consumer demand and consumer spending patterns, and other factors. In order to operate our business effectively and meet our users’ demands and expectations, we must maintain a certain level of inventory to avoid overstocking or understocking issues and ensure timely delivery. We determine our level of inventory based on our experience and assessment of user demands and number of orders from users.

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However, forecasts are inherently uncertain, and the demand for our vehicles may change between the order date and the projected delivery date. If we fail to accurately forecast the demand or idle inventory of raw materials for phased-out models, we may experience inventory obsolescence and inventory shortage risk. Inventory levels in excess of demand may result in inventory write-downs or write-offs and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices, which could adversely affect our profitability. We did not recognize any inventory write-downs in 2020 and the inventory write-downs in 2021 were immaterial. We recognized RMB1.1 billion (US$161.2 million) in inventory write-downs and losses on inventory purchase commitments in 2022, mainly due to our phase-out plan of Li ONE, which considers a forecasted decline in future sales and the resulting excess inventory levels. In addition, if we underestimate the demand for our vehicles, we may not be able to manufacture a sufficient number of vehicles to meet such unanticipated demand, which could result in delays in the delivery of our vehicles and harm our reputation.

Any of the above may materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. As we plan to continue to expand our vehicle offerings, we may continue to face challenges in effectively managing our inventory.

Our industry and its technology are rapidly evolving and may be subject to unforeseen changes. Breakthroughs in other NEV technologies or improvements in the ICE technologies may materially and adversely affect the demand for our vehicles.

We operate in the China automotive market, including the rapidly evolving NEV market, which may not become what we currently anticipate. We may be unable to keep up with changes in China’s NEV technology and, as a result, our competitiveness may suffer. Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in the NEV technology. As technologies change, we plan to upgrade or adapt our vehicles and introduce new models in order to provide vehicles with the latest technology, which could involve substantial costs and lower our return on investment for existing vehicles. We cannot assure you that we will be able to compete effectively with other NEVs and integrate the latest technology into our vehicles against the backdrop of our rapidly evolving industry. Even if we are able to keep pace with changes in technology and develop new models, our prior models could become obsolete more quickly than expected, potentially reducing our return on investment.

Developments in new energy technology, such as advanced diesel, ethanol, fuel cells, hydrogen energy, or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of ICEs may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways that we do not currently anticipate. Furthermore, any revolutionary breakthroughs in battery technology, including those that significantly reduce charging time or enhance the range of BEVs on a single charge, may impact the market demand for EREVs. Any failure by us to successfully react to changes in existing technology could materially harm our competitive position and may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

If we fail to manage our growth effectively, we may not be able to market and sell our vehicles successfully.

We have expanded our operations, and as we ramp up our production, significant expansion will be required, especially in connection with potential increases in sales, providing our users with high-quality servicing, expansion of our retail, delivery, and servicing center network, and managing different models of vehicles. Our future operating results depend to a large extent on our ability to manage this expansion and growth successfully. Risks that we face in undertaking this expansion include, among others:

managing our supply chain to support fast business growth;
managing a larger organization with a greater number of employees in different divisions;
controlling expenses and investments in anticipation of expanded operations;
establishing or expanding design, manufacturing, sales, and service facilities;
implementing and enhancing administrative infrastructure, systems, and processes; and
addressing new markets and potentially unforeseen challenges as they arise.

Any failure to manage our growth effectively could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

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Our business depends substantially on the continued efforts of our executive officers, key employees, and qualified personnel, and our operations may be severely disrupted if we lose their services.

Our success depends substantially on the continued efforts of our executive officers and key employees with expertise in various areas. If one or more of our executive officers or key employees were unable or unwilling to continue their services with us, we might not be able to replace them easily, in a timely manner, or at all. As we build our brand and become more well-known, the risk that competitors or other companies may poach our talent increases. Our industry is characterized by high demand and intense competition for talent, in particular with respect to qualified talent in the areas of smart vehicle and autonomous driving technologies, and therefore we cannot assure you that we will be able to attract or retain qualified staff or other highly skilled employees. In addition, because our EREVs are based on a different technology platform than traditional ICE vehicles, individuals with sufficient training in such vehicles may not be available to hire, and we will need to expend significant time and expense training the employees we hire. We also require sufficient talent in areas such as software development. Furthermore, as our company is relatively young, our ability to train and integrate new employees into our operations may not meet the growing demands of our business, which may materially and adversely affect our ability to grow our business and our results of operations.

If any of our executive officers and key employees terminates his or her services with us, our business may be severely disrupted, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train, and retain qualified personnel. We have not obtained any “key person” insurance on our key personnel. If any of our executive officers or key employees joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose users, know-how and key professionals and staff members. To the extent permitted by laws, each of our executive officers and key employees has entered into an employment agreement and a non-compete agreement with us. However, if any dispute arises between our executive officers or key employees and us, the non-competition provisions contained in their non-compete agreements may not be enforceable, especially in China, where these executive officers reside, on the ground that we have not provided adequate compensation to them for their non-competition obligations, which is required under relevant PRC laws.

Our products and services, including those provided through third parties, may not be generally accepted by our users. If we are unable to provide or arrange satisfactory products or services for our users, our business and reputation may be materially and adversely affected.

We cannot assure you that our products and services or our efforts to engage with our users using both our online and offline channels, will be successful, which could affect our user satisfaction and marketing and hence our revenues. Moreover, we are unable to ensure the availability or quality of our products and services, including those provided by third parties, such as road assistance, vehicle logistics, and automobile financing and insurance. If any of these become unavailable or inadequate, our users’ experience may be adversely affected, which in turn may materially and adversely affect our business and reputation.

While our vehicles can be serviced at our delivery and servicing centers, some of the services will be carried out through authorized body and paint shops. Both our own delivery and servicing centers and authorized body and paint shops have limited experience in servicing NEVs. We cannot assure you that our service arrangements will adequately address the service requirements of our users to their satisfaction, or that we and our authorized body and paint shops will have sufficient resources to meet these service requirements in a timely manner as the volume of vehicles we deliver increases.

In addition, if we are unable to roll out and establish a widespread service network through a combination of our delivery and servicing centers and authorized body and painting shops, user satisfaction could be adversely affected, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our sales, results of operations, and prospects.

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We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our financial condition and liquidity if we are not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims.

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. The automotive industry experiences significant product liability claims and we face inherent risk of exposure to claims in the event our vehicles do not perform as expected or malfunction resulting in property damage, personal injury, or death. Our risks in this area are particularly pronounced given we have limited field experience of our vehicles. In addition, we may be subject to product liability claims for defective components and parts that are manufactured by our third-party suppliers. A successful product liability claim against us could require us to pay substantial monetary compensation. Moreover, a product liability claim could generate substantial negative publicity about our vehicles and business and inhibit or prevent commercialization of our future vehicles, which would materially and adversely affect our brand, business, prospects, and results of operations. Any insurance coverage might not be sufficient to cover all potential product liability claims. Any lawsuit seeking significant monetary damages may materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may be compelled to undertake product recalls or other actions, which could adversely affect our brand image, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.

We may be subject to adverse publicity, damage to our brand, and costs for recalls of our vehicles. Effective on November 7, 2020, we voluntarily recalled 10,469 Li ONEs produced on or before June 1, 2020 to replace, free of charge, the control arm ball joint of the front suspension on these Li ONEs in accordance with the requirements by the SAMR. Li ONEs produced after June 1, 2020 are already equipped with an upgraded version of the control arm ball joint of the front suspension. We have completed substantially all the replacements and are not aware of any material accidents due to defects in the control arm ball joint of the front suspension that had been replaced.

In the future, we may at various times, voluntarily or involuntarily, initiate a recall if any of our vehicles, including any systems or parts sourced from our suppliers, prove to be defective or noncompliant with applicable laws and regulations. Such recalls, whether voluntary or involuntary, could involve significant expense and could adversely affect our brand image in our target markets, as well as our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.

Our vehicles are subject to motor vehicle standards and the failure to satisfy such mandated safety standards would materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

All vehicles sold must comply with various standards of the market where the vehicles are sold. Our vehicles must meet or exceed all mandated safety standards in China. Rigorous testing and the use of approved materials and equipment are among the requirements for achieving these standards. Vehicles must pass various tests and undergo a certification process and be affixed with the China Compulsory Certification before receiving delivery from the factory, being sold, or being used in any commercial activity, and such certification is also subject to periodic renewal. Furthermore, the PRC government authorities carry out supervision and scheduled or unscheduled inspection of certified vehicles on a regular basis. In the event that our certification fails to be renewed upon expiry, a certified vehicle has a defect resulting in quality or safety accidents, or consistent failure of certified vehicles to comply with certification requirements is discovered during follow-up inspections, the certification may be suspended or even revoked. With effect from the date of revocation or during suspension of the certification, any vehicle that fails to satisfy the requirements for certification may not continue to be delivered, sold, imported, or used in any commercial activity. Failure by us to satisfy motor vehicle standards would materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Our vehicles currently make use of lithium-ion battery cells, which have been observed to catch fire or vent smoke and flame.

The battery packs that we produce make use of lithium-ion cells, which we purchase from third-party suppliers. On rare occasions, lithium-ion cells can rapidly release the energy they contain by venting smoke and flames in a manner that can ignite nearby materials as well as other lithium-ion cells. We have implemented a battery management system that automatically monitors temperature, power output, and other status of the battery pack, including a thermal management system that keeps the temperature of the battery pack within an ideal range. However, our vehicles or their battery packs may still experience failure, which could subject us to lawsuits, product recalls, or redesign efforts, all of which would be time consuming and expensive. In addition, negative public perceptions regarding the suitability of lithium-ion cells for automotive use or any future incident involving lithium-ion cells such as a vehicle or other fire, even if not involving our vehicles, could seriously harm our business.

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In addition, we store lithium-ion cells at our facilities. Any mishandling of battery cells may cause disruption to the operation of our facilities. While we have implemented safety procedures related to the handling of the cells, a safety issue or fire related to the cells could disrupt our operations. Such damage or injury could lead to adverse publicity and potentially a safety recall. Moreover, any failure of a competitor’s electric vehicle or energy storage product may cause indirect adverse publicity for us and our products. Such adverse publicity could negatively affect our brand and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

We are subject to risks associated with autonomous driving technology.

Our vehicles are currently equipped with Level 2 autonomous driving features realized through ADAS, and we continue to develop autonomous driving technology for our vehicles. For example, we have equipped our self-developed Li AD Max/Pro autonomous driving system on our L-series to enable various safe and intelligent autonomous driving features such as high-way NOA. We rely on third-party suppliers for certain components used in our ADAS, and any defects of or quality issues with those components could result in actual or perceived quality issues with our vehicles. We plan to enhance and expand our vehicles’ level of autonomous driving capabilities through ongoing research and development. Autonomous driving as an evolving and complex technology is subject to risks, and from time to time there have been accidents associated with such technology. The safety of such technology depends in part on user interaction and users may not be accustomed to using such technology. To the extent accidents associated with our future autonomous driving technology occur, we could be subject to liability, government scrutiny, and further regulation. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Autonomous Driving.” Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our brand image, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.

Any unauthorized control or manipulation of our vehicle systems could result in loss of confidence in us and our vehicles and harm our business.

Our vehicles contain complex information technology systems. For example, our vehicles are designed with built-in data connectivity to accept and install periodic remote updates from us to improve or update the functionality of our vehicles. We have designed, implemented and tested security measures intended to prevent unauthorized access to our information technology networks, our vehicles, and their systems. However, hackers may attempt in the future, to gain unauthorized access to modify, alter, and use our networks, vehicles, and systems to gain control of, or to change, our vehicles’ functionality, user interface, and performance characteristics, or to gain access to data stored in or generated by the vehicles. Vulnerabilities could be identified in the future and our remediation efforts may not be successful. Any unauthorized access to or control of our vehicles or their systems or any loss of data could result in legal claims or proceedings against us. In addition, regardless of their veracity, reports of unauthorized access to our vehicles, their systems, or data, as well as other factors that may result in the perception that our vehicles, their systems, or data are capable of being “hacked,” could negatively affect our brand and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

Our distribution model is different from the currently predominant distribution model for automakers, and its long-term viability is unproven.

Our distribution model is not common in the automotive industry today, particularly in China. We own and operate our distribution network through which we conduct vehicle sales directly to users rather than through dealerships. This model of vehicle distribution is relatively new and its long-term effectiveness is unproven, especially in China. It thus subjects us to substantial risks as it requires, in the aggregate, significant expenditures and provides for slower expansion of our distribution and sales systems than the traditional dealership system. For example, we will not be able to utilize long established sales channels developed through a dealership system to increase our sales volume. Moreover, we will be competing with automakers with well established distribution channels. Our expansion of our network of retail stores, galleries, and delivery and servicing centers may not fully meet users’ expectations. Our success will depend in large part on our ability to effectively develop our own sales channels and marketing strategies. Implementing our business model is subject to numerous significant challenges, including obtaining permits and approvals from, or filing with, government authorities, and we may not be successful in addressing these challenges.

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Our results of operations may vary significantly from period to period due to the seasonality of our business and fluctuations in our operating costs.

Our results of operations may vary significantly from period to period due to many factors, including seasonal factors that may affect the demand for our vehicles. The sales volume of passenger vehicles typically declines over January and February, particularly around the Chinese New Year, gradually climbs over spring and summer, and typically culminates in the fourth quarter of the calendar year. Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to judge the exact nature or extent of the seasonality of our business. Also, any unusually severe weather conditions in certain regions may impact demand for our vehicles. Our results of operations could also suffer if we do not achieve revenue consistent with our expectations for this seasonal demand because many of our expenses are based on anticipated levels of annual revenue.

We also expect our period-to-period results of operations to vary based on our operating costs, which we anticipate will increase significantly in future periods as we, among other things, design, develop, and manufacture our EREVs and new models, build and equip new manufacturing bases to produce such components, open new retail stores, galleries, and delivery centers, increase our sales and marketing activities, and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations.

As a result of these factors, we believe that period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations are not necessarily meaningful and that these comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of future performance. Moreover, our results of operations may not meet expectations of equity research analysts or investors. If this occurs, the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs could fall substantially either suddenly or over time.

Expansion or conversion of our manufacturing facilities and establishment of new manufacturing facilities may be subject to delays, disruptions, cost overruns, or may not produce expected benefits.

We may expand or convert our existing manufacturing facilities and establish new manufacturing facilities for production ramp-up of our current and future models with better efficiency and technological capabilities. The expansion or conversions could experience delays or other difficulties, and will require significant capital. We may encounter quality, process, or other issues when changing our single-shift production arrangement to a two-shift production arrangement. Moreover, we could encounter similar or additional risks as we establish and develop new manufacturing facilities in the future, in addition to our existing manufacturing facility. Any failure to complete the expansion of our manufacturing facilities on schedule and within budget could adversely affect our financial condition, production capacity, and results of operations.

Under PRC laws, construction projects are subject to broad and strict government supervision and approval procedures, including but not limited to project approvals and filings, construction land and project planning approvals, disease control approvals, environment protection approvals, the pollution discharge permits, drainage license, work safety approvals, fire protection approvals, and the completion of inspection and acceptance by relevant authorities. Some of the construction projects carried out by us are undergoing necessary approval procedures as required by law, which requires the approval of the municipal government. As a result, the relevant entities operating such construction projects may be subject to administrative uncertainty, fines, or the suspension of use of such projects. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business operations.

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Our business plans require a significant amount of capital. In addition, our future capital needs may require us to issue additional equity or debt securities that may dilute our shareholders or introduce covenants that may restrict our operations or our ability to pay dividends.

We will need significant capital to, among other things, conduct research and development, expand our production capacity, and roll out our retail stores, galleries, and delivery and servicing centers. As we ramp up our production capacity and operations we may also require significant capital to maintain our property, plant, and equipment and such costs may be greater than what we currently anticipate. We expect that our level of capital expenditures will be significantly affected by consumer demand for our products and services. The fact that we have a limited operating history means we have limited historical data on the demand for our products and services. As a result, our future capital requirements may be uncertain and actual capital requirements may be different from what we currently anticipate. We may seek equity or debt financing to finance a portion of our capital expenditures. Such financing might not be available to us in a timely manner or on terms that are acceptable, or at all. If we cannot obtain sufficient capital on acceptable terms, our business, financial condition, and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

Our ability to obtain the necessary financing to carry out our business plan is subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and investor acceptance of our business plan. These factors may make the timing, amount, and terms and conditions of such financing unattractive or unavailable to us. If we are unable to raise sufficient funds, we will have to significantly reduce our spending, delay or cancel our planned activities, or substantially change our corporate structure. We may have shareholders’ deficit balance in the future, which may limit our ability to obtain financing and materially and adversely affect our liquidity and financial condition. We might not be able to obtain any funding or service any of the debts we incurred, and we might not have sufficient resources to conduct our business as projected, both of which could mean that we would be forced to curtail or discontinue our operations.

In addition, our future capital needs and other business reasons could require us to issue additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. The issuance of additional equity or equity-linked securities could dilute our shareholders and our memorandum and articles of association do not contain any anti-dilution provision. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in an increase in debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations or our ability to incur additional indebtedness, to pay dividends to our shareholders, to repurchase our share capital, or to make certain acquisitions or investments. Moreover, we may be subject to covenants requiring us to satisfy certain financial tests and ratios, and our ability to satisfy such covenants may be affected by events out of our control.

We retain certain information about our users, which may subject us to user concerns or various privacy and consumer protection laws.

We use our vehicles’ electronic systems to log, with necessary permission, certain information about each vehicle’s use in order to aid us in vehicle diagnostics and maintenance and repair, as well as to help us customize and optimize the driving and riding experiences. Our users may object to the use of this data, which may harm our business. Possession and use of our users’ driving behavior and data in conducting our business may subject us to legislative and regulatory burdens in China and other jurisdictions that could require notification of data breach, restrict our use of such information, and hinder our ability to acquire new users or market to existing users. If users allege that we have improperly released or disclosed their sensitive personal information, we could face legal claims and reputational harm. We may incur significant expenses to comply with privacy, consumer protection, and security standards and protocols imposed by laws, regulations, industry standards, or contractual obligations. If third parties improperly obtain and use sensitive personal information of our users, we may be required to expend significant resources to resolve these problems.

Our business is subject to various evolving PRC laws and regulations regarding data privacy and cybersecurity. Failure of cybersecurity and data privacy concerns could subject us to penalties, damage our reputation and brand, and harm our business and results of operations.

We face significant challenges with respect to cybersecurity and data privacy, including the storage, transmission, and sharing of confidential information. We transmit and store confidential and private information of our users, such as personal information, including names, user accounts, passwords, and payment or transaction-related information.

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We are subject to various regulatory requirements relating to cybersecurity and data privacy, including, without limitation, the PRC Civil Code, the PRC Cybersecurity Law, and the PRC Personal Information Protection Law. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection.” We are required by these laws and regulations to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, availability, and authenticity of the information of our users and distributors, which is also essential to maintaining their confidence in our vehicles and services. We have adopted strict information security policies and deployed advanced measures to implement the policies, including, among others, advanced encryption technologies. However, advances in technology, an increased level of sophistication and diversity of our products and services, an increased level of expertise of hackers, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or others can still result in a compromise or breach of our websites, the Li Auto App, or our vehicles’ electronic systems. If we are unable to protect our systems, and hence the information stored in our systems, from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction, such problems or security breaches could cause a loss, give rise to our liabilities to the owners of confidential information, or subject us to fines and other penalties. In addition, complying with various laws and regulations could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices, including our data practices, in a manner adverse to our business.

Regulatory requirements on cybersecurity and data privacy are constantly evolving and can be subject to varying interpretations or significant changes, resulting in uncertainties about the scope of our responsibilities in that regard. For example, on August 20, 2021, the State Council promulgated the PRC Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect on November 1, 2021. The PRC Personal Information Protection Law requires, among others, that (i) the processing of personal information should have a clear and reasonable purpose and should be directly related to its purpose, in a method that has the least impact on personal rights and interests, and (ii) the collection of personal information should be limited to the minimum scope necessary to achieve the processing purpose to avoid the excessive collection of personal information. Entities processing personal information must be responsible for their personal information processing activities and adopt necessary measures to safeguard the security of the personal information that they process. Otherwise, the entities processing personal information could be ordered to rectify, or suspend or terminate the provision of services, and face confiscation of illegal income, fines, or other penalties. On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect on September 1, 2021. The PRC Data Security Law, among other things, provides for a security review procedure for the data activities that may affect national security.

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On December 28, 2021, the CAC, the NDRC, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT, and several other PRC government authorities jointly issued the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which took effect on February 15, 2022 and further restates and expands the applicable scope of the cybersecurity review in effect. Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, critical information infrastructure operators that procure internet products and services and network platform operators engaging in data processing activities must be subject to the cybersecurity review if their activities affect or may affect national security. The Cybersecurity Review Measures further stipulate that network platform operators holding personal information of over one million users must apply to the Cybersecurity Review Office for a cybersecurity review before public offering on a foreign stock exchange. Although our securities have been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, given the Cybersecurity Review Measures was relatively new, there are substantial uncertainties as to the interpretation, application, and enforcement of the Cybersecurity Review Measures. On August 17, 2021, the State Council promulgated the Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, which took effect on September 1, 2021 and defines critical information infrastructure as any important network facilities or information systems of important industry or field such as public communication and information service, energy, communications, water conservation, finance, public services, e-government affairs, and national defense science, which may endanger national security, people’s livelihood, and public interest in case of damage, function loss, or data leakage. In addition, according to the Regulations on Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, relevant administration departments of each critical industry and sector should be responsible to formulate eligibility criteria and determine the scope of critical information infrastructure operator in the respective industry or sector. The operators will be informed about the final determination as to whether they are categorized as critical information infrastructure operators. As of the date of this annual report, no detailed implementation rules have been issued by any government authorities and we have not been informed as a critical information infrastructure operator by any government authorities. Furthermore, the exact scope of “critical information infrastructure operators” under the current regulatory regime remains unclear, and the PRC government authorities may have wide discretion in the interpretation and enforcement of these laws. Therefore, it is uncertain whether we would be deemed as a critical information infrastructure operator under PRC law. If so, we will be subject to more scrutiny from the relevant government authorities, which may increase our compliance costs and affect our ability to conduct overseas offerings. If we were regarded as a critical information infrastructure operator by relevant government authorities, or if our data processing activities and overseas listing were regarded as having impact or potential impact on national security, we may be required to make significant changes to our business practices, suspend certain business, or even be prohibited from providing certain service offerings in jurisdictions in which we currently operate or in which we may operate in the future. Such review could also result in negative publicity with respect to us and diversion of our managerial and financial resources. There can be no assurance that we would be able to complete the applicable cybersecurity review procedures or clear the cybersecurity review in a timely manner, or at all, if we are required to follow such procedures or are subject to cybersecurity review by the CAC and other relevant PRC regulatory authorities.

In addition, on August 16, 2021, the CAC, NDRC, MIIT, Ministry of Public Security, and Ministry of Transport jointly issued the Regulations on the Management of Automobile Data Security (for Trial Implementation), or the Automobile Data Regulations, which took effect on October 1, 2021. The Automobile Data Regulations aims to regulate the activities of processing automobile data, including without limitation personal information and important data involved in the process of automotive design, production, sales, use, operation, and maintenance within the PRC territory. The Automobile Data Regulations further elaborates the principles and requirements for the protection of personal information and important data in the automotive industry scenarios and requires automobile data processors processing important data to submit an annual report to specify its automobile data security management status to the provincial counterparts of the CAC and other relevant authorities prior to December 15 each year. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection.” We cannot assure you that relevant regulators will not interpret or implement the laws or regulations in ways that adversely affect us. In addition, it is possible that we may become subject to additional or new laws and regulations in this regard, particularly to data security and protection laws in other jurisdiction if we extend our business outside of China in the future, which may result in additional expenses to us and subject us to potential liability and negative publicity. We expect that these areas will receive greater attention from regulators and attract continued or greater public scrutiny and attention going forward, which could increase our compliance costs and subject us to heightened risks and challenges associated with data security and protection. If we are unable to manage these risks, we could become subject to penalties, fines, suspension of business, and revocation of required licenses, and our reputation and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

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Furthermore, on November 14, 2021, the CAC published the Administrative Regulations on Internet Data Security (Draft for Comments), or the Draft Data Security Regulations, which reiterates the circumstances under which a data processor must apply for cybersecurity review The Draft Data Security Regulations also provides that data processors processing important data or listing overseas should conduct an annual data security self-assessment or third-party assessment. There is no timetable as to when the Draft Data Security Regulations will be enacted. As such, it remains unclear whether the final version adopted in the future will have any further material changes, and it is uncertain how the draft regulations will be enacted, interpreted, or implemented and how they will affect us. If a final version of the Draft Data Security Regulations is adopted, we may be subject to review and annual data security assessment and may face challenges in addressing its requirements and make necessary changes to our internal policies and practices in data processing. In addition, if the enacted version of the Draft Data Security Regulations mandates clearance of cybersecurity review and other specific actions to be completed by China-based companies that have been listed on overseas stock exchanges, such as us, we face uncertainties as to whether we could obtain such clearance in a timely manner, or at all. Any failure or delay in the completion of the cybersecurity review procedures may prevent us from using or providing certain network products and services, and may result in penalties, including fines, suspension of business, and revocation of required licenses, and our reputation and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

It remains uncertain whether future regulatory changes would impose additional restrictions on companies like us. We cannot predict the impact of these future regulatory changes, if any, at this stage, and we will closely monitor and assess any development in the rule-making process. If future regulatory updates mandate clearance of cybersecurity review and other specific actions to be completed by China-based companies listed on foreign stock exchanges, such as us, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely obtained, or at all. As of the date of this annual report, there had been no material incident of data or personal information leakage, infringement of data protection and privacy laws and regulations, or investigation or other legal proceeding pending or threatened against us initiated by relevant government authorities or third parties, that will materially and adversely affect our business and operations. We have not been involved in any formal investigations on cybersecurity review by the CAC on such basis. However, if we are not able to comply with the cybersecurity and data privacy requirements in a timely manner, or at all, we may be subject to government enforcement actions and investigations, fines, penalties, suspension of our non-compliant operations, or removal of our app from the relevant application stores, among other sanctions, which could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

Our warranty reserves may be insufficient to cover future warranty claims, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We provide a five-year or 100,000-kilometer limited warranty for new vehicles, and an eight-year or 160,000-kilometer limited warranty for battery packs, electric motors, and electric motor controllers (eight-year or 120,000-kilometer limited warranty for Li ONE), and air springs. We also provide owners of our vehicles free roadside assistance during the warranty coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our warranty program is similar to other automakers’ warranty programs and is intended to cover all parts and labor to repair defects in material or workmanship in the body, chassis, suspension, interior, electric systems, battery, powertrain, and brake system. It also covers free road assistance under the warranty coverage. We plan to record and adjust warranty reserves based on changes in estimated costs and actual warranty costs. However, because we only started the volume production of our vehicles in November 2019, our experience with warranty claims regarding our vehicles or with estimating warranty reserves is limited. We cannot assure you that our warranty reserves will be sufficient to cover future warranty claims. We could, in the future, become subject to significant and unexpected warranty claims, resulting in significant expenses, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

If our vehicle owners modify our vehicles regardless of whether third-party aftermarket products are used, the vehicle may not operate properly, which may create negative publicity and could harm our business.

Automobile enthusiasts may seek to modify our vehicles, including using third-party aftermarket products, to alter their appearance or enhance their performance, which could jeopardize vehicle safety systems. We do not test, nor do we endorse, such modifications or third-party products. In addition, the use of improper external cabling or unsafe charging outlets can expose our users to injury from high voltage electricity. Such unauthorized modifications could reduce the safety of our vehicles and any injuries resulting from such modifications could result in adverse publicity which would adversely affect our brand and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

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We have granted, and may continue to grant options and other types of awards under our share incentive plan, which may result in increased share-based compensation expenses.

We adopted a share incentive plan in July 2019, or the 2019 Plan, for the purpose of granting share-based compensation awards to employees, directors, and consultants to incentivize their performance and align their interests with ours. We further adopted the 2020 Share Incentive Plan, or the 2020 Plan, in July 2020 and the 2021 Share Incentive Plan, or the 2021 Plan, in March 2021, in each case for the same purpose. Under the 2019 Plan, 2020 Plan, and 2021 Plan, we are authorized to grant options and other types of awards. The maximum number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2019 Plan is 141,083,452. The maximum number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2020 Plan is 165,696,625. The maximum number of Class B ordinary shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2021 Plan is 108,557,400. As of February 28, 2023, awards to purchase an aggregate amount of 59,304,140 Class A ordinary shares under the 2019 Plan and awards to purchase an aggregate amount of 51,687,128 Class A ordinary shares under the 2020 Plan had been granted and were outstanding, excluding awards that were forfeited or canceled after the relevant grant dates. On March 8, 2021, we granted options to purchase 108,557,400 Class B ordinary shares under our 2021 Plan to Mr. Li, our chairman and chief executive officer, with certain performance-based vesting conditions. On May 5, 2021, the board of directors approved to replace such options with the same number of Class B ordinary shares under the same plan, all of which had become vested upon grant on May 5, 2021, subject to certain undertakings of restrictions by Mr. Li based on certain performance conditions substantially similar to the vesting conditions of the options being replaced. These Class B ordinary shares were converted to Class A ordinary shares on a one-to-one basis with effect immediately upon the listing of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plans. We refer to these 108,557,400 Class A ordinary shares as the CEO Award Shares.

We believe that the granting of share-based awards is of significant importance to our ability to attract and retain key personnel and employees, and we will continue to grant share-based compensation to employees in the future. As a result, our expenses associated with share-based compensation may increase, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

Furthermore, prospective candidates and existing employees often consider the value of the equity awards they receive in connection with their employment. Thus, our ability to attract or retain highly skilled employees may be adversely affected by declines in the perceived value of our equity or equity awards. Furthermore, there are no assurances that the number of shares reserved for issuance under our share incentive plans will be sufficient to grant equity awards adequate to recruit new employees and to compensate existing employees.

We may need to defend ourselves against intellectual property right infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and would cause us to incur substantial costs.

Entities or individuals, including our competitors, may hold or obtain patents, copyrights, trademarks, or other proprietary rights that would prevent, limit, or interfere with our ability to make, use, develop, sell or market our vehicles or components, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. From time to time, we may receive communications from intellectual property right holders regarding their proprietary rights. Companies holding patents or other intellectual property rights may bring suits alleging infringement of such rights or otherwise assert their rights and urge us to take licenses. Our applications and uses of trademarks relating to our design, software, or smart technology could be found to infringe upon existing trademark ownership and rights. In addition, if we are determined to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property rights, we may be required to do one or more of the following:

cease selling, incorporating certain components into, or using vehicles or offering goods or services that incorporate or use the challenged intellectual property;
pay substantial damages;
seek a license from the holder of the infringed intellectual property right, which may not be available on reasonable terms or at all;
redesign our vehicles or other goods or services; or
establish and maintain alternative branding for our products and services.

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In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us and our failure or inability to obtain a license to the infringed technology or other intellectual property right, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, any litigation or claims, whether or not valid, could result in substantial costs, negative publicity, and diversion of resources and management attention.

We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.

We regard our trademarks, service marks, patents, domain names, trade secrets, proprietary technologies, and similar intellectual property as critical to our success. We rely on trademark and patent law, trade secret protection and confidentiality and license agreements with our employees and others to protect our proprietary rights.

We have invested significant resources to develop our own intellectual property. Failure to maintain or protect these rights could harm our business. In addition, any unauthorized use of our intellectual property by third parties may adversely affect our current and future revenues and our reputation.

Implementation and enforcement of PRC laws relating to intellectual property have historically been deficient and ineffective. Accordingly, protection of intellectual property rights in mainland China may not be as effective as in Hong Kong, the United States, or other developed countries or regions. Furthermore, policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive. We rely on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret laws and restrictions on disclosure to protect our intellectual property rights. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, third parties may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property or seek court declarations that they do not infringe upon our intellectual property rights. Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly, and we cannot assure you that the steps we have taken or will take will prevent misappropriation of our intellectual property. From time to time, we may have to resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources.

As our patents may expire and may not be extended, our patent applications may not be granted, and our patent rights may be contested, circumvented, invalidated, or limited in scope, our patent rights may not protect us effectively. In particular, we may not be able to prevent others from developing or exploiting competing technologies, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

As of December 31, 2022, we had 2,028 issued patents and 5,887 pending patent applications in China. We cannot assure you that all our pending patent applications will result in issued patents. Even if our patent applications succeed and we are issued patents accordingly, it is still uncertain whether these patents will be contested, circumvented, or invalidated in the future. In addition, the rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us with meaningful protection or competitive advantages. The claims under any patents may not be broad enough to prevent others from developing technologies that are similar or that achieve results similar to ours. It is also possible that the intellectual property rights of others could bar us from licensing and exploiting our patents. Numerous patents and pending patent applications owned by others exist in the fields where we have developed and are developing our technology. These patents and patent applications might have priority over our patent applications and could subject our patent applications to invalidation. Finally, in addition to those who may claim priority, any of our existing patents or pending patent applications may also be challenged by others on the basis that they are otherwise invalid or unenforceable.

Pandemics and epidemics, natural disasters, terrorist activities, political unrest, and other outbreaks could disrupt our production, delivery, and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Global pandemics, epidemics in China or elsewhere in the world, or fear of spread of contagious diseases, such as Ebola virus disease (EVD), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, and avian flu, as well as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, or other natural disasters could disrupt our business operations, reduce or restrict our supply of materials and services, incur significant costs to protect our employees and facilities, or result in regional or global economic distress, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Actual or threatened war, terrorist activities, political unrest, civil strife, and other geopolitical uncertainty could have a similar adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Any one or more of these events may impede our production and delivery efforts and adversely affect our sales results, or even for a prolonged period of time, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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The COVID-19 pandemic that first broke out in 2020 had adversely affected many aspects of our business, including production, supply chain, and sales and delivery. For example, our Changzhou manufacturing base underwent temporary closure in February 2020, our production capacity and operating efficiency were reduced in the first half of 2020 due to insufficient workforce in production, sales, and delivery; our suppliers were unable to timely deliver raw materials, parts and components, or other services; and consumers were reluctant to visit in person our retail stores or delivery and servicing centers due to concerns or fear of spread of COVID-19. Our consolidated results of operations for the first half of 2020 were thus adversely affected. The global spread of COVID-19 pandemic also resulted in global economic distress.

Starting in December 2022, most of the travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in China were lifted. Although there were significant surges of COVID-19 infections in various regions in China during that month, the situation has been significantly improved and normalized since January 2023. There remains uncertainty as to the future impact of the virus. The extent to which the pandemic affects our results of operations going forward will depend on future developments that are uncertain and unpredictable, including the frequency, duration, and extent of COVID-19 outbreaks, the appearance of new variants with different characteristics, the effectiveness of efforts to contain or treat cases, and future actions that may be taken in response to these developments. We may experience lower demand for our vehicles as domestic consumption falls, and our customers and suppliers may need time to recover from the economic effects of the pandemic even after business conditions begin to return to normal. There can be no assurance as to whether the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting disruption to our business will extend over a prolonged period, and if yes, it could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We are also vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities. Although we have servers that are hosted in an offsite location, our backup system does not capture data on a real-time basis and we may be unable to recover certain data in the event of a server failure. We cannot assure you that any backup systems will be adequate to protect us from the effects of fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks, or similar events. Any of the foregoing events may give rise to interruptions, damage to our property, delays in production, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures, or internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We might not be able to fulfil our obligation in respect of deferred revenue, which might have impact on our cash or liquidity position.

Our recognition of deferred revenue is subject to future performance obligations. Our deferred revenue mainly includes the transaction price allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied, or partially satisfied, which mainly arises from the undelivered vehicles, charging stalls, vehicle internet connection services, FOTA upgrades, and extended lifetime warranties for initial owners, as well as customer loyalty points offered in connection with the purchase of our vehicles. We may have multiple performance obligations identified in one vehicle sales contract and the purchase price for sales of our vehicles and all embedded products and services to a user for which we have received consideration, or an amount of consideration is due, from the user, is recorded as deferred revenue. Due to potential future changes in user preferences and the need for us to satisfactorily perform product support and other services, deferred revenue at any particular date may not be representative of actual revenue for any current or future period. Any failure to fulfil the obligations in respect of deferred revenue may have an adverse impact on our results of operations and liquidity.

Fluctuation of fair value change of short-term and long-term investments that we made may adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

Our short-term investments primarily consist of investments in financial instruments with variable interest rates and maturity dates within one year, and our long-term investments primarily consisted of investments in publicly traded companies, privately-held companies, investments in financial instruments with variable interest rates and maturity dates greater than one year, and time deposits with original maturities longer than one year. The methodologies that we use to assess the fair value of the short-term and long-term investments involve a significant degree of management judgment and are inherently uncertain. In addition, we are exposed to credit risks in relation to our short-term and long-term investments, which may adversely affect the net changes in their fair value. We cannot assure you that market conditions will create fair value gains on our short-term and long-term investments or we will not incur any fair value losses on our short-term and long-term investments in the future. If we incur such fair value losses, our financial condition, results of operations, and prospects may be adversely affected.

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We have limited insurance coverage, which could expose us to significant costs and business disruption.

We have limited liability insurance coverage for our products and business operations. A successful liability claim against us, regardless of whether due to injuries suffered by our users could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and reputation. In addition, we do not have any business disruption insurance. Any business disruption event could result in substantial cost to us and diversion of our resources.

We are or may be subject to risks associated with strategic alliances or acquisitions.

We have entered into and may in the future enter into strategic alliances, including joint ventures or minority equity investments, with various third parties to further our business purpose from time to time. These alliances could subject us to a number of risks, including risks associated with sharing proprietary information, non-performance by third parties, and increases in expenses in establishing new strategic alliances, any of which may materially and adversely affect our business. We may have limited ability to monitor or control the actions of these third parties and, to the extent any of these third parties suffers negative publicity or harm to their reputation from events relating to their businesses, we may also suffer negative publicity or harm to our reputation by virtue of our association with any such third party.

In addition, we may have to complete certain administrative procedures with the relevant PRC government authorities for strategic alliances and comply with any applicable PRC rules and regulations. For example, the PRC Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the anti-monopoly authority be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. In June 2022, the SAMR imposed administrative penalties on us for failure to file prior notification of concentrations of undertaking for two of our past transactions even though neither transaction had an effect of excluding or limiting competition, resulting in a RMB400,000 fine for each case. We cannot assure you that we will not be involved in or subject to other investigations, inquiries, claims, or other administrative proceedings or requirements relating to anti-monopoly laws and regulations in the future. Pursuant to the PRC Anti-Monopoly Law, if the anti-monopoly authority determines that a business operator fails to file prior notification of concentrations of undertaking, the business operator may be subject to administrative penalties, including a fine of up to RMB500,000, and in extreme case it may be ordered to terminate or unwind the contemplated transaction, or to dispose of the relevant assets or shares or transfer the relevant business within a specified period. The Anti-Monopoly Law, which was amended in June 2022 and took effect on August 1, 2022, increases the fines for illegal concentration of business operators to no more than 10% of the business operator’s sales revenue in the previous year if the concentration of business operator has or may have an effect of excluding or limiting competitions, or a fine of up to RMB5,000,000 if the concentration of business operator does not have an effect of excluding or limiting competition.

Furthermore, if appropriate opportunities arise, we may acquire additional assets, products, technologies, or businesses that are complementary to our existing business. In addition to possible shareholder approval, we may have to obtain approvals and licenses from relevant government authorities for the acquisitions and to comply with any applicable PRC laws and regulations, which could result in increasing delay and costs, and may derail our business strategy if we fail to do so. Moreover, the costs of identifying and consummating acquisitions may be significant. Furthermore, past and future acquisitions and the subsequent integration of new assets and businesses into our own require significant attention from our management and could result in a diversion of resources from our existing business, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our operations. Acquired assets or businesses may not generate the financial results that we expect, or may be involved in potential legal risks that negatively affect our business. Acquisitions could result in the use of substantial amount of cash, potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, the occurrence of significant goodwill impairment charges, amortization expenses for other intangible assets, and exposure to potential unknown liabilities of the acquired business. Any acquired business may be involved in legal proceedings originating from historical periods prior to the acquisition, and we may not be fully indemnified, or at all, for any damage to us resulting from such legal proceedings, which could materially and adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.

If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our results of operations, meet our reporting obligations, or prevent fraud.

We are a public company in the United States and are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, requires us to include a report from management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F beginning with the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. In addition, as we ceased to be an “emerging growth company” as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021.

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In connection with the audits of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020, we and PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, identified one material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020. The material weakness identified relates to our lack of sufficient competent financial reporting and accounting personnel with appropriate understanding of U.S. GAAP to design and implement formal period-end financial reporting policies and procedures to address complex U.S. GAAP technical accounting issues and to prepare and review our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in accordance with U.S. GAAP and financial reporting requirements set forth by the SEC. Following the identification of the material weakness, we have taken measures to remedy the material weakness. Our management had concluded that the material weakness had been remediated and our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2021.

Our management has also concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2022. In addition, our independent registered public accounting firm has audited the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, as stated in its report, which appears on page F-2 of this annual report on Form 20-F.

In the future, our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Moreover, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may issue a report that is qualified if it is not satisfied with our internal control or the level at which our control is documented, designed, operated, or reviewed, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us. In addition, as we have become a public company, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational, and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation in a timely manner.

If we fail to maintain adequate and effective internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented, or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations, and lead to a decline in the trading price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increasing risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations, and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our financial statements from prior periods.

If we update our manufacturing equipment more quickly than expected, we may have to shorten the useful lives of any equipment to be retired as a result of any such update, and the resulting acceleration in our depreciation could negatively affect our financial results.

We have invested and expect to continue to invest significantly in what we believe is modern tooling, machinery, and other manufacturing equipment for the product lines where our vehicles are manufactured, and we depreciate the cost of such equipment over their expected useful lives. However, manufacturing technology may evolve rapidly, and we may decide to update our manufacturing process with advanced equipment more quickly than expected. Moreover, as our engineering and manufacturing expertise and efficiency increase, we may be able to manufacture our products using less of our installed equipment. The useful life of any equipment that would be retired early as a result would be shortened, causing the depreciation on such equipment to be accelerated, and to the extent we own such equipment, our results of operations could be negatively impacted. We are working on further improving the efficiency and technological capabilities of our Changzhou manufacturing base. Our increased investment in the manufacturing plants will result in an increase in depreciation cost upon expansion of our Changzhou manufacturing base, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, in October 2021, we commenced construction of our Beijing manufacturing base, which is expected to serve as an important manufacturing facility. These investments may result in depreciation costs in the future.

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Interruption or failure of our information technology and communications systems could affect our ability to effectively provide our services.

Our Li Auto App, official websites, in-car technology system, and other digitalized sales, service, user relationship, internal information and knowledge management systems depend on the continued operation of our information technology and communications systems. These systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from, among others, fire, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, computer denial of service attacks, or other attempts to harm our systems. Our data centers are also subject to break-ins, sabotage, and intentional acts of vandalism, and to potential disruptions. Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. Any problems at our data centers could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. In addition, our products and services are highly technical and complex and may contain errors or vulnerabilities, which could result in interruptions in our services or the failure of our systems.

We may be subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions, and similar laws, and noncompliance with such laws can subject us to administrative, civil, and criminal penalties, collateral consequences, remedial measures, and legal expenses, all of which could adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may be subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions, and similar laws and regulations in various jurisdictions in which we conduct activities, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and other anti-corruption laws and regulations. The FCPA prohibits us and our officers, directors, employees, and business partners acting on our behalf, including agents, from corruptly offering, promising, authorizing, or providing anything of value to a “foreign official” for the purposes of influencing official decisions or obtaining or retaining business or otherwise obtaining favorable treatment. The FCPA also requires companies to make and keep books, records, and accounts that accurately reflect transactions and dispositions of assets and to maintain a system of adequate internal accounting controls. A violation of these laws or regulations could adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.

We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies and state-owned affiliated entities in the ordinary course of business. We also have business collaborations with government agencies and state-owned affiliated entities. These interactions subject us to an increasing level of compliance-related concerns. We have implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by us and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents, and business partners with applicable anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions, and similar laws and regulations. However, our policies and procedures may not be sufficient and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents, and business partners could engage in improper conduct for which we may be held responsible.

Non-compliance with anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, or financial and economic sanctions laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, and severe administrative, civil and criminal sanctions, collateral consequences, remedial measures, and legal expenses, all of which could materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We may be subject to legal proceedings in the ordinary course of our business. If the outcomes of these proceedings are adverse to us, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

We may be subject to legal proceedings from time to time in the ordinary course of our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Claims arising out of actual or alleged violations of law could be asserted against us by our users, our competitors, governmental entities in civil or criminal investigations and proceedings, or other entities. These claims could be asserted under a variety of laws, including but not limited to product liability laws, consumer protection laws, intellectual property laws, labor and employment laws, securities laws, tort laws, contract laws, property laws, and employee benefit laws. There is no guarantee that we will be successful in defending ourselves in legal and administrative actions or in asserting our rights under various laws. Even if we are successful in our attempt to defend ourselves in legal and administrative actions or to assert our rights under various laws, enforcing our rights against the various parties involved may be expensive, time-consuming, and ultimately futile. These actions could expose us to negative publicity and to substantial monetary damages and legal defense costs, injunctive relief, and criminal, civil, and administrative fines and penalties.

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Certain of our directors have been named as defendants in several shareholder class action lawsuits.

Several putative shareholder class action lawsuits have been filed against certain of our directors. We are currently unable to estimate the potential loss, if any, associated with the resolution of such lawsuits, if they proceed. We anticipate that we or certain of our directors or officers may be a target for lawsuits in the future, including putative class action lawsuits brought by our shareholders and lawsuits against our directors and officers as a result of their position in other public companies. We cannot assure you that our directors or officers and we will be able to prevail in their defense or reverse any unfavorable judgment on appeal, and our directors or officers and we may decide to settle lawsuits on unfavorable terms. Any adverse outcome of these cases, including any plaintiffs’ appeal of the judgment in these cases, could result in payments of substantial monetary damages or fines, or changes to our business practices, and thus materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operation, cash flows, and reputation. In addition, we cannot assure you that our insurance carriers will cover all or part of the defense costs, or any liabilities that may arise from these matters. The litigation process may utilize a significant portion of our cash resources and divert management’s attention from the day-to-day operations of our company, all of which could harm our business. We also may be subject to claims for indemnification related to these matters, and we cannot predict the impact that indemnification claims may have on our business or financial performance.

Any financial or economic crisis, or perceived threat of such a crisis, including a significant decrease in consumer confidence, may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The global financial markets experienced significant disruptions in 2008 and the United States, European and other economies went into recession. The recovery from the lows of 2008 and 2009 was uneven and the global financial markets are facing new challenges, including the escalation of the European sovereign debt crisis since 2011, the hostilities in Ukraine, the end of quantitative easing, reduction in bond holdings by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the economic slowdown in the Eurozone since 2014, uncertainties over the impact of Brexit, the ongoing trade disputes and tariffs, the impact of COVID-19 outbreak and the related economic policies taken by various governments in the world, ongoing inflationary pressure and interest rate increases in many countries in the world, and a series of bank failures in the United States and Europe in 2023. It is unclear whether these challenges will be contained and what effects they each may have. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies that have been adopted in the past by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including China’s. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions. Recently there have been signs that the rate of China’s economic growth is declining. Any prolonged slowdown in China’s economic development might lead to tighter credit markets, increased market volatility, sudden drops in business and consumer confidence and dramatic changes in business and consumer behaviors. Sales of premium products, such as our vehicles, depend in part on discretionary consumer spending and are even more exposed to adverse changes in general economic conditions. In response to their perceived uncertainty in economic conditions, consumers might delay, reduce or cancel purchases of our vehicles and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

The current tensions in international trade and rising political tensions, particularly between the United States and China, may adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Although cross-border business may not be an area of our focus, we depend on parts and components from suppliers, some of which are overseas. We also may plan to sell our products internationally in the future. In addition, certain of our technologies, such as technologies relating to autonomous driving applications, could be subject to restrictions by the U.S. government in the future. Therefore, government policies restricting international trade and investment, such as capital controls, economic or trade sanctions, export controls, tariffs or foreign investment filings and approvals, may affect the demand for our products and services, impact the competitive position of our products, or prevent us from being able to sell products in certain countries. If any new tariffs, legislation, or regulations are implemented, or if existing trade agreements are renegotiated, such changes could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. In recent years, there have been heightened tensions in international economic relations, such as the one between the United States and China, but also as a result of the conflict in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia. More recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce published an interim final rule that introduces novel restrictions related to semiconductor, semiconductor manufacturing, supercomputer, and advanced computing items and end uses in China. These sanctions and export controls could adversely affect us and/or our supply chain, business partners, or customers.

The U.S. government has imposed, and has proposed to impose additional, new, or higher tariffs on certain products imported from China to penalize China for what it characterizes as unfair trade practices. China has responded by imposing, and proposing to impose additional, new, or higher tariffs on certain products imported from the United States. Following mutual retaliatory actions for months, on January 15, 2020, the United States and China entered into the Economic and Trade Agreement Between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China as a phase one trade deal, effective on February 14, 2020 and expired in December 2021. It is uncertain whether and when the United States and China will enter into another trade deal in the future.

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The U.S. government has issued new rules that expanded the definition of military end use and eliminated the applicability of certain license exceptions for exports to countries including China, thereby expanding the export license requirements for U.S. companies to sell certain items to companies in China that have operations that could support military end uses. The U.S. government has also broadened the restrictions on the sale of goods manufactured outside the United States that are produced using certain controlled U.S.-origin technology or software to companies on a special list, or the Entity List, and the restrictions on the use of U.S.-origin semiconductor manufacturing equipment that produces semiconductor devices for companies on the Entity List.

In addition, political tensions between the United States and China have escalated due to, among other things, trade disputes, the COVID-19 outbreak, tensions in the Taiwan Strait, sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury on certain officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the PRC central government, the executive orders issued by former U.S. President Donald J. Trump in August 2020 that prohibit certain transactions with certain Chinese companies, and various restrictions related to the Chinese semiconductor industry imposed by the U.S. government. Against this backdrop, China has implemented, and may further implement, measures in response to the changing trade policies, treaties, tariffs and sanctions and restrictions against Chinese companies initiated by the U.S. government.

Rising political tensions could reduce levels of trades, investments, technological exchanges, and other economic activities between the two major economies, which would have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations.

As we depend on parts and components from suppliers, some of which are overseas, tariffs and export control measures by the PRC, U.S., or any other government or other trade tensions or unfavorable trade policies may affect the costs of our products. The current international trade tensions and political tensions between the United States and China, and any escalation of such tensions, may have a negative impact on our ability to secure the supply of raw materials and key components necessary for our operations. For example, as the Entity List and other U.S. export control laws and regulations continue to expand and evolve, future U.S. export controls may materially affect or target some of our significant suppliers or customers, in which event our business may be affected if we fail to promptly secure alternative sources of supply or demand on terms acceptable to us.

In addition, demand for our vehicles depends to a large extent on general, economic, political, and social conditions in China. The continued international trade and political tensions may have a negative impact on such general, economic, political, and social conditions and accordingly demands for our vehicles, adversely impacting our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

Unexpected termination of leases, failure to renew the lease of our existing premises or to renew such leases at acceptable terms could materially and adversely affect our business.

We lease the premises for manufacturing, research and development, retails stores, delivery and servicing centers and offices. We cannot assure you that we would be able to renew the relevant lease agreements without substantial additional cost or increase in the rental cost payable by us. If a lease agreement is renewed at a rent substantially higher than the current rate, or currently existing favorable terms granted by the lessor are not extended, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure

If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with the VIEs do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.

Current PRC laws and regulations place certain restrictions on foreign ownership of certain areas of businesses. For example, pursuant to the 2021 Negative List, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunication service provider (excluding e-commerce, domestic multiparty communications, store-and-forward, and call centers). In addition, foreign investors are prohibited from investing in companies engaging in internet culture businesses (except for music) and radio and television program production businesses.

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Li Auto Inc. is a Cayman Islands company and our PRC subsidiaries are considered foreign-invested enterprises, or FIEs. Therefore, neither Li Auto Inc. nor our FIEs are currently eligible to apply for the required licenses for providing internet information services or other value-added telecommunication services or conduct other businesses that are restricted or prohibited from foreign-owned companies in China. To comply with applicable PRC laws and regulations, we conduct certain operations in China through the VIEs and their subsidiaries by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with the VIEs in China and their respective shareholders. In particular, Beijing CHJ holds a Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate. Beijing Chelixing Information Technology Co., Ltd. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beijing CHJ, currently holds an ICP License, a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License for Information Service (excluding internet information service), an Internet Culture Business Permit, and an Operating License for the Production and Dissemination of Radio and Television Programs. Such structure enables investors to share economic interests in China-based companies in sectors where foreign direct investment is prohibited or restricted under laws and regulations in the Chinese mainland. For a detailed description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.”

In the opinion of Han Kun Law Offices, our PRC legal counsel, as of the date of this annual report, (i) the ownership structures of our wholly-owned subsidiary, Beijing Co Wheels Technology Co., Ltd., or Wheels Technology, and the VIEs in China are not in violation of any explicit provisions of PRC laws and regulations currently in effect; and (ii) each of the contracts among Wheels Technology, the VIEs, and their respective shareholders governed by PRC laws is valid and binding. However, we have been advised by our PRC legal counsel that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations, and rules, and there can be no assurance that the PRC regulatory authorities will take a view that is consistent with the opinion of our PRC legal counsel.

However, Li Auto Inc. is not a Chinese operating company but a Cayman Islands holding company with no equity ownership in the VIEs and their subsidiaries. We conduct our operations in China through (i) our PRC subsidiaries and (ii) the VIEs, with which we have maintained contractual arrangements, and their subsidiaries. Investors in our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs thus are not purchasing equity interest in the VIEs in China but instead are purchasing equity interest in a Cayman Islands holding company, and may never directly hold equity interests in the VIEs in China. In addition, the legality and enforceability of the contractual agreements between our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs, and their nominee shareholders, as a whole, have not been tested in a court of law in China. If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with the VIEs do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change or are interpreted differently in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations. We may not be able to repay our indebtedness, and our securities may significantly decline in value, if we are unable to assert our contractual control rights over the assets of the VIEs and their subsidiaries, which did not contribute any revenue in 2022. Our holding company in the Cayman Islands, the VIEs and their subsidiaries, and investors of our company face uncertainty about potential future actions by the PRC government that could affect the enforceability of the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and, consequently, significantly affect the financial performance of the VIEs and our company as a group.

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In addition, it is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to VIE structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. In particular, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, or the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law, on March 15, 2019, which took effect on January 1, 2020. In addition, the State Council approved the Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law on December 26, 2019, which took effect on January 1, 2020. There are uncertainties as to how the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules would be further interpreted and implemented, if it would represent a major change to the laws and regulations relating to the VIE structures. See “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.” We cannot assure you that the PRC government would agree that our contractual arrangements comply with PRC licensing, registration, or other regulatory requirements, with existing policies, or with requirements or policies that may be adopted in the future. For example, on February 17, 2023, the CSRC issued the Overseas Listing Regulations and five supporting guidelines, which are aimed to regulate both direct and indirect overseas offering and listing of PRC domestic companies’ securities by adopting a filing-based regulatory regime. Companies in the Chinese mainland that seek to offer and list securities in overseas markets, either in direct or indirect means, are required to fulfill the filing procedure with the CSRC and report relevant information. At a press conference held for the Overseas Listing Regulations on February 17, 2023, officials from the CSRC clarified that, as for companies seeking overseas offering and listing with VIEs and applying to file with the CSRC, the CSRC will solicit opinions from relevant PRC regulatory authorities and complete the filing of the overseas listing of such companies if such companies duly meet the compliance requirements. If we fail to complete the filing with the CSRC in a timely manner, or at all, for our further capital raising activities which are subject to filing requirements under the Overseas Listing Regulations due to the VIE structure, we may be required to unwind the VIEs or adjust our business operations to meet the filing requirements and our ability to raise or utilize funds could be materially and adversely affected. However, as the Overseas Listing Regulations was recently promulgated, it remains uncertain as to its interpretation, application, and enforcement, in particular, for companies with VIE structures, and how they will affect our operations in China and our future capital raising activities.

If the ownership structure, contractual arrangements, and businesses of our PRC subsidiaries or the VIEs are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or our PRC subsidiaries or the VIEs fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures, including:

revoking the business licenses or operating licenses of such entities;
shutting down our servers or blocking our website or our mobile application, or discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operation through any transactions between our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs;
imposing fines, confiscating the income from our PRC subsidiaries or the VIEs, or imposing other requirements with which we or the VIEs may not be able to comply;
requiring us to restructure our ownership structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and deregistering the equity pledge of the VIEs, which in turn would affect our ability to consolidate, derive economic interests from, or exert effective control over the VIEs; or
restricting or prohibiting our use of the proceeds of our offshore offerings to finance our business and operations in China, and taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business.

Any of these or similar occurrences could significantly disrupt our or the VIEs’ business operations or restrict the VIEs from conducting a substantial portion of their business operations, which could materially and adversely affect the business, financial condition, and results of operations of the VIEs and us. If any of these occurrences results in our inability to direct the activities of any of the VIEs that most significantly impact its economic performance, and/or our failure to receive the economic benefits from any of the VIEs, we may not be able to consolidate these entities in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

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We rely on contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their respective shareholders to maintain a controlling financial interest in the VIEs, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control.

We have relied and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their respective shareholders to conduct a portion of our operations in China. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.” The respective shareholders of the VIEs may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. If we had direct ownership of the VIEs, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to control the VIEs to excise rights of shareholders to effect changes in the board of directors of the VIEs, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the contractual arrangements, we would rely on legal remedies under PRC laws for breach of contract in the event that the VIEs and their respective shareholders did not perform their obligations under the contracts. These legal remedies may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over the VIEs.

If the VIEs or their respective shareholders fail to perform their obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements, and rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including contractual remedies, which may not be sufficient or effective. All of the agreements under our contractual arrangements are governed by and interpreted in accordance with PRC laws, and disputes arising from these contractual arrangements will be resolved through arbitration in mainland China. However, the legal framework and system in mainland China, in particularly those relating to arbitration proceedings, are not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong or the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of an VIE should be interpreted or enforced under PRC law. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final, parties cannot appeal the arbitration results in courts, and if the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in the PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. If we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or face other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over the VIEs, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected. See “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China— Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.”

Our ability to enforce the equity pledge agreements between us and the VIEs’ shareholders may be subject to limitations based on PRC laws and regulations.

Pursuant to the equity interest pledge agreements between Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information, the VIEs, their respective shareholders, and Wheels Technology, our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, each shareholder of Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information agrees to pledge its equity interests in the relevant VIE to our subsidiary to secure Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information’s performance of the relevant VIE’s obligations under the relevant contractual arrangements. The equity interest pledge of shareholders of Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information has been registered with the local branch of the SAMR. The equity interest pledge agreements with the VIEs’ shareholders provide that the pledged equity interest shall constitute continuing security for any and all of the indebtedness, obligations and liabilities under the relevant agreements and the scope of pledge shall not be limited by the amount of the registered capital of that VIE. However, a PRC court may take the position that the amount listed on the equity pledge registration forms represents the full amount of the collateral that has been registered and perfected. If this is the case, the obligations that are supposed to be secured in the equity interest pledge agreements in excess of the amount listed on the equity pledge registration forms could be determined by the PRC court as unsecured debt, which typically takes last priority among creditors.

If we exercise the option to acquire equity ownership of the VIEs, the ownership transfer may subject us to certain limitations and substantial costs.

Pursuant to the Provisions on Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises, the ultimate foreign equity ownership in a value-added telecommunications services provider cannot exceed 50%.

If the PRC laws were revised to allow foreign investors to hold over 50% of the equity interests in value-added telecommunications enterprises, we might be unable to unwind our contractual arrangements with the VIEs, or if we attempt to unwind the contractual arrangements, we may be ineligible to operate our value-added telecommunication enterprises and may be forced to suspend their operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

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Pursuant to the contractual arrangements, Wheels Technology or its designated person has the exclusive right to purchase all or part of the equity interests in our consolidated VIEs at the lower of the amount of their respective paid-in capital in the consolidated VIE and the lowest price permitted under applicable PRC laws. Subject to relevant laws and regulations, the shareholders of our consolidated VIEs will return any amount of purchase price they have received to Wheels Technology. If such a transfer takes place, the relevant tax authority may ask Wheels Technology to pay enterprise income tax for ownership transfer income with reference to the market value, in which case the amount of tax could be substantial.

The registered shareholders of the VIEs may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

The registered shareholders of Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information, the VIEs, may have potential conflicts of interest with us. These shareholders may breach, or cause the VIEs to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements we have with them and the VIEs, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively control the VIEs and receive economic benefits from them. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with the VIEs to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor.

Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these shareholders and our company, except that we could exercise our purchase option under the exclusive option agreements with these shareholders to request them to transfer all of their equity interests in the VIEs to a PRC entity or individual designated by us, to the extent permitted by PRC law. For individual shareholders who are also our directors, we rely on them to abide by the laws of the Cayman Islands and China, which provide that directors owe a fiduciary duty to the company that requires them to act in good faith and in what they believe to be the best interests of the company and not to use their position for personal gains. There is currently no specific and clear guidance under PRC laws that addresses any conflict between PRC laws and laws of Cayman Islands in respect of any conflict relating to corporate governance. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the shareholders of the VIEs, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.

The shareholders of the VIEs may be involved in personal disputes with third parties or other incidents that may have an adverse effect on their respective equity interests in the relevant VIEs and the validity or enforceability of our contractual arrangements with the relevant entity and its shareholders. For example, in the event that any of the shareholders of the VIEs divorces his or her spouse, the spouse may claim that the equity interest of the relevant VIE held by such shareholder is part of their community property and should be divided between such shareholder and his or her spouse. If such claim is supported by the court, the relevant equity interest may be obtained by the shareholder’s spouse or another third party who is not subject to obligations under our contractual arrangements, which could result in a loss of the effective control over the relevant VIE by us. Similarly, if any of the equity interests of the VIEs is inherited by a third party with whom the current contractual arrangements are not binding, we could lose our control over the relevant VIE or have to maintain such control by incurring unpredictable costs, which could cause significant disruption to our business and operations and harm our financial condition and results of operations.

Our contractual arrangements with the VIEs may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or the VIEs owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.

Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. The PRC enterprise income tax law requires every enterprise in China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust the income of the VIEs in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by the VIEs for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase its tax liabilities without reducing Wheels Technology’s tax expenses. In addition, if Wheels Technology requests the shareholders of the VIEs to transfer their equity interest in the VIEs at nominal or no value pursuant to the contractual agreements, such transfer could be viewed as a gift and subject Wheels Technology to PRC income tax. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on the VIEs for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if any of the VIEs’ tax liabilities increase or they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.

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We may lose the ability to use and benefit from assets held by the VIEs that are material to the operation of our business if either of the VIEs goes bankrupt or becomes subject to dissolution or liquidation proceeding.

As part of our contractual arrangements with the VIEs, these entities may in the future hold certain assets that are material to the operation of our business. If either of the VIEs goes bankrupt and all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Under the contractual arrangements, the VIEs may not, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of their assets or legal or beneficial interests in the business without our prior consent. If either of the VIEs undergoes voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Relating to Doing Business in China

Changes in China’s economic, political, or social conditions, or government policies could have a material and adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

We expect that substantially all of our revenues will be derived in China and substantially all of our operations, including all of our manufacturing, are conducted in China. Accordingly, our financial condition, results of operations, and prospects are influenced by economic, political, and legal developments in China. China’s economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including with respect to the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange, and allocation of resources. Although the PRC government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. The PRC government has significant authority to exert influence on the ability of a China-based company, such as us, to conduct its business. Therefore, investors of our company and our business face potential uncertainty from the PRC government. The PRC government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through strategically allocating resources, controlling the payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy, and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies.

While the PRC economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, that growth has been uneven across different regions and between economic sectors and may not continue, as evidenced by the historical slowdowns of the growth of the PRC economy from time to time, including those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Any adverse changes in the economic conditions in China, in the policies of the PRC government, or in the PRC laws and regulations could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China. Any prolonged economic downturn could adversely affect our business and operating results, leading to reduction in demand for our services and solutions, and adversely affect our competitive position.

Uncertainties with respect to the PRC legal system could adversely affect us.

We conduct our business primarily through our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries in China. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations. Our PRC subsidiaries are subject to laws and regulations applicable to foreign investment in China. The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value. The PRC legal system is evolving rapidly, and the interpretation of many laws, regulations, and rules may contain inconsistencies and enforcement of these laws, regulations, and rules involves uncertainties.

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. Any administrative and court proceedings in China may be protracted, resulting in substantial costs and diversion of resources and management attention. Since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of legal protection that we enjoy. These uncertainties may impede our ability to enforce the contracts that we have entered into and could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based, in part, on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published in a timely manner, or at all, but which may have retroactive effect. As a result, we may not always be aware of any potential violation of these policies and rules. Such unpredictability towards our contractual, property (including intellectual property), and procedural rights, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

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The PRC government’s oversight and discretion over our business operations could result in a material adverse change in our operations and the value of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.

We conduct our business primarily through our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries in China. Our operations in China are governed by PRC laws and regulations and government policies. The PRC government has significant oversight and discretion over the operation of our business, and it may influence our operations, which could result in a material adverse change in our operation and the value of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.

In recent years, the PRC government has indicated an intent to exert more oversight over overseas offerings by and foreign investment in China-based issuers like us. For example, on July 6, 2021, relevant PRC government authorities promulgated the Opinions on Lawfully and Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities, which stated that the administration and supervision of overseas-listed China-based companies will be strengthened, and the special provisions of the State Council on overseas issuance and listing of shares by such companies will be revised, clarifying the responsibilities of the relevant domestic industry regulatory authorities and other regulatory authorities.

On December 28, 2021, the CAC, the NDRC, the MIIT, and several other PRC government authorities jointly issued the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which took effect on February 15, 2022. Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, in addition to “critical information infrastructure operators,” network platform operators engaging in data processing activities that affect or may affect national security are subject to cybersecurity review. The relevant government authorities may initiate the cybersecurity review against the relevant operators if the authorities believe that the network products or services or data processing activities of such operators affect or may affect national security. In addition, the Cybersecurity Review Measures provides that network platform operators holding personal information of over one million users must apply with the Cybersecurity Review Office for a cybersecurity review before public offering on a foreign stock exchange. The cybersecurity review will evaluate, among others, the risk of critical information infrastructure, core data, important data, or a large amount of personal information being affected, controlled, or maliciously used by foreign government and the cybersecurity risk in connection with the listing. Although our securities have been listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, given the Cybersecurity Review Measures were recently promulgated, there are substantial uncertainties as to the interpretation, application, and enforcement of the Cybersecurity Review Measures.

Furthermore, on November 14, 2021, the CAC published the Draft Data Security Regulations, which reiterates the circumstances under which data processors must apply for cybersecurity review, including, among others, (i) the data processors who process personal information of at least one million users apply for foreign listing, and (ii) the data processors’ listing in Hong Kong affects or may possibly affect national security. The Draft Data Security Regulations also provides that data processors processing important data or going public overseas should conduct an annual data security assessment by themselves or entrust a data security service institution to do so. There is no timetable as to when such draft measures will be enacted. As such, it remains unclear whether the formal version adopted in the future will have any further material changes, it is uncertain how the measures will be enacted, interpreted or implemented and how they will affect us. If a final version of the Draft Data Security Regulations is adopted, we may be subject to review when conducting data processing activities and annual data security assessment and may face challenges in addressing its requirements and make necessary changes to our internal policies and practices in data processing. In addition, if the enacted version of the Draft Data Security Regulations mandates clearance of cybersecurity review and other specific actions to be completed by China-based companies that have been listed on overseas stock exchange, such as us, we face uncertainties as to whether we could obtain such clearance in a timely manner, or at all. Any failure or delay in the completion of the cybersecurity review procedures may prevent us from using or providing certain network products and services, and may result in penalties, including fines, suspension of business, and revocation of required licenses, and our reputation and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

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On February 17, 2023, the CSRC issued the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Overseas Listing Regulations, and five supporting guidelines, which took effect on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Overseas Listing Regulations, companies in the Chinese mainland that directly or indirectly offer or list their securities in an overseas market, including a company in the Chinese mainland limited by shares and an offshore company whose main business operations are in the Chinese mainland and intends to offer shares or be listed in an overseas market based on its equities, assets or similar interests in the Chinese mainland are required to file with the CSRC within three business days after submitting their listing application documents to the regulator in the place of intended listing. Failure to complete the filing under the Overseas Listing Regulations or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents may subject the company to administrative penalties, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, direct officers-in-charge and other direct personnel-in-charge may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines. The Overseas Listing Regulations also provide that a company in the Chinese mainland must file with the CSRC within three business days for its follow on offering of securities after it is listed in an overseas market. On February 17, 2023, the CSRC also issued the Notice on Administration of the Filing of Overseas Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies and held a press conference for the release of the Overseas Listing Regulations, which, among others, clarified that the companies in the Chinese mainland that have been listed overseas before March 31, 2023 are not required to file with the CSRC immediately, but these companies should complete filing with the CSRC for their refinancing activities in accordance with the Overseas Listing Regulations. Based on the foregoing, we are not required to complete filing with the CSRC for our listing on the Nasdaq Global Select Market and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange at this stage, but we may be subject to the filing requirements for our future capital raising activities under the Overseas Listing Regulations. As the Overseas Listing Regulations was newly promulgated, its interpretation, application and enforcement remain unclear and there remains substantial uncertainties as to how these regulations will affect our operations and future overseas offerings. We cannot assure you that we will be able to complete such filing in a timely manner and fully comply with such regulations to maintain the listing status of our securities, or to conduct any securities offerings in the future.

It remains uncertain how PRC government authorities will regulate overseas listing in general. If the PRC government authorities later promulgate new rules or explanations requiring that we obtain their approvals for our future overseas offerings, we may be unable to obtain such approvals in a timely manner, or at all, and such approvals may be rescinded even if obtained. Any such circumstance could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to continue to offer securities to investors and cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless. In addition, implementation of industry-wide regulations directly targeting our operations could cause the value of our securities to significantly decline. Therefore, investors of our company and our business face potential uncertainty from actions taken by the PRC government affecting our business.

Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.

On March 15, 2019, the PRC National People’s Congress approved the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the trio of prior laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law, and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. On December 26, 2019, the PRC State Council approved the Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law, which took effect on January 1, 2020. The 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules embody an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law is relatively new, substantial uncertainties exist with respect to its interpretation and implementation.

The VIE structure has been adopted by many PRC-based companies, including us, to obtain necessary licenses and permits in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China. See “—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure.” Under the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in China. Although it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment via contractual arrangement would not be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activities in the future. In addition, the definition contains a catch-all provision providing that investments made by foreign investors through other methods specified in laws or administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council, which leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the Stale Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a method of foreign investment. Given the foregoing, it is uncertain whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market entry clearance requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws and regulations.

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The 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law specifies that foreign investments shall be conducted in line with the “negative list” to be issued by or approved to be issued by the State Council. An FIE would not be allowed to make investments in prohibited industries in the “negative list,” while the FIE must satisfy certain conditions stipulated in the “negative list” for investment in restricted industries. It is uncertain whether the value-added telecommunication service industry, in which the VIEs and their subsidiaries operate, will be subject to the foreign investment restrictions or prohibitions set forth in the “negative list” to be issued in the future, although it is subject to the foreign investment restrictions set forth in the currently effective negative list. Moreover, the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law does not indicate what actions must be taken by existing companies with a VIE structure to obtain the market entry clearance if such structure would be deemed as a method of foreign investment. If the VIE structure would be deemed as a method of foreign investment, and any of our business operation would fall in the “negative list,” and if the interpretation and implementation of the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and the final “negative list” mandate further actions, such as market entry clearance granted by the Ministry of Commerce, to be completed by companies with an existing VIE structure like us, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely obtained, or at all. There are uncertainties as to how the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law would be further interpreted and implemented. We cannot assure you that the interpretation and implementation of the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law made by the relevant governmental authorities in the future will not materially impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations in any aspect.

We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties, and changes in PRC regulations on automotive and internet-related businesses and companies.

We operate in highly regulated industries. In particular, automobile manufacturing is subject to extensive regulations in China. See “Regulations on Manufacturing of New Energy Passenger Vehicles,” “Regulations on Compulsory Product Certification,” “Regulations on Automobile Sales,” and “Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobiles” under “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations.” Several PRC government authorities, such as the SAMR, the NDRC, the MIIT, and the Ministry of Commerce, oversee different aspects of our operations, including but not limited to:

assessment of vehicle manufacturing enterprises;
production capacity at our manufacturing facilities;
market admission of NEVs;
compulsory product certification;
direct sales model and sales activities;
product liabilities;
vehicle maintenance and repair; and
environmental protection system; and work safety and occupational health requirements.

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We are required to obtain a wide range of government approvals, licenses, permits, and registrations in connection with our operations as well as to follow multiple mandatory standards or technical norms in our manufacturing and our vehicles. However, the interpretation of these regulations may change and new regulations may come into effect, which could disrupt or restrict our operations, reduce our competitiveness, or result in substantial compliance costs. For example, pursuant to the Administrative Rules on the Admission of New Energy Vehicle Manufacturers and Products, which was promulgated by the MIIT in January 2017 and amended in July 2020, our vehicles must meet the requirements set forth in the New Energy Vehicle Products Special Examination Project and Standards stipulated and amended by the MIIT from time to time based on the development of the NEV industry and relevant standards. In addition, certain filings must be made by automobile dealers through the information system for the national automobile circulation operated by the relevant commerce department within 90 days after the receipt of a business license and the information must be updated within 30 days after the change of basic information recorded. Our direct sales model is relatively new and uncommon in the automotive industry, and we cannot assure you that this model will not be subject to further regulations. We are also required to complete filings with the local government authorities in connection with providing vehicle maintenance and repair services. As we are expanding our sales and distribution network and setting up additional retail stores, servicing centers, and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops in China, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete such filings in a timely manner, or at all. If any of our current or future sales subsidiaries or branches or our subsidiaries or branches providing vehicle maintenance and repair services fail to make the necessary filings, such subsidiaries or branches may be subject to orders to promptly rectify the non-compliance or fines. Furthermore, the NEV industry is relatively new in China, and the regulatory framework to regulate the industry is evolving. As some of the laws, rules, and regulations that we may be subject to were primarily enacted with a view toward application to ICE vehicles, or are relatively new, there are significant uncertainties regarding their interpretation and application with respect to our business. For example, although the Provisions on Administration of Investment in Automotive Industry promulgated by the NDRC on December 10, 2018 has categorized our vehicles as electric vehicles, it remains unclear when our vehicles would be deemed as electric vehicles that exempt from the license plate lottery system for ICE vehicles in Beijing by the local authorities. We cannot assure you that we have satisfied or will continue to satisfy all of the laws, rules, and regulations in the timely manner or at all, or that the PRC government will not adopt more stringent regulations, measures, and policies to regulate the NEV industry in the future. Changes in government policies may create uncertainty that could adversely affect our business operations.

The PRC regulatory authorities’ interpretation of such laws, rules, and regulations may change, which could materially and adversely affect the validity of the approvals, qualifications, licenses, permits, and registrations we obtained or completed. Any failure to comply may result in fines, restrictions, and limits on our operations, as well as suspension or revocation of certain certificates, approvals, permits, licenses, or filings we have already obtained or made.

In addition, the PRC government imposes foreign ownership restriction and the licensing and permit requirements for companies in the internet industry. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign Investment in China” and “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Value-added Telecommunications Services.” These laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations.

We do not directly conduct such business due to the restrictions on foreign investment in businesses providing value-added telecommunications services in China and we rely on contractual arrangements with the VIEs to operate value-added telecommunications services. Beijing Chelixing Information Technology Co., Ltd. currently holds an ICP License and a Value-Added Telecommunication Business Operating License for information service (excluding internet information service). The VIEs and their subsidiaries may be required to obtain additional licenses or permits for certain services carried out by us through our mobile application or to update our exiting licenses or permits. Failure to obtain or update such license may significantly disrupt our business, subject us to sanctions, compromise enforceability of related contractual arrangements, or have other adverse impacts on us.

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The PCAOB had historically been unable to inspect our auditor in relation to their audit work performed for our financial statements and the inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of our auditor in the past had deprived our investors with the benefits of such inspections.

Our auditor, the independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included elsewhere in this annual report, as an auditor of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB, is subject to laws in the United States pursuant to which the PCAOB conducts regular inspections to assess its compliance with the applicable professional standards. The auditor is located in China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB was historically unable to conduct inspections and investigations completely before 2022. As a result, we and investors in our ordinary shares or the ADSs were deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of registered public accounting firms in China in the past made it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our independent registered public accounting firm’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to the PCAOB inspections. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB issued a report that vacated its December 16, 2021 determination and removed mainland China and Hong Kong from the list of jurisdictions where it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms. However, if the PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate completely registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, and we use an accounting firm headquartered in one of these jurisdictions to issue an audit report on our financial statements filed with the SEC, we and investors in our ordinary shares or the ADSs would be deprived of the benefits of such PCAOB inspections again, which could cause investors and potential investors in our ordinary shares or the ADSs to lose confidence in our audit procedures and reported financial information and the quality of our financial statements.

Our ADSs may be prohibited from trading in the United States under the HFCAA in the future if the PCAOB is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms located in mainland China and Hong Kong. The delisting of the ADSs, or the threat of their being delisted, may materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

Pursuant to the HFCAA, if the SEC determines that we have filed audit reports issued by a registered public accounting firm that has not been subject to inspections by the PCAOB for two consecutive years, the SEC will prohibit our shares or the ADSs from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States.

On December 16, 2021, the PCAOB issued a report to notify the SEC of its determination that the PCAOB was unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms headquartered in mainland China and Hong Kong and our auditor was subject to that determination. In May 2022, the SEC conclusively listed us as a Commission-Identified Issuer under the HFCAA following the filing of our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB removed mainland China and Hong Kong from the list of jurisdictions where it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms. For this reason, we do not expect to be identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer under the HFCAA after we file this annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022.

Each year, the PCAOB will determine whether it can inspect and investigate completely registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, among other jurisdictions. If the PCAOB determines in the future that it no longer has full access to inspect and investigate completely registered public accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong and we use such an accounting firm headquartered in one of these jurisdictions to issue an audit report on our financial statements filed with the SEC, we would be identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer following the filing of the annual report on Form 20-F for the relevant fiscal year. In accordance with the HFCAA, our securities would be prohibited from being traded on a national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter trading market in the United States if we are identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer for two consecutive years in the future. Although our Class A ordinary shares have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and the ADSs and Class A ordinary shares are fully fungible, we cannot assure you that an active trading market for our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange will be sustained or that the ADSs can be converted and traded with sufficient market recognition and liquidity, if our shares and ADSs are prohibited from trading in the United States. A prohibition of being able to trade in the United States would substantially impair your ability to sell or purchase our ADSs when you wish to do so, and the risk and uncertainty associated with delisting would have a negative impact on the price of our ADSs. Also, such a prohibition would significantly affect our ability to raise capital on terms acceptable to us, or at all, which would have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and prospects.

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We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements that we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.

We are a holding company, and we may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders and service any debt we may incur. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to us only out of their accumulated after-tax profits upon satisfaction of relevant statutory conditions and procedures, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our PRC subsidiaries is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the total amount set aside reaches 50% of its registered capital. As of the date of this annual report, the VIEs had not made appropriations to statutory reserves as our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs reported accumulated loss. For a detailed discussion of applicable PRC regulations governing distribution of dividends, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Dividend Distribution.” Additionally, if our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing their debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may require our subsidiaries to adjust their taxable income under the contractual arrangements they currently have in place with the VIEs in a manner that would materially and adversely affect their ability to pay dividends and other distributions to us. See “—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—Our contractual arrangements with the VIEs may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or the VIEs owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.” For more details of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure—Contractual Arrangements with the VIEs and Their Shareholders.” In addition, the incurrence of indebtedness by our PRC subsidiaries could result in operating and financing covenants and undertakings to creditors that would restrict the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to us.

Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business. See “—If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.”

Increases in labor costs and enforcement of stricter labor laws and regulations in China may adversely affect our business and our profitability.

China’s overall economy and the average wage in China have increased in recent years and are expected to grow. The average wage level for our employees has also increased in recent years. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will increase. Unless we are able to pass on these increased labor costs to our users, our profitability and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

In addition, we have been subject to stricter regulatory requirements in terms of entering into labor contracts with our employees and paying various statutory employee benefits, including pensions, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. Pursuant to the PRC Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules, employers are subject to stricter requirements in terms of signing labor contracts, minimum wages, paying remuneration, determining the term of employee’s probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. In the event that we decide to terminate some of our employees or otherwise change our employment or labor practices, the PRC Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules may limit our ability to effect those changes in a desirable or cost-effective manner, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

As the interpretation and implementation of labor-related laws and regulations are still evolving, our employment practices may violate labor-related laws and regulations in China, which may subject us to labor disputes or government investigations. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all labor-related law and regulations including those relating to obligations to make social insurance payments and contribute to the housing provident funds. If we are deemed to have violated relevant labor laws and regulations, we could be required to provide additional compensation to our employees and our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

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You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments, or bringing actions in China against us or our management based on foreign laws.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, while we conduct substantially all of our operations in China, and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, all our senior executive officers reside within China for a significant portion of the time and all our senior executive officers are PRC nationals. As a result, it may be difficult for our shareholders to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside China. In addition, China does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts with the Cayman Islands and many other countries and regions. Therefore, recognition and enforcement in China of judgments of a court in any of these non-PRC jurisdictions in relation to any matter not subject to a binding arbitration provision may be difficult or impossible.

It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigation or collect evidence within China.

Shareholder claims or regulatory investigation that are common in the United States generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigations initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the PRC territory. The Confidentiality and Archives Management Provisions, which took effect on March 31, 2023, provides that the investigation and evidence collection relating to the oversea securities offering and listing of PRC domestic companies by the overseas securities regulatory authorities and other relevant authorities must be conducted through a cross-border cooperation mechanism for supervision and administration, and that the PRC domestic companies must obtain prior consent from the CSRC or other relevant authorities before cooperating with such overseas authorities in connection with the relevant inspections or investigations or providing relevant documents to such overseas securities regulatory authorities or relevant authorities. The inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China may further increase the difficulties you face in protecting your interests. See also “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risks Relating to Our Shares and ADSs—You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through Hong Kong or U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law” for risks associated with investing in us as a Cayman Islands company.

Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.

The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including Hong Kong dollars and U.S. dollars, is based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China. Renminbi has fluctuated against Hong Kong dollars and U.S. dollars, at times significantly and unpredictably. The value of Renminbi against Hong Kong dollars, U.S. dollars, and other currencies is affected by changes in China’s political and economic conditions and by China’s foreign exchange policies, among other things. We cannot assure you that Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against Hong Kong dollars and U.S. dollars in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between Renminbi and U.S. dollars in the future.

There remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a more flexible currency policy. Any significant appreciation or depreciation of Renminbi may materially and adversely affect our revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs in foreign currency. For example, to the extent that we need to convert Hong Kong dollars that we receive from our overseas offering into Renminbi to pay our operating expenses, appreciation of Renminbi against the U.S. dollars would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount that we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, a significant depreciation of Renminbi against Hong Kong dollars and U.S. dollars may significantly reduce the Hong Kong dollar equivalent and the U.S. dollar equivalent of our earnings, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.

Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. We enter into hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk when we deem appropriate. While we may decide to enter into further hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into foreign currency. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on your investment.

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PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our overseas offerings to make loans to or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

Under PRC laws and regulations, we are permitted to utilize the proceeds from our overseas offerings to fund our PRC subsidiaries by making loans to or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, subject to applicable government registration, statutory limitations on amount and approval requirements. For more details, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign Exchange.” These PRC laws and regulations may significantly limit our ability to use Renminbi converted from the net proceeds of our overseas offerings to fund the establishment of new entities in China by our PRC subsidiaries, to invest in or acquire any other PRC companies through our PRC subsidiaries, or to establish new VIEs in China. Moreover, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary registrations or filings, or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans to our PRC subsidiaries or future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries. If we fail to complete such registrations or filings, or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds we received or expect to receive from our offshore offerings and to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

On December 26, 2017, the NDRC issued the Management Rules for Overseas Investment by Enterprises, or Order 11. On January 31, 2018, the Catalog on Overseas Investment in Sensitive Industries (2018 Edition), or the Sensitive Industries List, was promulgated. Overseas investment governed by Order 11 refers to the investment activities conducted by an enterprise located in the PRC territory either directly or via an overseas enterprise under its control through investment with assets and equities or providing financing or guarantees in order to obtain overseas ownership, control, management rights, and other related interests, and overseas investment by a PRC individual through overseas enterprises under his or her control is also subject to Order 11. According to Order 11, any overseas investment in a sensitive industry or any direct investment by a Chinese enterprise in a non-sensitive industry with an investment amount of over US$300 million requires prior approval from, or filing with, the NDRC respectively, and for overseas investments indirectly by Chinese investors (including PRC individuals) in a non-sensitive industry with an investment amount of over US$300 million need to be reported. However, there remain uncertainties with respect to the interpretation and application of Order 11, including whether our use of proceeds from overseas investments will be subject to Order 11. If we fail to obtain the approval, complete the filing, or report our overseas investment with our proceeds (as the case may be) in a timely manner provided that Order 11 is applicable, we may be forced to suspend or cease our investment, or be subject to penalties or other liabilities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

Government control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the SAFE by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from or registration with appropriate governmental authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owned to entities outside China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside China in a currency other than Renminbi. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign Exchange.” Any failure to comply with applicable foreign exchange regulations may subject us to administrative fines or, if serious, criminal penalties, which could materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

Since 2016, the PRC government has tightened its foreign exchange policies again and stepped up scrutiny of major outbound capital movement. More restrictions and a substantial vetting process have been put in place by SAFE to regulate cross-border transactions falling under the capital account. The PRC government may also restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions, at its discretion. We receive substantially all of our revenues in RMB. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.

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PRC regulations relating to overseas investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC law.

The SAFE requires PRC residents or entities to register with the SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing. In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle undergoes certain material events. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign Exchange—Offshore Investment.”

If our shareholders who are PRC residents or entities do not complete their registration with the local SAFE branches, our PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from distributing their profits and any proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to us, and we may be restricted in our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with SAFE registration requirements could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions.

However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interests in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. As of the date of this annual report, our founder, Mr. Xiang Li, Mr. Tie Li, and ten other PRC residents known to us that currently hold direct or indirect ownership interests in our company had completed the required initial registrations with SAFE. Mr. Xiang Li and four other officers, directors, or PRC residents are planning to continue to update the registrations with SAFE with respect to the capital of their respective offshore holding vehicles. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners that are PRC residents, including the beneficiaries of certain trusts directly or indirectly holding interests in our company, have complied with, and will in the future make, obtain, or update any applicable registrations or approvals required by, the SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.

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China’s M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for certain acquisitions of PRC companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.

A number of PRC laws and regulations have established procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities in China by foreign investors more time consuming and complex. In addition to the Anti-monopoly Law itself, these include the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, and the Rules of the Ministry of Commerce on Implementation of Security Review System of Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the Security Review Rules, promulgated in 2011. These laws and regulations impose requirements in some instances that the Ministry of Commerce be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. The Anti-Monopoly Law, which was amended on June 24, 2022 and took effect on August 1, 2022, requires that the anti-monopoly enforcement agency be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. The Anti-Monopoly Law also increases the fines for illegal concentration of business operators to no more than ten percent of its last year’s sales revenue if the concentration of business operator has or may have an effect of excluding or limiting competitions, or a fine of up to RMB5 million if the concentration of business operator does not have an effect of excluding or limiting competition. In addition, the Anti-Monopoly Law provides that the relevant authorities should investigate a transaction where there is any evidence that the concentration has or may have the effect of eliminating or restricting competitions, even if such concentration does not reach the filing threshold. In addition, on February 7, 2021, the Anti-Monopoly Committee of the State Council published the Anti-Monopoly Guidelines for the Internet Platform Economy Sector, which stipulates that any concentration of undertakings involving variable interest entities is subject to anti-monopoly review. Moreover, the Security Review Rules specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the Ministry of Commerce, and prohibit any attempt to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. On December 19, 2020, the NDRC and the Ministry of Commerce jointly issued the Measures for the Security Review for Foreign Investment, which took effect on January 18, 2021. These measures set forth the provisions concerning the security review mechanism on foreign investment, including, among others, the types of investments subject to review, and the review scopes and procedures. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the relevant regulations to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including approval from the Ministry of Commerce and other PRC government authorities, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

Under the SAFE regulations, PRC residents who participate in a stock incentive plan in an overseas publicly listed company are required to register with the SAFE or its local branches and complete certain other procedures. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Employment and Social Welfare—Employee Stock Incentive Plan.” We and our PRC resident employees who participate in our share incentive plans are subject to these regulations as we are publicly listed in the United States. We are in the process of registration with the local counterparts of the SAFE for our PRC resident employees who participate in our share incentive plans as required under the relevant rules. If we or any of these PRC resident employees fail to comply with these regulations, we or such employees may be subject to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law.

Discontinuation of any of the preferential tax treatments and government subsidies or imposition of any additional taxes and surcharges could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Our PRC subsidiaries currently benefit from a number of preferential tax treatments. For example, Beijing CHJ is entitled to enjoy, after completing certain application formalities, a 15% preferential enterprise income tax from 2019 as it has been qualified as a “High New Technology Enterprise” under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and related regulations. The discontinuation of any of the preferential income tax treatment that we currently enjoy could have a material and adverse effect on our result of operations and financial condition. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain or lower our current effective tax rate in the future.

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In addition, our PRC subsidiaries have received various financial subsidies from PRC local government authorities. The financial subsidies result from discretionary incentives and policies adopted by PRC local government authorities. Local government authorities may decide to change or discontinue such financial subsidies at any time. The discontinuation of such financial subsidies or imposition of any additional taxes could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.

Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of China with a “de facto management body” within China is considered a PRC resident enterprise. The implementation rules define the term “de facto management body” as the body that exercises full and substantial control over and overall management of the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. The State Taxation Administration, or the STA, issued a circular in April 2009 and amended it in January 2014, known as STA Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although STA Circular 82 only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners like us, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the STA’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to STA Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in China; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in China; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in China; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in China.

We believe that none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, we will be subject to the enterprise income tax on our global income at the rate of 25% and we will be required to comply with PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In addition, gains realized on the sale or other disposition of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs may be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty), if such gains are deemed to be from PRC sources. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.

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We may not be able to obtain certain benefits under relevant tax treaty on dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries to us through our Hong Kong subsidiary.

We are a holding company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and as such rely on dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiaries to satisfy part of our liquidity requirements. Pursuant to the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, a withholding tax rate of 10% currently applies to dividends paid by a PRC “resident enterprise” to a foreign enterprise investor, unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for preferential tax treatment. Pursuant to the Arrangement between the Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, such withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a PRC enterprise. Furthermore, the Administrative Measures for Non-Resident Enterprises to Enjoy Treatments under Tax Treaties, which became effective in August 2015, require non-resident enterprises to determine whether they are qualified to enjoy the preferential tax treatment under the tax treaties and file relevant reports and materials with the tax authorities. In addition, based on the Notice on Issues concerning Beneficial Owner in Tax Treaties, or STA Circular 9, issued on February 3, 2018 by the STA, which took effect on April 1, 2018, when determining the applicant’s status of the “beneficial owner” regarding tax treatments in connection with dividends, interests or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors, including without limitation, whether the applicant is obligated to pay more than 50% of the applicant’s income in twelve months to residents in third country or region, whether the business operated by the applicant constitutes the actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country or region to the tax treaties does not levy any tax or grant tax exemption on relevant incomes or levy tax at an extremely low rate, will be taken into account, and it will be analyzed according to the actual circumstances of the specific cases. There are also other conditions for enjoying the reduced withholding tax rate according to other relevant tax rules and regulations. See “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—PRC Taxation.” As of December 31, 2022, most of our subsidiaries and the VIEs located in China reported accumulated loss and therefore they had no retained earnings for offshore distribution. We intend to re-invest all earnings, if any, generated from our PRC subsidiaries for the operation and expansion of our business in China. Should our tax policy change to allow for offshore distribution of our earnings, we would be subject to a significant withholding tax. Our determination regarding our qualification to enjoy the preferential tax treatment could be challenged by the relevant tax authority and we may not be able to complete the necessary filings with the relevant tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the arrangement with respect to dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiaries to our Hong Kong subsidiary.

We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies.

In February 2015, the STA issued the Public Notice Regarding Certain Enterprise Income Tax Matters on Indirect Transfer of Properties by Non-Resident Enterprises, or STA Public Notice 7. STA Public Notice 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to not only indirect transfers but also transactions involving transfer of other taxable assets, through the offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. In addition, STA Public Notice 7 provides certain criteria on how to assess reasonable commercial purposes and has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. STA Public Notice 7 also brings challenges to both the foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of the taxable assets. Where a non-resident enterprise conducts an “indirect transfer” by transferring the taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, the nonresident enterprise being the transferor, or the transferee, or the PRC entity which directly owned the taxable assets may report to the relevant tax authority such indirect transfer. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. On October 17, 2017, the STA issued the Announcement of the State Taxation Administration on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or STA Bulletin 37, which took effect on December 1, 2017.

The STA Bulletin 37 further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of nonresident enterprise income tax.

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We face uncertainties on the reporting and consequences of future private equity financing transactions, share exchanges or other transactions involving the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises. The PRC tax authorities may pursue such non-resident enterprises with respect to a filing or the transferees with respect to withholding obligation, and request our PRC subsidiaries to assist in the filing. As a result, we and non-resident enterprises in such transactions may become at risk of being subject to filing obligations or being taxed under STA Public Notice 7 and STA Bulletin 37, and may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with them or to establish that we and our non-resident enterprises should not be taxed under these regulations, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

If the custodians or authorized users of controlling non-tangible assets of our company, including our corporate chops and seals, fail to fulfill their responsibilities, or misappropriate or misuse these assets, our business and operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Under PRC laws, legal documents for corporate transactions are executed using the chops or seal of the signing entity or with the signature of a legal representative whose designation is registered and filed with the relevant branch of the SAMR.

Although we usually utilize chops to enter into contracts, the designated legal representatives of each of our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs, and their subsidiaries have the apparent authority to enter into contracts on behalf of such entities without chops and bind such entities. All designated legal representatives of our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs, and their subsidiaries are members of our senior management team who have signed employment agreements with us or our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs, and their subsidiaries under which they agree to abide by various duties they owe to us. In order to maintain the physical security of our chops and chops of our PRC entities, we generally store these items in secured locations accessible only by the authorized personnel in the legal or finance department of each of our subsidiaries, the VIEs, and their subsidiaries. Although we monitor such authorized personnel, there is no assurance such procedures will prevent all instances of abuse or negligence. Accordingly, if any of our authorized personnel misuse or misappropriate our corporate chops or seals, we could encounter difficulties in maintaining control over the relevant entities and experience significant disruption to our operations. If a designated legal representative obtains control of the chops in an effort to obtain control over any of our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs, or their subsidiaries, we or our PRC subsidiaries, the VIEs, and their subsidiaries would need to pass a new shareholders or board resolution to designate a new legal representative and we would need to take legal action to seek the return of the chops, apply for new chops with the relevant authorities, or otherwise seek legal redress for the violation of the representative’s fiduciary duties to us, which could involve significant time and resources and divert management attention away from our regular business. In addition, the affected entity may not be able to recover corporate assets that are sold or transferred out of our control in the event of such a misappropriation if a transferee relies on the apparent authority of the representative and acts in good faith.

Our leased property interest may be defective and our right to lease the properties affected by such defects challenged, which could cause significant disruption to our business.

Under PRC laws, all lease agreements are required to be registered with the local housing authorities. We presently lease several premises in China, some of which the landlords have not completed the registration of their ownership rights or the registration of our leases with the relevant authorities. Failure to complete these required registrations may expose our landlords, lessors and us to potential monetary fines. If these registrations are not obtained in a timely manner or at all, we may be subject to monetary fines or may have to relocate our offices and incur the associated losses.

Some of the ownership certificates or other similar proof of certain leased properties or authorization documents have not been provided to us by the relevant lessors. Therefore, we cannot assure you that such lessors are entitled to lease the relevant real properties to us. If the lessors are not entitled to lease the real properties to us and the owners of such real properties decline to ratify the lease agreements between us and the respective lessors, we may not be able to enforce our rights to lease such properties under the respective lease agreements against the owners. If our lease agreements are claimed as null and void by third parties who are the real owners of such leased real properties, we could be required to vacate the properties, in the event of which we could only initiate the claim against the lessors under relevant lease agreements for indemnities for their breach of the relevant leasing agreements. We cannot assure you that suitable alternative locations are readily available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, and if we are unable to relocate our operations in a timely manner, our operations may be adversely affected.

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Risks Relating to Our Shares and ADSs

The trading price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs has been and may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

The trading price of our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs has been volatile since they started to trade on the respective stock exchange, and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. In addition, the stock market in general, and the market prices for companies with operations in China in particular, have experienced volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of such companies. The securities of some China-based companies that have listed their securities in the United States have experienced significant volatility since their initial public offerings in recent years, including, in some cases, substantial declines in the trading prices of their securities. The trading performances of these companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors towards China-based companies listed in the United States in general, which consequently may impact the trading performance of our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance. In addition, any negative news or perceptions about inadequate corporate governance practices or fraudulent accounting, corporate structure or other matters of other China-based companies may also negatively affect the attitudes of investors towards China-based companies in general, including us, regardless of whether we have engaged in any inappropriate activities. In particular, the global financial crisis and the ensuing economic recessions in many countries have contributed and may continue to contribute to extreme volatility in the global stock markets. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs. Volatility or a lack of positive performance in our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs price may also adversely affect our ability to retain key employees, most of whom have been granted options or other equity incentives.

In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following:

variations in our revenues, earnings and cash flow;
announcements of new investments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures by us or our competitors;
announcements of new services and expansions by us or our competitors;
changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;
detrimental adverse publicity about us, our services or our industry;
additions or departures of key personnel;
release of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding equity securities or sales of additional equity securities;
actual or potential litigation or regulatory investigations; and
regulatory developments affecting us, our users, suppliers, or our industry.

Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs will trade.

In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

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Our dual-class voting structure will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares or the ADSs may view as beneficial.

Pursuant to our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, our authorized and issued ordinary shares consist of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. In respect of all matters subject to a shareholders’ vote, each holder of Class A ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per share and each holder of Class B ordinary shares is entitled to ten votes per share on all matters subject to vote at our general meetings, except that each Class A ordinary share and each Class B ordinary share shall entitle its holder to one vote on a poll at a general meeting in respect of a resolution on any of the following matters: (a) any amendment to the memorandum and articles of association, including the variation of the rights attached to any class of shares; (b) the appointment, election or removal of any independent non-executive director; (c) the appointment or removal of the auditors; or (d) the voluntary liquidation or winding-up of our company. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof, while Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Class B ordinary shares shall only be held by the Founder (as defined in our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) or a Director Holding Vehicle (as defined in our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association). Subject to the Hong Kong Listing Rules or other applicable laws or regulations, each Class B ordinary share shall be automatically converted into one Class A ordinary share upon the occurrence of any of the following events: (i) the death of the holder of such Class B ordinary share (or, where the holder is a Director Holding Vehicle, the death of the Founder); (ii) the holder of such Class B ordinary share ceasing to be a Director or a Director Holding Vehicle for any reason; (iii) the holder of such Class B ordinary share (or, where the holder is a Director Holding Vehicle, the Founder) being deemed by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to be incapacitated for the purpose of performing his duties as a Director; (iv) the holder of such Class B ordinary share (or, where the holder is a Director Holding Vehicle, the Founder) being deemed by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to no longer meet the requirements of a director set out in the Hong Kong Listing Rules; or (v) any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of the beneficial ownership of, or economic interest in, such Class B ordinary share or the control over the voting rights attached to such Class B Ordinary Share through voting proxy or otherwise to any person, including by reason that a Director Holding Vehicle no longer complies with Rule 8A.18(2) of the Hong Kong Listing Rules (in which case the Company and the Founder or the Director Holding Vehicle must notify the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as soon as practicable with details of the non-compliance), other than a transfer of the legal title to such Class B ordinary share by the Founder to a Director Holding Vehicle wholly-owned and wholly controlled by him, or by a Director Holding Vehicle to the Founder or another Director Holding Vehicle wholly-owned and wholly controlled by the Founder.

As of February 28, 2023, Mr. Xiang Li, our chairman and chief executive officer, beneficially owned 355,812,080 Class B ordinary shares and 108,557,400 Class A ordinary shares constituting the CEO Award Shares, representing 67.5% of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding ordinary shares assuming none of the performance-based conditions is met and no award premium is paid in respect of all CEO Award Shares, due to the disparate voting powers associated with our dual-class voting structure. Mr. Li will continue to have considerable influence over matters requiring shareholder approval. This concentration of ownership may discourage, delay, or prevent a change of control of our company, which could have the effect of depriving our other shareholders of the opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our company and may reduce the price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs. This concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover, or other change of control transactions that holders of Class A ordinary shares or ADSs may view as beneficial.

Our dual-class voting structure may render the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares ineligible for inclusion in certain stock market indices, and thus adversely affect the trading price and liquidity of the ADSs.

Certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multi-class share structures in certain of their indices. For example, S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell have changed their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500, to exclude companies with multiple classes of shares and companies whose public shareholders hold no more than 5% of total voting power from being added to such indices. As a result, our dual-class voting structure may prevent the inclusion of the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares in such indices, which could adversely affect the trading price and liquidity of the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares.

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If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs, the market price for our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs, the market price for our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume for our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs to decline.

The sale or availability for sale of a substantial number of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs could adversely affect their market price.

Sales of a substantial number of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. Shares held by our existing shareholders may also be sold in the public market in the future subject to the restrictions in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act and the applicable lock-up agreements. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.

Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on price appreciation of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs for return on your investment.

We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs as a source for any future dividend income.

Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends. Our shareholders may also by ordinary resolution declare dividends, but no dividend can exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiary, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs. There is no guarantee that our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which you purchased the Class A ordinary shares or ADSs. You may not realize a return on your investment in our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs and you may even lose your entire investment in our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.

There can be no assurance that we will not be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares.

A non-U.S. corporation, such as our company, will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for any taxable year if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income (the “income test”); or (ii) at least 50% of the value of its assets (generally determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”). Although the law in this regard is not entirely clear, we treat our consolidated VIEs and their subsidiaries as being owned by us for U.S. federal income tax purposes because we control their management decisions and are entitled to substantially all of the economic benefits associated with them. As a result, we consolidated their results of operations in our consolidated U.S. GAAP financial statements. If it were determined, however, that we are not the owner of the consolidated VIEs for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be treated as a PFIC for the current taxable year and any subsequent taxable year. Assuming that we are the owner of our consolidated VIEs and their subsidiaries for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and based on the current and anticipated value of our assets and composition of our income and assets, we do not believe that we were a PFIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2022 and do not presently expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year or the foreseeable future.

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While we do not expect to be or become a PFIC, no assurance can be given in this regard because the determination of whether we are or will become a PFIC for any taxable year is a fact-intensive inquiry made on an annual basis that depends, in part, upon the composition and classification of our income and assets. Fluctuations in the market prices of our ADSs and Class A ordinary shares may cause us to be or become a PFIC for the current or subsequent taxable years because the value of our assets for the purpose of the asset test, including the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, may be determined by reference to the market price of our ADSs from time to time (which may be volatile). The composition of our income and assets may also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets.

If we were to be or become a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (as defined in “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations”) holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. Holder. See “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

Our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association give us power to take certain actions that could discourage a third party from acquiring us, which could limit our shareholders’ opportunity to sell their shares, including Class A ordinary shares and ADSs, at a premium.

Our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association give us power to take certain actions that could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction. Subject to the conditions that (i) no new class of shares with voting rights superior to those of Class A ordinary shares will be created and (ii) any variations in the relative rights as between the different classes will not result in the creation of new class of shares with voting rights superior to those of Class A ordinary shares, our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our Class A ordinary shares, in the form of ADSs or otherwise. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs may be materially and adversely affected. However, our exercise of any such power that may limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions under the memorandum and articles after our listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange is subject to our overriding obligations to comply with all applicable Hong Kong laws and regulations, the Hong Kong Listing Rules, and the Codes on Takeovers and Mergers and Share Buy-backs. We have adopted our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association in our extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held on November 16, 2021 to comply with such obligations.

You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through Hong Kong or U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (As Revised) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in Hong Kong or some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than Hong Kong or the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a Hong Kong court or a federal court of the United States.

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Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records (other than copies of the memorandum and articles of association, the register of mortgages and charges, and any special resolutions passed by the shareholders) or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for companies incorporated in other jurisdictions such as Hong Kong or the United States. If we choose to follow home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to Hong Kong or U.S. domestic issuers.

As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in Hong Kong or the United States. Our public shareholders may not be afforded the same protections or information that would be made available to them were they investing in a Hong Kong or United States domestic issuer.

Your investment in our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs may be impacted if we are encouraged to issue CDRs in the future.

PRC government authorities have issued new rules that allow PRC technology companies listed outside China to list on the mainland stock market through the creation of Chinese Depositary Receipts, or CDRs. However, as the CDR mechanism is newly established, there are substantial uncertainties in the interpretation and implementation of these rules. We might consider and be encouraged by the evolving PRC governmental policies to issue CDRs and allow investors to trade our CDRs on PRC stock exchanges in the future. However, there are uncertainties as to whether a pursuit of CDRs in China would bring positive or negative impact on your investment in our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.

The conversion of the 2028 Notes or any convertible notes that we may issue in the future may dilute the ownership interest of the existing shareholders and existing ADS holders, including holders who had previously converted their notes.

We issued US$862.5 million 0.25% convertible senior notes due 2028, or the 2028 Notes, in April 2021, which may be converted, at an initial conversion rate of 35.2818 ADSs per US$1,000 principal amount of notes (which represents an initial conversion price of US$28.34 per ADS) at each holder’s option at any time on or after November 1, 2027, until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date of May 1, 2028, or at the option of the holders upon satisfaction of certain conditions and during certain periods prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding November 1, 2027. As the conversion of the 2028 Notes may take place anytime during such periods if the relevant conditions are fulfilled, the conversion of the 2028 Notes and any convertible notes that we may issue in the future will dilute the ownership interests of existing shareholders and existing ADS holders. Any sales in the public market of the ADSs issuable upon such conversion may increase the opportunities to create short positions with respect to the ADSs, which could adversely affect prevailing trading prices of our ADSs. In addition, the existence of such convertible notes may encourage short selling by market participants because the conversion of such notes could depress the price of our ADSs. The price of our ADSs could be affected by possible sales of our ADSs by investors who view the convertible notes as a more attractive means of equity participation in us and by hedging or arbitrage trading activity, which we expect to occur involving our ADSs.

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We may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary to settle conversion of the convertible notes in cash, to repurchase the convertible notes upon a fundamental change, to repurchase the convertible notes on May 1, 2024 and May 1, 2026, and our future debt may contain limitations on our ability to pay cash upon conversion or to repurchase the convertible notes.

Holders of the 2028 Notes have the right to require us to repurchase their notes on May 1, 2024 and May 1, 2026 or upon the occurrence of a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture), in each case, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest. We may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to make repurchases of the notes surrendered therefor or to settle the notes being converted. Our failure to repurchase the notes at a time when the repurchase is required by the indenture governing the notes or to pay any cash payable on future conversions of the notes as required by the indenture governing the notes would constitute a default under the indenture. A default under the indenture or a fundamental change itself could also lead to a default under agreements governing any of our future indebtedness outstanding at the time. If the repayment of any outstanding future indebtedness were to be accelerated after any applicable notice or grace periods, we may not have sufficient funds to repay the indebtedness and repurchase the notes or make cash payments upon conversions thereof.

Techniques employed by short sellers may drive down the market price of our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs.

Short selling is the practice of selling securities that a seller does not own but rather has borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical securities back at a later date to return to the lender. The short seller hopes to profit from a decline in the value of the securities between the sale of the borrowed securities and the purchase of the replacement shares, as the short seller expects to pay less in that purchase than it received in the sale. As it is in the short seller’s interest for the price of the security to decline, many short sellers publish, or arrange for the publication of, negative opinions regarding relevant issuers and their business prospects in order to create negative market momentum and generate profits for themselves after selling securities short.

Public companies listed in the United States that have substantially all of their operations in China have been the subject of short selling. Much of the scrutiny and negative publicity has centered on allegations of a lack of effective internal control over financial reporting resulting in financial and accounting irregularities and mistakes, inadequate corporate governance policies or a lack of adherence thereto and, in many cases, allegations of fraud. As a result, many of these companies are now conducting internal and external investigations into the allegations and, in the interim, are subject to shareholder lawsuits or SEC enforcement actions.

We may be the subject of unfavorable allegations made by short seller in the future. It is not clear what effect such negative publicity could have on us. If we were to become the subject of any unfavorable allegations, whether such allegations are proven to be true or untrue, we could have to expend a significant amount of resources to investigate such allegations or defend ourselves. While we would strongly defend against any such short seller attacks, we may be constrained in the manner in which we can proceed against the relevant short seller by principles of freedom of speech, applicable state law, or issues of commercial confidentiality. Such a situation could be costly and time-consuming and could distract our management from growing our business. Even if such allegations are ultimately proven to be groundless, allegations against us could severely impact our business operations and shareholders’ equity, and any investment in our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs could be greatly reduced or rendered worthless.

ADS holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in less favorable outcomes to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.

The deposit agreement governing the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares provides that, subject to the depositary’s right to require a claim to be submitted to arbitration, the federal or state courts in the City of New York have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine claims arising under the deposit agreement (including claims arising under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act) and in that regard, to the fullest extent permitted by law, ADS holders waive the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to our Class A ordinary shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement, including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws.

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If we or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with the applicable state and federal law. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver in connection with claims arising under the federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by the United States Supreme Court. However, we believe that a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable, including under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement. In determining whether to enforce a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision, courts will generally consider whether a party knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived the right to a jury trial. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. It is advisable that you consult legal counsel regarding the jury waiver provision before investing in the ADSs.

If you or any other holders or beneficial owners of ADSs bring a claim against us or the depositary in connection with matters arising under the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including claims under federal securities laws, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us and/or the depositary. If a lawsuit is brought against us or the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have had, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.

Nevertheless, if this jury trial waiver provision is not enforced, to the extent a court action proceeds, it would proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or ADSs shall relieve us or the depositary from our respective obligations to comply with the Securities Act and Exchange Act, and investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.

We are a Cayman Islands company and the majority of our assets are located outside of Hong Kong or the United States. Substantially all of our operations are conducted in China. In addition, most of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than Hong Kong or the United States. Substantially all of the assets of these persons may be located outside Hong Kong or the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in Hong Kong or the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under Hong Kong laws, the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.

Because we are a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including:

the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC;
the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act;
the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and
the selective disclosure rules by issuers of material nonpublic information under Regulation FD.

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We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our results on a quarterly basis through press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be less extensive and less timely than that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same protections or information that would be made available to you were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.

As an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the Nasdaq listing standards; these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq listing standards.

As a Cayman Islands company listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, we are subject to Nasdaq listing standards. However, the Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq listing standards. For example, neither the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands nor our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association requires a majority of our directors to be independent and we could include non-independent directors as members of our compensation committee and nominating committee under the Nasdaq listing standards, and our independent directors would not necessarily hold regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present. As a result of certain home country practices we may follow in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under the Nasdaq listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. In addition, if we are subject to listing standards or other rules or regulations of other jurisdictions in the future, those requirements may further change the degree of protection for our shareholders to the extent they differ from the Nasdaq listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise your right to direct how the Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are voted.

Holders of ADSs do not have the same rights as our registered shareholders. As a holder of ADSs, you will not have any direct right to attend general meetings of our shareholders or to cast any votes at such meetings. You will only be able to exercise the voting rights that are carried by the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs indirectly by giving voting instructions to the depositary in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you may vote only by giving voting instructions to the depositary. If we instruct the depositary to ask for your instructions, then upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will try, as far as practicable, to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs in accordance with these instructions. If we do not instruct the depositary to ask for your voting instructions, the depositary may still vote in accordance with the instructions you give, but it is not required to do so. You will not be able to directly exercise your right to vote with respect to the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs unless you withdraw the shares and become a registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting. Under our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, an annual general meeting must be called by not less than 21 days’ notice in writing and any other general meeting (including an extraordinary general meeting) must be called by not less than 14 days’ notice in writing.

When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice of the meeting to withdraw the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs and become the registered holder of such shares to allow you to attend the general meeting and to vote directly with respect to any specific matter or resolution to be considered and voted upon at the general meeting. In addition, under our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, for the purposes of determining those shareholders who are entitled to attend and vote at any general meeting, our directors may close our register of members and fix in advance a record date for such meeting, and such closure of our register of members or the setting of such a record date may prevent you from withdrawing the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs and becoming the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date, so that you would not be able to attend the general meeting or to vote directly. If we ask for your instructions, the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. We have agreed to give the depositary sufficient prior notice of shareholder meetings. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for their manner of carrying out your voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to direct how the Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are voted and you may have no legal remedy if the Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are not voted as you requested.

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The depositary for our ADSs will give us a discretionary proxy to vote our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs if you do not vote at shareholders’ meetings, except in limited circumstances, which could adversely affect your interests.

Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, if you do not vote, the depositary will give us a discretionary proxy to vote our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at shareholders’ meetings unless:

we have failed to timely provide the depositary with notice of meeting and related voting materials;
we have instructed the depositary that we do not wish a discretionary proxy to be given;
we have informed the depositary that there is substantial opposition as to a matter to be voted on at the meeting;
a matter to be voted on at the meeting would have a material adverse impact on shareholders; or
the voting at the meeting is to be made on a show of hands.

The effect of this discretionary proxy is that if you do not vote at shareholders’ meetings, you cannot prevent our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs from being voted, except under the circumstances described above. This may make it more difficult for shareholders to influence the management of our company. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy.

Your rights to pursue claims against the depositary as a holder of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement.

Under the deposit agreement, any action or proceeding against or involving the depositary, arising out of or based upon the deposit agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby or by virtue of owning the ADSs may only be instituted in a state or federal court in New York, New York, and you, as a holder of our ADSs, will have irrevocably waived any objection which you may have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such action or proceeding.

The depositary may, in its sole discretion, require that any dispute or difference arising from the relationship created by the deposit agreement be referred to and finally settled by an arbitration conducted under the terms described in the deposit agreement. These arbitration provisions govern such dispute or difference and do not, in any event, preclude you from pursuing claims under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act in state or federal courts.

You may not receive dividends or other distributions on our Class A ordinary shares and you may not receive any value for them, if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to you.

The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on Class A ordinary shares or other deposited securities underlying our ADSs, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of Class A ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act but that are not properly registered or distributed under an applicable exemption from registration. The depositary may also determine that it is not feasible to distribute certain property through the mail. Additionally, the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, Class A ordinary shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, Class A ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive distributions we make on our Class A ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may cause a material decline in the value of our ADSs.

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You may experience dilution of your holdings due to inability to participate in rights offerings.

We may, from time to time, distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire securities. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not distribute rights to holders of ADSs unless the distribution and sale of rights and the securities to which these rights relate are either exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs or are registered under the provisions of the Securities Act. The depositary may, but is not required to, attempt to sell these undistributed rights to third parties, and may allow the rights to lapse. We may be unable to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and we are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to these rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have a registration statement declared effective. Accordingly, holders of ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution of their holdings as a result.

You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.

Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may close its books from time to time for a number of reasons, including in connection with corporate events such as a rights offering, during which time the depositary needs to maintain an exact number of ADS holders on its books for a specified period. The depositary may also close its books in emergencies, and on weekends and public holidays. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of our ADSs generally when our share register or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary thinks it is advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.

We incur increased costs as a result of being a public company, particularly after we ceased to qualify as an “emerging growth company.”

We are a public company and incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq Global Select Market, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. As we are no longer an “emerging growth company” since December 31, 2020, we incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC. We expect these rules and regulations to continue to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, as a result of becoming a public company, we increased the number of independent directors and adopted policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. We also expect that operating as a public company makes it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. In addition, we will incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs. Our reporting and other compliance obligations as a public company may place a strain on our managerial, operational, and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future.

In the past, shareholders of a public company often brought securities class action suits against the company following periods of instability in the market price of that company’s securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business, which could harm our results of operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

ITEM 4.

INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

A.

History and Development of the Company

Li Auto Inc. is a holding company with no material operations of its own. We conduct our operations through our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries in China.

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We were founded in April 2015 by our Founder, Mr. Xiang Li. In April 2017, we incorporated CHJ Technologies Inc. under the laws of the Cayman Islands as our offshore holding company to facilitate offshore financing, which later changed its name to Leading Ideal Inc. in April 2019 and further to Li Auto Inc. in July 2020.

In May 2017, Li Auto Inc. established Leading Ideal HK Limited, formerly known as CHJ Technologies (Hong Kong) Limited, as its intermediary holding company. In December 2017, Leading Ideal HK Limited established a wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, Wheels Technology, to engage in the research and development of smart connectivity functions and ADAS as well as general administration of the group. Leading Ideal HK Limited later established wholly-owned PRC subsidiaries to serve various functions, including Leading (Xiamen) Private Equity Investment Co., Ltd. and Beijing Leading Automobile Sales Co., Ltd.

In December 2018, we acquired Chongqing Lifan Automobile Co., Ltd., and later changed its name to Chongqing Zhizao Automobile Co., Ltd.

In July 2019, Li Auto Inc. gained control over Beijing CHJ and its subsidiaries through Wheels Technology by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with Beijing CHJ and its shareholders. Wheels Technology also entered into a series of contractual arrangements with Xindian Information, and its shareholders in April 2019. The contractual arrangements with Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information were subsequently amended and restated, most recently in April 2021. The revenue contribution of the VIEs and their subsidiaries, taking into account all of their respective business with or without foreign investment restrictions under PRC laws, amounted to approximately 84.6%, 23.3%, and 0% of our total revenues in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. The revenue contribution of the businesses of the VIEs and their subsidiaries with foreign investment restrictions under PRC laws, being the provision of value-added communication services, radio and television production activities, and operation of commercial internet culture activities, amounted to RMB2.4 thousand, RMB14 thousand, and RMB11.8 thousand (US$1.7 thousand) during 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

In October 2019, Beijing CHJ established Chongqing Lixiang Automobile Co., Ltd., or Chongqing Lixiang.

In December 2019, we disposed of all of our equity interests in Chongqing Zhizao Automobile Co., Ltd.

On July 30, 2020, our ADSs commenced trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “LI.” We raised, from our initial public offering and from the underwriters’ full exercise of the option to purchase additional ADSs, approximately US$1.2 billion in net proceeds after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses paid by us.

In December 2020, we completed a public offering of 54,050,000 ADSs representing 108,100,000 Class A ordinary shares and raised approximately US$1.5 billion in net proceeds.

On April 12, 2021, we completed an offering of US$862.5 million in aggregate principal amount of our 0.25% convertible senior notes due 2028.

On August 2, 2021, our Class A ordinary shares commenced trading on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange under the stock code “2015.” We raised from our global offering in connection with the listing in Hong Kong approximately US$1.7 billion in net proceeds after deducting underwriting commissions, share issuance costs, and the offering expenses.

In December 2021, we agreed to establish a strategic cooperation framework with the Chongqing municipal government, pursuant to which we planned to cooperate with the Chongqing municipal government on the development of the NEV sector in Chongqing.

On June 28, 2022, we announced an at-the-market equity offering program to sell up to an aggregate of US$2 billion of ADSs. As of December 31, 2022, we sold, under the program, 9,431,282 ADSs representing 18,862,564 Class A Shares and raised US$367 million in gross proceeds before deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by us.

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Our principal executive offices are located at 11 Wenliang Street, Shunyi District, Beijing 101399, People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 (10) 8742-7209. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at P.O. Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman KY1-1104, Cayman Islands. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., located at 122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10168. Our website is http://www.lixiang.com. The information on our websites should not be deemed to be part of this annual report. The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy, and information statements, and other information regarding registrants that make electronic filings with the SEC using its EDGAR system.

B.

Business Overview

We are a leader in China’s NEV market. We design, develop, manufacture, and sell premium smart electric vehicles. Our mission is: Create a Mobile Home, Create Happiness (“创造移动的家,创造幸福的家”). Through innovations in product, technology, and business model, we provide families with safe, convenient, and comfortable products and services.

We are a pioneer in successfully commercializing EREVs in China. We started volume production of Li ONE, a six-seat, large premium smart electric SUV, in November 2019 and released the 2021 Li ONE in May 2021. On June 21, 2022, we unveiled Li L9, our six-seat flagship family SUV and the first model of the Li L series, the delivery of which commenced in August 2022. We launched Li L8, a six-seat premium family SUV and a successor to Li ONE, on September 30, 2022, and Li L7, a five-seat flagship family SUV, on February 8, 2023. Both Li L8 and Li L7 are offered in three trims, Air, Pro, and Max. Delivery of Li L8 commenced in November 2022, and delivery of Li L7 commenced in March 2023. We will continue to expand our product portfolio by developing new BEVs and EREVs to target a broader user base. The cumulative deliveries of our vehicles reached 257,334 as of December 31, 2022.

We are dedicated to serving the mobility needs of families in China. To this end, we strategically focus on NEVs within a price range of RMB200,000 (US$29,000) to RMB500,000 (US$72,500). With growing purchasing power, Chinese families tend to choose SUVs for daily commutes and weekend family trips. In light of diverse family needs in terms of price range, vehicle size, seat options, and intelligence level, we have developed a series of EREVs to capture these needs. As some of the most competitive SUV models in China, our Li L series have been well positioned to capture the huge growth opportunity of the SUV segment. Li L9 has dominated the monthly full-size SUV sales in China since September 2022, and Li L8 has been a top seller among large SUVs in China following Li ONE’s phenomenal performance since December 2022. We also ranked first in both China’s full-size and large SUV markets for the full year of 2022.

We believe that automotive technologies will continue to evolve, enabling us to create more compelling products for users. We will continue to focus on full-stack self-development of core EREV and BEV technologies in parallel and further elevate the level of intelligence of our vehicles.

Our vehicles utilize our proprietary EREV solution, which enables families to enjoy all the benefits of a premium SUV while free from range anxiety. The Li L series are all based on our latest EREV platform equipped with cutting-edge EREV powertrain system. We plan to further develop and optimize the overall performance of our EREV powertrain system.
We are investing heavily in the HPC BEV technologies. We focus on developing HPC BEVs, which we believe will deliver superior charging experience. Charging under our planned HPC network will be faster and more accessible. We are developing two platforms, Whale and Shark, for our future HPC BEVs, which we plan to launch starting from late 2023.
We are investing significantly in our proprietary autonomous driving technologies to achieve Level 4 autonomous driving in the future. Starting with Li L9, our high-end vehicle models or the Max trims are equipped with necessary hardware compatible with self-developed future Level 4 autonomous driving, and we will continue to optimize our autonomous driving solutions leveraging our full-stack proprietary software development capabilities.
We are dedicated to applying smart space features to provide premium in-vehicle experience. The Li L series are equipped with smart space systems with flexible choices of smartness, bringing exceptional entertainment experience to passengers. We continue to optimize and innovate the smart features of our vehicles to enhance user experience and satisfaction.

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We have digitalized our user interactions and established our own direct sales and servicing network to continually improve operating efficiency. With our integrated online and offline platform, we can achieve higher efficiency in sales and marketing than automakers that rely on third-party dealerships to reach users. In particular, we have developed a data-driven, closed-loop digital platform to manage all user interactions from sales leads to test drives to purchases and even to user reviews, which enables us to significantly reduce user acquisition costs.

Quality is essential to our business. We manufacture in-house and collaborate with industry-leading suppliers to ensure the high quality of our vehicles. We have built our own Changzhou manufacturing base, which allows our engineering and manufacturing teams to seamlessly collaborate with each other and streamline the feedback loop for rapid product enhancements and quality improvements. We have commenced construction of our Beijing manufacturing base to serve as an important manufacturing facility. We have also implemented strict quality control protocols and measurements for selecting and managing our suppliers. Li L9 achieved a G rating under the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index (C-IASI), the highest safety rating, in three out of four evaluation categories—occupant safety, pedestrian safety, and assistance safety, and is the first domestic full-size SUV achieving the G rating in the crash tests of 25% frontal offset impact on both the driver and the passenger sides. In the category of crashworthiness and repair economy, Li L9 received an M rating, one of the top results received by premium vehicles tested by C-IASI since 2017. Li L8 and Li L7 are designed and built under the same safety standards and are designed to achieve comparable top ratings.

Our Vehicles

We design, develop, manufacture, and sell premium smart electric vehicles in China. Our first production vehicle, Li ONE, is a six-seat, large premium electric SUV equipped with a range extension system and advanced smart vehicle solutions. We started volume production of Li ONE in November 2019 in our own Changzhou manufacturing base. We have designed and built our L series on our X platform, which succeeded the EREV platform for Li ONE and is equipped with our next-generation EREV powertrain system, with varying sizes and prices for different user needs and equipped the L series models with our self-developed all-wheel drive range extension system. In June 2022, we launched Li L9, a six-seat full-size flagship family SUV, and began delivery in August 2022. We launched Li L8, a six-seat large premium family SUV, in September 2022, and Li L7, a five-seat large flagship family SUV, in February 2023. Delivery of Li L8 commenced in November 2022, and delivery of Li L7 commenced in March 2023. Our Li L8 and Li L7 models offer Air, Pro, and Max trims. We plan to launch HPC BEV models starting from late 2023.

Li ONE

Li ONE is a large premium smart extended-range electric SUV. It has a 5,030-millimeter length with a 2,935-millimeter wheelbase, offers a combination of long range, high performance, efficient energy consumption, and flexible power supplies. Li ONE has an NEDC range of 1,080 kilometers. Its 40.5-kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery pack is capable of supporting a purely electrically powered range of 188 kilometers.

Li L9

Li L9 is a six-seat full-size flagship family SUV, offering superior space and comfort for family users. Its new-generation all-wheel drive range extension system provides excellent drivability with a CLTC range of 1,315 kilometers and a WLTC range of 1,100 kilometers, with a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration of 5.3 seconds. It also features our self-developed autonomous driving system, Li AD Max, and top-notch vehicle safety measures to protect every family passenger. Li L9 is equipped with Li Magic Carpet air suspension, making it available to more families. Its double-wishbone front suspension and five-link rear suspension, working in tandem with smart air springs and a continuous damping control (CDC) system that responds in milliseconds, empower outstanding handling and riding comfort for all users. With the SS Max+ smart space system, Li L9’s innovative five-screen, three-dimensional interactive intelligent cockpit brings a new level of driving and entertainment experience. Li L9 comes standard with over 100 flagship features at a retail price of RMB459,800 (US$66,700).

Li L8

Li L8 is a large SUV and the successor to Li ONE with a premium six-seat interior for family users. With the new-generation all-wheel drive range extension system adopted by all Li L series, Li L8 provides superior driving and riding comfort. It boasts a CLTC range of 1,315 kilometers and a WLTC range of 1,100 kilometers. Equipped with our full-stack self-developed autonomous driving systems and top-notch vehicle safety measures, Li L8 is built to protect every family passenger. Li L8’s innovative smart space system brings a new level of driving and entertainment experience to smart electric vehicles.

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Li L8 is available in three trims, Li L8 Air, Li L8 Pro, and Li L8 Max. Li L8 Pro and Li L8 Max both have Li Magic Carpet air suspensions, and are respectively equipped with Li AD Pro and Li AD Max autonomous driving systems as well as SS Pro and SS Max smart space systems, providing users with flexible choices of smartness. Li L8 Air is equipped with our CDC system and comes standard with Li AD Pro and SS Pro. The retail prices for Li L8 Air, Li L8 Pro, and Li L8 Max are RMB339,800 (US$49,300), RMB359,800 (US$52,200), and RMB399,800 (US$58,000), respectively.

Li L7

Li L7 is a five-seat large flagship family SUV featuring an exceptional second-row space, a comfortable interior, and numerous flagship configurations. Supported by our self-developed all-wheel drive range extension system, it boasts a CLTC range of 1,315 kilometers and a WLTC range of 1,100 kilometers, with a 0 to 100 km/h acceleration of 5.3 seconds. With evolving smart space and autonomous driving systems, Li L7 creates an increasingly intelligent home for users’ families.

Li L7 is available in three trims, Li L7 Air, Li L7 Pro, and Li L7 Max. Li L7 Air comes standard with the autonomous driving system Li AD Pro and the smart space system SS Pro and is equipped with a CDC system. Li L7 Pro and Li L7 Max are equipped with Li AD Pro and Li AD Max and SS Pro and SS Max, respectively, and our Li Magic Carpet air suspensions. The retail prices for Li L7 Air, Li L7 Pro, and Li L7 Max are RMB319,800 (US$46,400), RMB339,800 (US$49,300), and RMB379,800 (US$55,100), respectively.

Future Vehicles

In the future, we plan to develop new vehicles with new generations of EREV or BEV powertrain and smart technologies to target an even broader market and launch HPC BEV models and more EREV models in the future. Our concurrent development of both EREV and HPC BEV models benefits from the existing and future development achievements on autonomous driving and smart space technologies, which have been designed with expandability and transferability across models.

Technology

EREV Powertrain

We have developed our proprietary EREV technologies and applied them to our EREV models. An EREV is purely driven by its electric motor, but its energy source and power come from both its battery pack and range extension system. EREVs can replenish energy by slow charging, fast charging, and refueling, thus eliminating range anxiety for users. EREVs offer high-quality driving experience similar to that of BEVs, such as smooth acceleration and NVH performance. The overall energy consumption level of our EREV models is much lower than that of ICE vehicles in a similar class, as a result of its high energy efficiency range extension system. Our users also enjoy lower total running costs compared with ICE vehicle owners, including lower aftermarket service costs and energy consumption costs. We believe that our EREV technologies will help accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in China and contribute to China’s national initiatives to build a low-carbon-emission society. For consumers, we believe that our vehicles have a competitive advantage over ICE vehicles in terms of performance, economy, and user experience.

Our EREV powertrain primarily consists of an electric propulsion system and a range extension system. The Li L series are powered by our range extension 2.0 system. Our self-developed 1.5-liter four-cylinder, turbo-charged engine boasts an outstanding thermal efficiency and our self-developed five-in-one drive unit, significantly enhancing the overall NVH performance of the range extension system.

BEV Technologies and Models in Development

We are currently investing in next-generation electric vehicle technologies, which we believe will enable us to introduce leading HPC BEVs. We believe that in order for the HPC BEV platform to be widely adopted, it must provide users with an extraordinary battery charging experience in terms of charging time and accessibility comparable to those of ICE vehicles. Such BEV technologies primarily include high C-rate battery pack, high-voltage platform, thermal management system, and HPC network.

High C-Rate Battery Pack. We are applying new technologies and processes to the development of high C-rate battery cells with 4C fast charging capability. In addition, we will apply highly integrated lightweight design, high collision safety design, and efficient thermal management design in the high C-rate battery pack.

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High-Voltage Platform. We plan to design a high-voltage platform utilizing a high power density electric powertrain system, leveraging electronic components based on third-generation wide bandgap SiC semiconductor materials and other advanced designs and technologies.
Thermal Management System. We plan to adopt advanced sealing and high-pressure resistance design and proprietary control strategies for our thermal management system, which is designed to further address winter heating and mileage problems of NEVs.
HPC Network. We are currently developing a high-performance HPC network to achieve a superior charging experience.

Intelligent Systems

We design our vehicles to provide premium user experiences to families in China through smart interaction and connectivity. We believe that a smart cabin is a future trend for the automotive industry, and we are dedicated to applying smart interactive systems to provide premium in-vehicle experiences. Our vehicles are equipped with more advanced vehicle intelligent systems compared to comparable models. We self-designed the core software and functions of our interactive systems and procured components from third-party suppliers based on our specifications.

Smart Space

We offer smart space systems in Pro, Max, and Max+ versions. Li L9 is equipped with the SS Max+ system. Our pioneering five-screen three-dimensional interactive mode introduced following the launch of Li L9 elevates the driving and entertainment experience to a new level. Through a combined HUD and interactive safe driving screen, key driving information is projected onto the front windshield, enhancing driving safety by keeping the driver’s sightline on the road. Li L9’s other three screens, including the vehicle’s central control screen, the passenger entertainment screen, and the rear cabin entertainment screen, are 15.7-inch 3K automotive-grade OLED screens, delivering first-class entertainment experiences to the entire family. Li L9’s smart cockpit is supported by a computing platform composed of two Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive-grade 8155 chips, which ensure the smoothness and responsiveness of its five-screen three-dimensional interactions. Li L8 and Li L7 are also equipped with HUDs in their standard configurations, and employ SS Pro and SS Max systems with flexible choices of smartness. The SS Pro system features dual 15.7-inch 3K resolution LCD screens and 19 speakers combined with 7.3.4 surround sound system, offering a supreme sound experience. The SS Max system is powered by two Qualcomm Snapdragon automotive-grade 8155 chips, and boasts three 15.7-inch LCD screens, 21 speakers, 7.3.4 surround sound system and 3D ToF transmitters to deliver the ultimate entertainment experience to passengers.

Our smart in-car voice assistant, Li Xiang Tong Xue (理想同学), has evolved with a new-generation device-cloud integrated architecture. It provides solid support for the in-car deployment of more powerful and complex algorithms. We also have made significant progress in the speech- and vision-related applications of its self-developed algorithms. On the speech side, its innovative MIMO-NET algorithm can accurately isolate different human voices in multiple zones. On the vision side, our self-developed MVS-NET algorithm can realize accurate gesture recognition for all occupants. Combined with innovative gesture wakeup technology, it helps achieve easier interactions through gestures in a more natural way. Enhanced by Li Xiang Tong Xue’s distinctive capabilities and powered by six omni-directional microphones in the Li L series, our full-coverage in-car voice control system provides a comprehensive solution for in-car interaction and extraordinary user experience.

FOTA Upgrades

Our vehicle systems are designed with extendibility through FOTA upgrades, which improve system performance and enable users to access new features. Our FOTA upgrades can also automatically roll back if there are issues during the upgrading process and retry later. Our FOTA upgrades support concurrent upgrading and driving to provide maximum flexibility to users. Through FOTA upgrades, we are able to add more features to our in-car interactive and entertainment systems, improve powertrain performance, optimize vehicle and system control algorithms, and upgrade autonomous driving system.

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Autonomous Driving

We leverage our full-stack proprietary software development capabilities to introduce closed-loop data-driven autonomous driving solutions, and prioritize autonomous driving development based on high-frequency scenarios. Our autonomous driving system is currently an enhanced Level 2 autonomous driving solution optimized and adapted based on the complex road conditions in China, comprising an intelligent drive controller, underlying software, perception algorithms, protocol and control algorithms, and application software featuring high-way NOA (which includes on- and off-ramp, automatic adaptive acceleration, and lane change on certain limited access roads), adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, automatic parking assist, forward collision warning, intelligent headlight control, lane change assist, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and side view assist.

Our Li AD Max autonomous driving system, powered by dual Orin-X chips with 508 TOPS of computing power, enables real-time, efficient processing of fusion signals from high-definition cameras, LiDAR, millimeter wave radar, and ultrasonic sensors. The dual processors provide fallback redundancies for each other, ensuring a more stable operation of the autonomous driving system. We also offer Li AD Pro autonomous driving system powered by the Chinese-made Horizon Robotics Journey 5 chip with 128 TOPS of computing power. Li L9’s Li AD Max system was the first in the automobile industry to adopt the NVIDIA Orin platform to deliver advanced autonomous driving features, including NOA. Li L8’s Li AD Pro system was the first in the automobile industry to adopt Journey 5 chip to deliver NOA. As of December 31, 2022, we delivered a cumulative of approximately 190,000 vehicles with NOA capabilities.

In addition, we have developed our own proprietary autonomous driving data platform to enhance users’ autonomous driving experience. The autonomous driving data platform collects driving data via a “shadow mode” in which the driving decisions and patterns of an actual human driver in various scenarios will be encrypted, without any personally identifiable information in compliance with the relevant data privacy laws and regulations, and uploaded to the cloud database of the autonomous driving data platform where the data will be examined and analyzed via algorithms and data mining to optimize the autonomous driving system.

We are dedicated to delivering superior Level 4 autonomous driving to users. Starting with Li L9, our high-end vehicle models or trims are equipped with necessary hardware compatible with self-developed future Level 4 autonomous driving as a standard configuration, and we will continue to optimize our autonomous driving solutions leveraging our full-stack proprietary software development capabilities.In 2022, we adopted a fusion BEV algorithm framework jointly proposed by Tsinghua University, MIT, and us, which can be flexibly deployed with Li AD Max and Li AD Pro’s different hardware combinations. For path planning and tracking control, our self-developed highway NOA prediction algorithm enables comfortable automatic highway NOA lane changes and a smooth acceleration and deceleration experience. We also created the industry’s first AEB function with LiDAR applications on Li AD Max and extended the LiDAR algorithms’ safety scenarios from major traffic participants such as vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians to irregular obstacles, including special-shaped vehicles, as well as night scenes.

Research and Development

As an emerging automaker, we heavily rely on research and development to establish and strengthen our market position. We conduct our research and development activities relating to intelligent vehicle technologies primarily in our headquarters in Beijing, China. On May 1, 2021, our research and development center in Shanghai, China started its operation. Our Beijing and Shanghai teams are developing electric vehicle technologies, such as next-generation powertrain system, high C-rate battery, high-voltage platform, ultra-fast charging technologies, autonomous driving technologies, next-generation intelligent cockpit, operating systems, and computing platforms. We also maintain a production engineering and technology center in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. As of December 31, 2022, we had 4,838 employees engaging in research and development, including automotive design and engineering, intelligent systems, and autonomous driving departments.

Vehicle

Our vehicle research and development team covers all areas of vehicle design, development, and production from concept to completion, including interior and exterior design, body design and engineering, electrical engineering and integration, battery engineering, powertrain technologies, vehicle integration, performance testing, and technology and patent management.

Many of the core members of our vehicle research and development team have industry experience of more than a decade in their respective fields, many of whom come from leading global and domestic automakers.

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Intelligent System

Our intelligence system research and development team includes engineers with backgrounds in internet and smart device. They support our multidisciplinary research efforts on intelligence, connectivity, user interface design, and other areas.

Autonomous Driving

We have a dedicated autonomous driving research and development team. We have implemented a comprehensive plan of developing proprietary autonomous driving technologies for our vehicles. Leveraging our capabilities in system development, algorithms, simulation, solutions development, and system integration, we plan to further explore the possibilities of autonomous driving technology and bring more advanced autonomous driving experience to users.

Vehicle Design and Engineering

We have developed significant in-house capabilities in the design and engineering of NEVs and various components and systems. Our vehicle styling team, which consists of experienced designers from reputable global automakers, has defined “halo” as the design language for our Li Auto vehicle family. We have in-house vehicle development capabilities with core competence in NEV powertrain architecture, chassis, and battery, motor, and electric control systems. In particular, we have developed substantial expertise in design, development, and manufacturing of battery management systems and vehicle control units. We utilize computer-aided engineering simulation analytics throughout our design and engineering process and conduct performance validation and reliability testing in our seven laboratories. Furthermore, our engineering and manufacturing teams work alongside our suppliers and partners in designing key components in order to achieve cost optimization throughout the research and development process and thereafter.

Sales and Marketing

Digitalized Sales and Marketing

We have developed our own integrated online and offline platform to interact directly with users, from sales leads to user reviews.

We bring a steady stream of sales leads through three channels: retail stores, media platforms and user word-of-mouth. We convert these leads to registered users in our Li Auto system, which consists of our official website, the Li Auto App, and our WeChat mini-program and official account. The system automatically establishes a user behavior model, records and analyzes the conversion efficiency of each user from lead to registration, and to transaction. Through our data analytics, we constantly optimize the sources of sales leads, product presentation and sales processes. At the same time, through user engagement within our online system, we encourage owners of our vehicles to voluntarily promote our vehicles, generating high-quality sales leads. As a result, a flywheel is formed, leading to higher conversion efficiency and lower user acquisition costs.

Once the user places an order, we provide the user with delivery, finance, and after-sales service through our sales and servicing network. Through accumulation of vehicle operation insights in the closed-loop process, we improve the quality and efficiency of our services, reduce personnel-related expenses and investment in stores and delivery centers, and ultimately reduce offline service costs.

Direct Sales and Servicing Network

We build and operate our own sales and distribution infrastructure and sell our vehicles directly to our users. We believe that our direct sales model not only improves economic and operational efficiency significantly, but also provides our users with superior purchasing experiences consistent with our values and brand image.

As of December 31, 2022, we had 288 retail stores across major cities in China. Users visit a store for vehicle check-up, test-drive, and order placement. We locate our retail stores in selected shopping malls where our targeted users are likely to patronize.

As of December 31, 2022, we had 318 servicing centers and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops across major cities in China. Servicing centers and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops perform in-person maintenance and repairs, and are generally located in the suburbs with convenient transportation.

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Prospective users can place orders by paying a deposit of RMB5,000, which becomes non-refundable after 24 hours, via our Li Auto App or our website. Their orders also automatically become confirmed orders after 24 hours following the deposit payment, and no additional deposits are required from the user prior to delivery. Our delivery specialists will then follow up with the users about pre-delivery matters, such as financing and home charger installations. Once the vehicles arrive at logistics centers, our delivery specialists will contact the users to arrange delivery. For users from cities without a Li Auto delivery and servicing center, we can also provide remote delivery services.

While providing purchase, delivery, and servicing experiences, our direct sales and servicing network also allows us to digitalize our user interactions and gain a gateway to user preferences and pain points. In 2022, we focused on upgrading our existing retail stores to support multiple models, continued to expand our sales and servicing network, and enhanced our brand awareness. We will continue to seek new ways to improve our retail distribution through additional locations and innovative sales strategies.

Marketing

We have been able to generate significant media coverage of our company and our vehicles. Our principal marketing goals are to build brand awareness and loyalty, generate sales leads, and integrate user input into the product development process.

We focus our marketing efforts on generating word-of-mouth referrals and creating content for marketing on new media and short-video social media platforms with the goal of increasing our product exposure and building our reputation. Our marketing content includes high-quality videos developed in-house, which elaborate on our product specifications and technologies. We also publish voluntary referrals from our users and videos created by key opinion leaders in areas across technology, travel, and maternal and infant products, all of which represent real user experiences and enhance the popularity of our vehicles. We also leverage the data-driven features of short-video social media platforms to accurately target users by marketing on leading platforms such as Douyin. The popularity, efficiency and interactive nature of short-video enable wide reach of our content marketing within a short period of time. We believe that the combination of our high-quality content and the optimization of our marketing channels, in addition to the strong word-of-mouth referrals of our users and our digitalized direct sales system, forms a virtuous cycle from content marketing to sales leads, and in turn to word-of-mouth referrals, which enables us to achieve continued brand exposure and attract high-quality potential users at relatively low marketing spending.

Servicing and Warranty

We offer a five-year or 100,000-kilometer limited warranty for new vehicles, and an eight-year or 160,000-kilometer limited warranty for battery packs, electric motors, electric motor controllers (eight-year or 120,000-kilometer limited warranty for Li ONE), and air springs. We also provide owners of our vehicles free roadside assistance during the warranty coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Owners can have their vehicles serviced either in our servicing centers or Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops. We had a network of 318 servicing centers and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops covering 223 cities in China as of December 31, 2022.

Value-Added Services

We offer a suite of value-added services to serve our users’ needs and keep them engaged.

To enrich the ownership experiences of our users, we have provided our value-added service program currently priced at RMB999 or RMB1,399 per year. Membership benefits span after-sale services, third-party in-car entertainment services, and life style components. The program currently has four categories of benefits, including paid regular servicing of the vehicle, free vehicle pick-ups and deliveries, unlimited high-speed data plan, and discounts on our service and products offerings. Currently, we also award membership points for successful referrals, which can be used to redeem merchandise in our online store. After we deliver more vehicles, and have a better understanding of our users’ needs, we may continuously add more services into the program.

We also offer certain services embedded within the sale of vehicles, including installation of charging stalls, and vehicle internet connection services.

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We cooperate with several financial institutions to facilitate convenient auto finance for our users, whom we do not charge any financing service fees. After users place orders with a deposit for our vehicles, there is a 24-hour wait period, during which the users may apply for refund. After the period ends, our system will automatically open auto finance applications, if needed, for the user to complete the applications for auto finance with financial institutions on our Li Auto App. As the financial institutions review the auto finance applications, our users can track the status of their applications on our Li Auto App or our website.

We work with insurance companies to facilitate our users’ purchase of a variety of auto insurance products.

Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality Control Manufacturing

Manufacturing

We are listed in the catalog of vehicle manufacturers of the MIIT and we currently manufacture our vehicles in our own Changzhou factory. The Changzhou manufacturing base covers an area of 72 hectares and has constructed shop floor space of approximately 180,000 square meters. It consists of four workshops, stamping, welding, painting, and assembly, and an office building. Our production volume can be further expanded with our increased efficiency and technological capabilities.

The production in our factory is highly automated to ensure precision, consistency, and efficiency. We use linear seven-axis robots for our stamping line, which is capable of switching tooling with the press of a button and mixed production of steel and aluminum parts. In the stamping workshop, the high-speed flexible manufacturing line first produces large body panels before fully-automated, quality inspection blue-ray scanning performs 100% of the dimensional inspections on them. In the welding workshop, we achieve 100% automation for all welding spots. In the painting workshop, we use dozens of painting robots that ensure consistency of coatings on the body.

Our fully self-developed production management software, Li MOS, and automated production equipment work together, which significantly improve our operating efficiency. We will implement the Li MOS system in all of our future factories, which will shorten the new factories’ deployment cycle by more than 3 months. We also used vision sensors and algorithms to precisely control the workflow of hardware equipment to realize flexible production and intelligent inspection.

In addition to our existing Changzhou manufacturing base, we are expanding our manufacturing facilities in other areas to meet rising market demand with a more diverse product lineup. In October 2021, we officially commenced construction of our Beijing manufacturing base, which is expected to serve as an important manufacturing facility.

Supply Chain

We take a modularized approach to supply chain management. Alongside close collaboration with supply chain partners for mutual benefits, we continue to actively expand vertically with a keen focus on our in-house development and manufacturing capabilities for core smart electric vehicle components, aiming to achieve a right balance between managing upstream costs and controlling risks. We have developed close partnership with suppliers for key parts and implemented a supplier relationship management system to improve the efficiency of our cooperations. We actively explore additional opportunities to work with first-tier suppliers to ensure supply and develop next-generation technologies.

We are accelerating supply chain development to build resilience against market fluctuations and support our rapidly growing sales. Importantly, we are committed to extending our in-house development and manufacturing capabilities vertically along our supply chain. Through our self-owned manufacturing bases and majority-owned JVs, we are able to self-produce range extenders and expect to produce five-in-one electric drive units that can support our EREV delivery targets. On the BEV side, we have commenced construction of a semiconductor manufacturing base in the high-tech zone of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province in the third quarter of 2022. It will focus on research and development and production of automotive-grade power modules based on the third-generation semiconductor material, silicon carbide (SiC). The power module is a core component of our self-developed 800-volt electric drive system.

Quality Control

Benchmarking the best-in-class practices in the industry, we have developed our own quality management system spanning the full lifecycle of a vehicle, from product design to after-sale services, covering hardware, software, and service.

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For testing and validation of our vehicles, we have maintained over 2,700 vehicle testing measures for each vehicle before delivery to customers to ensure high quality. We had performed sufficient road tests including enhanced reliability test on proving grounds, vehicle durability test on roads for general users, and various tests of ADAS performance. We not only resolve quality issues as they emerge, but also preemptively assess and prevent issues. We studied over issues frequently seen in market recalls and confirmed our solutions are adequate.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

We recognize the importance of contributing to sustainable development for the benefit of our society and environment. With this in mind, we strive to minimize the impact of our operations on the environment and promote sustainability and environmental awareness at all levels of our organization. In response to the national goal of “reaching peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060,” Li Auto, as a responsible corporate citizen, is keenly aware of its role to fight global climate change challenges and has introduced carbon reduction measures in our operations.

In April 2022, we published our inaugural ESG report. The report outlines our ESG strategies and highlights the outcomes and performance of our ESG management and practice in 2021, underscoring the commitment to being a responsible public company, with our mission: Create a Mobile Home, Create Happiness (“创造移动的家,创造幸福的家”). We have set up the ESG Working Group responsible for setting ESG goals, enhancing communication with stakeholders and identifying ESG-related risks and opportunities. In addition, we have established an internal cross-departmental working group to track and analyze low-carbon regulations and policies at home and abroad, propose relevant measures, and verify their implementation in our operations. In September 2022, we received an “AA” rating from MSCI ESG Research for the second consecutive year, one of the highest MSCI ESG ratings among automakers worldwide. To learn more about our ESG efforts and download the full ESG report in simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and English, please visit the ESG section of our investor relations website at https://ir.lixiang.com/esg.

User Privacy and Data Security

During the course of sales, marketing and operation of our vehicles, certain personal information is directly collected by us from users based on the services the users select, and mainly includes name, email address, mobile number, ID number, and other personal information relating to the usage of our vehicles. Our data privacy policy agreed by our users describes our data practices, and we do not use any data for any purpose other than those specified in the data privacy policy with our users. To the extent permitted by relevant Surveying and Mapping Qualification Certificate, we accumulate certain data related to GPS and road conditions in compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

Aside from purchasing certain components, such as chipset and sensors, we are self-developing our autonomous driving system in a full-stack, closed-loop manner and we plan to do so in the foreseeable future. We store in-house all the data accumulated in developing autonomous driving technologies. Our business does involve any cross-border data transfer. In particular, we have adopted and implemented strict internal protocols to ensure the security of map data we collect in the development of autonomous driving technologies in accordance with PRC laws. We do not provide any map data to or share such data with any foreign individuals and entities, or any foreign-invested enterprises established in China. We do not allow any unauthorized person to obtain such map data in the relevant technology tests and road tests. Pursuant to the PRC Law on Guarding State Secrets, the relevant authorities must mark state secrets on all the media that carry information involving state secrets, and if the information does not involve state secrets, it should not be marked as state secrets. When engaging in the aforementioned business, we did not see any state secret marks on the relevant media. To the best of our knowledge, we believe that the data we collect and store, including the map data, does not give rise to any state secret concern in any material respect.

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With the level of intelligence and connectivity of vehicles, and our highly integrated system that interacts with the users, we place strong emphasis on data security and protection. We have adopted and implemented a strict internal control system focusing on data security and personal information protection. The privacy policies with respect to the collection, use, and disclosure of user data have been posted on the websites and mobile apps that we operate, which inform the users of the purposes, methods, and scope of collecting and using their personal information. We do not use users’ data for any purpose that has not been consented by the users or is not necessary for our provision of services to the users. We have implemented procedures to regulate our employees’ actions in relation to user data in order to protect user privacy and data security. We also have adopted a strict access control mechanism to protect user privacy while meeting business requirements. In addition, we employ a variety of technical solutions to prevent and detect risks in user privacy and data security, such as encryption and log audit. Our internal cloud data security team as well as external data security experts constantly examine and test our data security system to ensure that any vulnerability identified is fixed immediately. Our user database can only be accessed by our designated and authorized personnel after approval, whose actions are recorded and monitored constantly by our internal cloud data security team. Without due consent and authorization from users or going through compliance procedures, we will not provide personal data to our business partners. We strictly follow the terms of authorization and the scope of usage set forth in the agreements with our users when processing and analyzing their personal data, and require all of our business partners to acknowledge and sign confidentiality agreements before they receive any user data from us. All data analyzed are encrypted and de-identified in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. If any of our business partners misuses or leaks user data provided by us or cause any damage to our users or us, we are entitled to terminate the agreements with such business partner and take protective measures, such as changing encrypted passwords and disconnecting the network, and may also pursue further legal proceedings against the business partner.

Competition

The China automotive market is highly competitive and we expect that it will become even more competitive in the future. We believe that our vehicles compete with premium vehicles regardless of powertrain technologies. We believe the primary competitive factors in our markets are: technological innovation, product quality and safety, product pricing, sales efficiency, manufacturing efficiency, branding, and design and styling. We believe that positive factors pertaining to our competitive position include precise consumer targeting and product defining capabilities, innovative designs and technologies, manufacturing cost management, distribution cost management, and general management efficiency as a company. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—We may not be successful in the highly competitive China automotive market.” for risks relating to competition in our industry.

Intellectual Property

We believe that we have significant capabilities in the areas of vehicle engineering, development, and design. As a result, our success depends, at least in part, on our ability to protect our core technologies and intellectual property rights. To accomplish this, we rely on a combination of patents, patent applications, trade secrets, including employee and third-party nondisclosure agreements, copyright laws, trademarks, intellectual property licenses and other contractual rights to establish and protect our proprietary rights in our technologies. As of December 31, 2022, we had 2,028 issued patents and 5,887 pending patent applications, which lay a solid foundation for our core proprietary technologies and the development of our next generation of EREVs and HPC BEVs in China. As of December 31, 2022, we had 575 registered trademarks, and 655 pending trademark applications in China. As of December 31, 2022, we also held or otherwise had the legal right to use 54 registered copyrights for software and 88 registered domain names, including lixiang.com. We intend to continue to file additional patent applications with respect to our technologies.

Vehicle Delivery

The following table sets forth our cumulative vehicle delivery data as of the end of the periods indicated.

December

March

June

September

December

March

June

September

December

March

June

September

December

March

    

2019

    

2020

    

2020

    

2020

    

2020

    

2021

    

2021

    

2021

    

2021

    

2022

    

2022

    

2022

    

2022

    

2023

Li Auto vehicles delivered (1)

 

973

 

3,869

 

10,473

 

19,133

 

33,597

 

46,176

 

63,751

 

88,867

 

124,088

155,804

184,491

211,015

257,334

 

309,918

Notes:

(1)Excludes vehicles delivered for testing and other non-sales purposes.

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Regulation

Regulations on Manufacturing of New Energy Passenger Vehicles

Pursuant to the Provisions on Administration of Investment in Automotive Industry, which was promulgated by the NDRC and became effective on January 10, 2019, enterprises are encouraged to, through equity investment and production capacity cooperation, facilitate mergers and restructuring, enter into strategic alliances, carry out joint research and development of products, organize joint manufacturing, and increase industrial integration. The leading resources in production, education, research, application, and other areas are encouraged to be integrated, and core enterprises in the automotive industry are encouraged to form industrial alliance and industrial consortium. In addition, these provisions categorize EREV as electric vehicles.

Pursuant to the Administrative Rules on the Admission of New Energy Vehicle Manufacturers and Products, to be included in the Vehicle Manufacturers and Products Announcement, our vehicles must satisfy certain conditions, including, among others, meeting certain standards set out therein, meeting other safety and technical requirements specified by the MIIT, and passing inspections conducted by a state-recognized inspection institution. After these conditions are met and the application has been approved by the MIIT, the qualified vehicles will be included in the Vehicle Manufacturers and Products Announcement by the MIIT. If an NEV manufacturer manufactures or sells any model of an NEV without prior approval of the competent authorities, including the inclusion in the Vehicle Manufacturers and Products Announcement by the MIIT, it may be subject to penalties, including fines, forfeiture of any illegally manufactured and sold vehicles and spare parts, and revocation of its business licenses.

On November 27, 2018, the MIIT issued the Administrative Measures on Admission of Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturing Enterprises and Products, which became effective on June 1, 2019. These measures set out the requirements for admission of road motor vehicle manufacturing enterprise including, among others, possessing the premises, funds and staff corresponding for the manufacturing activities, and possessing product design and development capacity, manufacturing capacity, manufacturing consistency assurance capacity and after-sales service support capacity corresponding to the manufacturing activities. On October 28, 2022, the MIIT published the Administrative Regulations on Admission of Road Motor Vehicle Manufacturing (Draft for Comment) for public comments, which further specifies manufacturers’ obligations in respect of environmental protection, after-sales service, software upgrade, and network and data security, and imposes administrative requirements on the admission of the manufacturing of intelligent connected vehicles, including, among others, (i) manufacturers of intelligent connected vehicles shall be competent for ensuring the network security and data security of vehicle products, and (ii) intelligent connected automotive products shall satisfy relevant standards and technical specifications concerning the expected functional safety, functional safety, network security and data security. In particular, products with the self-driving function must pass the risk testing and evaluation.

Regulations on Compulsory Product Certification

Pursuant to the Administrative Regulations on Compulsory Product Certification that was promulgated by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, or the QSIQ (which has been merged into the SAMR), which was recently amended on September 29, 2022 and became effective on November 1, 2022, and the List of the First Batch of Products Subject to Compulsory Product Certification that was promulgated by the QSIQ in association with the State Certification and Accreditation Administration Committee on December 3, 2001, the QSIQ is responsible for the regulation and quality certification of automobiles. Automobiles and parts and components cannot be sold, exported, or used in operating activities until they are certified by designated PRC certification authorities as qualified products and granted certification marks.

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Regulations on Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

Pursuant to the Guidance Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating the Promotion and Application of the New Energy Vehicles, which became effective on July 14, 2014, the Guidance Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating the Development of Charging Infrastructures of the Electric Vehicles, which became effective on September 29, 2015, and the Guidance on the Development of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (2015-2020), which became effective on October 9, 2015, and the Development Plan for the New Energy Vehicle Industry (2021-2035), which became effective on October 20, 2020, the PRC government encourages the construction and development of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, such as charging stations and battery swap stations, and only centralized charging and battery replacement power stations are required to obtain approvals for construction permits from the relevant authorities. The Circular on Accelerating the Development of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructures in Residential Areas promulgated on July 25, 2016 further provides that the operators of electric vehicle charging and battery swap infrastructure are required to carry liability insurance for the safety of their facilities. The manufacturers of charging and battery swap facilities and electric vehicle manufacturers are encouraged to purchase liability insurance on charging safety to protect individual users.

Regulations on Automobile Sales

Pursuant to the Administrative Measures on Automobile Sales promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, which became effective on July 1, 2017, automobile suppliers and dealers are required to file with the relevant authorities through the national automobile circulation information system operated by the competent commerce department within 90 days after the receipt of a business license. Where there is any change to the information filed, automobile suppliers and dealers must update such information within 30 days after such change.

Regulations on Vehicle Maintenance and Repair

Pursuant to the Administrative Provisions on Vehicle Maintenance and Repair promulgated by the Ministry of Transport on June 24, 2005 and most recently amended on August 11, 2021, operators providing vehicle maintenance and repair services shall file with the local road transport authority at the county level for record after completion of the registration with market supervision administration authorities. Where there is any change to the information filed, the operator must update such information with the relevant road transport authority. The vehicle maintenance and repair services are classified into three classes, namely, Class I, Class II or Class III according to its business and service capabilities. Automotive maintenance operator shall conduct the automotive maintenance business in accordance with the national, industrial or local standards for automotive maintenance and the technical information for automotive maintenance published by the automobile manufacturer or importer. In addition, automotive maintenance operators shall publish their charging items, typical number of hours required to perform each service and service rate at their business premises. The administrative authorities in charge of road transportation at the county level or above may order the operator engaging in the automotive maintenance business to rectify if such operator fails to meet the regulatory standards for automotive maintenance formulated by the competent authorities of transportation under the State Council; if the circumstance is serious, the road transportation authority at the county level or above may order such entity or relevant individuals to suspend business for rectification. In addition, if any entity or individual engaging in the automotive maintenance business fails to file as required might be ordered to rectify by the road transportation administration at the county level or above. Failure to rectify may subject such entity or individuals to fines of not less than RMB5,000 but not more than RMB20,000.

Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobiles

On October 22, 2012, the State Council promulgated the Administrative Provisions on Defective Automotive Product Recalls, which became effective on January 1, 2013 and was amended on March 2, 2019. The product quality supervision department of the State Council is responsible for the supervision and administration of recalls of defective automotive products nationwide. Pursuant to these administrative provisions, manufacturers of automotive products are required to take measures to eliminate defects in the products they sell and recall all defective automotive products. Failure to recall such products may result in a compulsory order to recall the defective products from the quality supervisory authority of the State Council. If an operator conducting sales, leasing, or repairs of vehicles discovers any defect in any automotive products, it must cease to sell, lease, or use the defective products and must assist manufacturers in the recall of those products. Manufacturers must recall their products through publicly available channels and publicly announce the defects. Manufacturers must take measures to eliminate or cure defects, including rectification, identification, modification, replacement, or return of the products. Manufacturers that attempt to conceal defects or do not recall defective automotive products in accordance with the relevant regulations will be subject to penalties, including fines, forfeiture of any income earned in violation of law, and revocation of licenses.

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Pursuant to the Implementation Rules on the Administrative Provisions on Defective Automotive Product Recalls, which became effective on January 1, 2016 and were recently amended on October 23, 2020, if a manufacturer is aware of any potential defect in its automobiles, it must investigate in a timely manner and report the results of such investigation to the SAMR. Where any defect is found during the investigation, the manufacturer must cease to manufacture, sell, or import the relevant automotive products and recall such products in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

On November 23, 2020, the SAMR issued the Circular on Further Improving the Regulation of Recall of Automobile with OTA (over-the air) Technology, pursuant to which automobiles manufacturers that provide technical services through OTA are required to complete filing with the SAMR and those who have provided such services through OTA must complete such filing before December 31, 2020. Chongqing Lixiang Automobile Co., Ltd. has completed such filing. In addition, if an automaker uses OTA technology to eliminate defects and recalls their defective products, it must make a recall plan and completes a filing with the SAMR.

On March 29, 2022, the MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Emergency Management and the SAMR jointly issued the Guiding Opinions on Further Strengthening the Construction of Safety System for New Energy Vehicle Enterprises, which proposed to comprehensively enhance the safety capabilities of enterprises in safety management mechanism, product quality, operation monitoring, after-sales service, accident response and handling, as well as network security, improve the safety of new energy vehicles, and promote the high-quality development of the new energy vehicle industry.

On April 15, 2022, the MIIT issued the Circular on the Filing of Online Upgrade of Automobile Software, which became effective on the same day. Pursuant to this circular, a vehicle manufacturer that has obtained the manufacturing admission for road motor vehicles shall complete filings for its automobile products with online software upgrade function (also known as the OTA upgrade function) and its online software upgrade activities. A vehicle manufacturer shall complete filings of its management capabilities, vehicle types and functions, and specific upgrade activities in sequence as required to implement the online software upgrade activities. In particular, the online software upgrade activities can be divided into three categories: (a) for upgrade activities not involving changes in product safety, environmental protection, energy saving, anti-theft and other technical performance, enterprises may directly conduct such upgrade activities after filing; (b) for upgrade activities involving changes in product safety, environmental protection, energy saving, anti-theft and other technical performance, enterprises shall submit verification materials to ensure that the products comply with national laws and regulations, technical standards and specifications as well as other relevant requirements; and (c) for upgrade activities involving vehicle autonomous driving functions (level 3 and above of driving automation classification), they should be approved by the MIIT.

Regulations on Product Liability

Pursuant to the PRC Product Quality Law, which was promulgated on February 22, 1993 and amended on July 8, 2000, August 27, 2009, and December 29, 2018, a manufacturer is prohibited from producing or selling products that do not meet applicable standards and requirements for safeguarding human health and ensuring human and property safety. Products must be free from unreasonable dangers threatening human and property safety. Where a defective product causes personal injury or property damage, the aggrieved party may make a claim for compensation from the manufacturer or the seller of the product. Manufacturers and sellers of non-compliant products may be ordered to cease the production or sale of the products and could be subject to confiscation of the products and fines. Earnings from sales in violation of such standards or requirements may also be confiscated, and in severe cases, an offender’s business license may be revoked.

On February 25, 2022, the SAMR, the MIIT, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Emergency Management, and the PRC General Administration of Customs jointly published the Circular on Trial Implementation of Sandbox Supervision System for Automotive Safety. Pursuant to this circular, the sandbox supervision system for automobile safety regulates the frontier technologies such as the perception of environment, intelligent decision-making and coordinated control, and the new functions and models such as the various levels of automatic driving and remote upgrading. Enterprises applying for the sandbox supervision, including suppliers of vehicles, components, internet technologies, data services, network operation, as well as software and systems, shall perform the responsibility for quality safety initiatively, research and evaluate unknown risks with regulatory departments, and maintain necessary testing and emergency management systems. Specifically, enterprises applying for the sandbox regulation with regard to frontier technologies or new functions and models shall go through five stages, including application, evaluation, testing, reporting and exit.

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Favorable Government Policies Relating to NEVs in China

Government Subsidies for NEV Purchasers

On April 22, 2015, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, and the NDRC jointly issued the Circular on the Financial Support Policies on the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles in 2016-2020, which became effective on the same day. This circular provides that those who purchase NEVs specified in the Catalog of Recommended New Energy Vehicle Models for Promotion and Application by the MIIT from 2016 to 2020 may obtain subsidies from the PRC government. Pursuant to this circular, a purchaser may purchase an NEV from a seller by paying the original price minus the subsidy amount, and the seller may obtain the subsidy amount from the government after such NEV is sold to the purchaser. Li ONE, Li L8 and Li L9 have been added to this catalog by the MIIT and are eligible for such subsidies. The circular also provided a preliminary phase-out schedule for the provision of subsidies.

On December 29, 2016, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, and the NDRC jointly issued the Circular on Adjusting the Subsidy Policy for the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles, which became effective on January 1, 2017, to adjust the existing subsidy standard for NEV purchasers by capping the local subsidies at 50% of the national subsidy amount and further specifying that the national subsidies for purchasers of certain NEVs (except for fuel cell vehicles) from 2019 to 2020 will be reduced by 20% from the 2017 subsidy standards.

The subsidy standard is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. On April 23, 2020, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, and the NDRC jointly issued the Circular on Improving the Subsidy Policy for the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles, pursuant to which, the original end date of subsidies for NEV purchasers will be extended by two years to the end of 2022 and the national subsidies for NEVs will be reduced in 10% increments each year, commencing from 2020. Only NEVs with an MSRP of RMB300,000 or less before subsidies or equipped with battery swapping module are eligible for such subsidies starting from July 2020, and the selling prices of Li ONE and the Li L series are higher than the threshold. In addition, the circular also limits the number of vehicles eligible for subsidies each year to approximately 2 million. On December 31, 2020, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, and the NDRC jointly issued the Circular on Further Improving the Subsidy Policies for the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles, which became effective on January 1, 2021. Pursuant to this circular, the national subsidies for NEVs would be reduced in 20% increments in 2021 compared with that of 2020. On December 31, 2021, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, and the NDRC jointly issued the Circular on Subsidy Policies for Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles in 2022, which became effective on January 1, 2022. Pursuant to this circular, the national subsidies for NEVs will be further reduced in 30% increments in 2022 compared with that of 2021. The circular also clarifies that the subsidy policy will not be implemented after December 31, 2022, and NEV purchasers will not be eligible for the subsidies if the NEVs they purchase are licensed after December 31, 2022.

Exemption of Vehicle Purchase Tax

On December 26, 2017, the Ministry of Finance, the STA, the MIIT, and the Ministry of Science and Technology jointly issued the Announcement on Exemption of Vehicle Purchase Tax for New Energy Vehicle, pursuant to which, from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020, the vehicle purchase tax applicable to ICE vehicles is not imposed on purchases of qualified NEVs listed in the Catalog of New Energy Vehicle Models Exempt from Vehicle Purchase Tax issued by the MIIT, including NEVs listed before December 31, 2017.

On April 16, 2020, the Ministry of Finance, the STA, and the MIIT jointly issued the Announcement on Exemption Policy of Vehicle Purchase Tax for New Energy Vehicle, which became effective on January 1, 2021, pursuant to which the exemption of vehicle purchase tax for the NEVs will be extended to December 31, 2022.

Pursuant to the Announcement on Continuing the Policies Regarding the Exemption Policy of Vehicle Purchase Tax for New Energy Vehicle jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance, the STA, and the MIIT on September 18, 2022, the exemption of vehicle purchase tax for the NEVs will be further extended to December 31, 2023. Li ONE, Li L7, Li L8 and Li L9 have been added to the Catalog of New Energy Vehicle Models Exempt from Vehicle Purchase Tax, and the purchasers of such vehicles thus may enjoy the vehicle purchase tax exemption in accordance with these policies.

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Non-Imposition of Vehicle and Vessel Tax

Pursuant to the Preferential Vehicle and Vessel Tax Policies for Energy-Saving and New Energy Vehicles and Vessels jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the STA, and the MIIT on July 10, 2018, NEVs, including battery electric commercial vehicles, plug-in (including extended-range) hybrid electric vehicles, fuel cell commercial vehicles are exempt from vehicle and vessel tax, whereas BEVs and fuel cell passenger vehicles are not subject to vehicle and vessel tax. The qualified vehicles are listed in the Catalog of New Energy Vehicle Models Exempt from Vehicle and Vessel Tax issued by the MIIT and STA from time to time. Li ONE, Li L7, Li L8 and Li L9 have been listed in this catalog, and are thus exempt from vehicle and vessel tax.

NEV License Plates

In recent years, in order to control the number of motor vehicles on the road, certain local governments in China, such as Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou, have issued restrictions on the issuance of vehicle license plates. These restrictions generally do not apply to the issuance of license plates for NEVs (including EREVs), which makes it easier for NEV purchasers to obtain license plates. For example, in Shanghai, local authorities will issue new license plates to qualified NEV purchasers pursuant to the Implementation Measures on Encouraging Purchase and Use of New Energy Vehicles in Shanghai, without requiring such qualified purchasers to go through certain license-plate bidding processes and to pay license-plate purchase fees as compared with ICE vehicle purchasers. However, in Beijing, EREVs are treated as ICE vehicles for the purposes of obtaining license plates. Potential EREV purchasers in Beijing must participate in a lottery for a purchase permit, instead of applying for the NEV license plates based on the quota determined by the local authorities in Beijing. Pursuant to the Implementation Measures on Encouraging Purchase and Use of New Energy Vehicles in Shanghai issued in February 2021, EREVs would not be considered as the NEVs which are exempt from the license plate restrictions starting from January 1, 2023.

Policies Relating to Incentives for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

On January 11, 2016, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, the NDRC, and the National Energy Administration jointly promulgated the Circular on Incentive Policies on the Charging Infrastructures of New Energy Vehicles and Strengthening the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles During the 13th Five-year Plan Period, which became effective on January 11, 2016. Pursuant to this circular, the central finance department is expected to provide certain local governments with funds and subsidies for the construction and operation of charging facilities and other relevant charging infrastructure.

Certain local governments have also implemented incentive policies for the construction and operation of charging infrastructure. For example, pursuant to the Interim Rules on Subsidies for the Operation of Electronic Vehicles Charging Infrastructures for Public Use in Beijing, which became effective on August 4, 2021, certain operators of charging facilities for public use may be eligible for subsidies based on their charging capacity and operation review results. Likewise, such subsidies were also implemented in the Implementation Rules on the Subsidies for Construction and Operation of Electronic Vehicles Charging Infrastructures in 2022 in Beijing that took effect on July 28, 2022.

CAFC and NEV Credit Schemes for Vehicle Manufacturers and Importers

On September 27, 2017, the MIIT, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the PRC General Administration of Customs and the QSIQ jointly promulgated the Measure for the Parallel Administration of the Corporate Average Fuel Consumption and New Energy Vehicle Credits of Passenger Vehicle Enterprises, pursuant to which, each of the vehicle manufacturers and vehicle importers above a certain scale is required to maintain its new energy vehicles credits, or NEV credits, above zero, regardless of whether NEVs or ICE vehicles are manufactured or imported by it, and NEV credits can be earned only by manufacturing or importing NEVs. Therefore, NEV manufacturers will enjoy preferences in obtaining and calculating of NEV credits.

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NEV credits equal to the aggregate actual scores of a vehicle manufacturer or a vehicle importer minus its aggregate targeted scores. The targeted scores shall be the product obtained by multiplying annual production/import volume of fuel energy vehicles of a vehicle manufacturer or a vehicle importer by the NEV credit ratio set by the MIIT, while the actual scores are to be the product obtained by multiplying the score of each new energy vehicle type by respective new energy vehicle production/import volume. Excess positive NEV credits are tradable and may be sold to other enterprises through a credit management system established by the MIIT. Negative NEV credits can be offset by purchasing excess positive NEV credits from other manufacturers or importers. As a manufacturer that will only manufacture new energy vehicles, after we obtain our own manufacturing license, we will be able to earn NEV credits by manufacturing new energy vehicles through our future manufacturing plant on each vehicle manufactured, and may sell our excess positive NEV credits to other vehicle manufacturers or importers. On June 15, 2020, the MIIT, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Commerce, the PRC General Administration of Customs and the QSIQ jointly promulgated the Amendment to Measure for the Parallel Administration of the Corporate Average Fuel Consumption and New Energy Vehicle Credits of Passenger Vehicle Enterprises. The newly erected measures, which became effective on January 1, 2021, adjusts the calculation methods of credits of new energy passenger vehicles and provides the requirements of NEV credits from 2021 to 2023.

Regulations on Autonomous Driving

On July 27, 2021, the MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Transport issued the Circular on the Norms on Administration of Road Testing and Demonstrative Application of Intelligent Connected Vehicles (Trial Implementation), or the Circular No. 97, which is the primary regulation governing protocol of road testing of intelligent connected vehicles in the PRC. Pursuant to the Circular No. 97, any entity intending to conduct a road testing of intelligent connected vehicles must apply for and obtain a road-testing certificate and a temporary license plate for each tested car. To qualify for these required licenses, an applicant entity must satisfy, among others, the following requirements: (i) it must be an independent legal person registered under PRC law with the capacity to conduct manufacturing, technological research or testing of automobiles and automobile parts, which has established protocol to test and assess the performance of intelligent connected system and is capable of conducting real-time remote monitor of the tested cars; (ii) the vehicle under road testing must be equipped with a driving system that can switch between autonomous pilot model and human driving model in a safe, quick and simple manner and allows human driver to take control of the vehicle any time immediately when necessary; (iii) the tested vehicle must be equipped with the function of recording, storing and real-time monitoring the condition of the vehicle and is able to transmit real-time data of the vehicle, such as the driving model, location and speed; (iv) the applicant entity must sign an employment contract or a labor service contract with the driver of the tested vehicle, who must be a licensed driver with more than three years’ driving experience and a track record of safe driving and is familiar with the testing protocol for autonomous driving system and proficient in operating the system; and (v) the applicant entity must insure each tested vehicle for at least RMB5 million against car accidents or provide a letter of guarantee covering the same. During testing, the testing entity should post a noticeable identification logo for autonomous driving test on each tested car and should not use autonomous driving model unless in the permitted testing areas specified in the road-testing certificate. If the testing entity intends to conduct road testing in the region beyond the administrative territory of the certificate issuing authority, it must apply for a separate road-testing certificate and a separate temporary license plate from the relevant authority supervising the road-testing of autonomous cars in that region. In addition, the testing entity is required to submit to the road-testing certificate issuing authority a periodical testing report every six months and a final testing report within one month after completion of the road testing. In the case of a car accident causing severe injury or death of personnel or vehicle damage, the testing entity must report the accident to the relevant authority within 24 hours and submit a comprehensive analysis report in writing covering cause analysis, final liability allocation results, etc. within five working days after the traffic enforcement agency determines the liability for the accident.

On August 25, 2022, the Ministry of Natural Resources issued the Notice on Promoting the Development of Intelligent Connected Vehicles to Maintain the Security of Mapping and Geographic Information, which took effect on the same day. Pursuant to this notice, if an intelligent connected vehicle is equipped with or integrated with a satellite navigation positioning receiving module, inertial measurement unit, camera, laser radar and other sensors, the collection, storage, transmission and processing of surveying, mapping and geographic information and data, including spatial coordinates, images, point clouds and attribute information of vehicles and surrounding road facilities, service and road testing, should be deemed as the surveying and mapping activities specified in the Surveying and Mapping Law of the PRC. Automobile enterprises, service providers and smart driving software providers that are engaged in relevant data collection, storage, transmission and processing shall obtain the relevant qualification for conducting surveying and mapping services in accordance with applicable laws and regulations or engage an agency with the relevant qualification for conducting surveying and mapping services to carry out the relevant surveying and mapping activities.

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Regulations on Foreign Investment in China

Regulations on Foreign Investment Restrictions

Investment activities in China by foreign investors are principally governed by the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for the Access of Foreign Investment, or the Negative List and the Catalog of Industries for Encouraging Foreign Investment, or the Encouraging Catalog, which were promulgated and are amended from time to time by the Ministry of Commerce and the NDRC. The Negative List and the Encouraging Catalog classify industries into three categories with regard to foreign investment: (i) “encouraged,” (ii) “restricted,” and (iii) “prohibited.”

The currently effective Negative List is the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for the Access of Foreign Investment (2021 Version), or the 2021 Negative List, which was published by the Ministry of Commerce and NDRC on December 27, 2021 and became effective on January 1, 2022. In addition, in October 2022, the Ministry of Commerce and the NDRC jointly issued the Encouraged Foreign Investment Industry Catalog (2022 Version), which became effective on January 1, 2023. Industries that are not listed in the 2021 Negative List are permitted areas for foreign investments and are generally open to foreign investment unless specifically restricted by other PRC regulations. Some restricted industries are limited to equity or contractual joint ventures, while in some cases Chinese partners are required to hold majority interests in such joint ventures. In addition, projects in the restricted category may be subject to higher-level government approval requirements. Foreign investors are not allowed to invest in industries in the prohibited category. For example, foreign investors are prohibited from investing in companies engaged in on-ground mobile surveying, Internet culture businesses (except for music) and radio and television program production businesses under the 2021 Negative List. The provision of value-added telecommunications services falls in the restricted category under the 2021 Negative List and the percentage of foreign ownership cannot exceed 50%, except for e-commerce, domestic multi-party communications, and store-and-forward call centers.

Pursuant to the Provisions on Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises promulgated by the State Council in December 2001 and amended in September 2008 and February 2016, the ultimate foreign equity ownership in a value-added telecommunications services provider cannot exceed 50%. Moreover, for a foreign investor to own any equity interest in a value-added telecommunication business in China, it must satisfy a number of stringent performance and operational experience requirements, and obtain approvals from the MIIT and the Ministry of Commerce or their authorized local counterparts, which retain considerable discretion in granting approvals. The MIIT issued the Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Investment in and Operation of Value-Added Telecommunications Business in July 2006, which reiterate the regulations on foreign investment in telecommunications businesses and require foreign investors to set up foreign investment enterprises, or FIEs and obtain telecommunications business operating licenses to conduct any value-added telecommunications business in China.

In addition, on April 7, 2022, the State Council of the PRC issued the Decision to Amend and Abolish Certain Administrative Regulations, which provides to make amendments to the Provisions on Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises. The amendments include, among others, removing the performance and operational experience requirements for major foreign investors that own equity interest in PRC companies conducting value-added telecommunication business in China in the Provisions on Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises. The amended Provisions on Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises took effect on May 1, 2022. There are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and implementation of the newly amended regulations.

To comply with PRC laws and regulations, we rely on contractual arrangements with the VIEs to operate value-added telecommunications services and other foreign restriction business in China.

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Foreign Investment Law

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress promulgated the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the PRC Equity Joint Venture Law, the PRC Cooperative Joint Venture Law, and the Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic-invested enterprises in China. The Foreign Investment Law establishes the basic framework for the access to, and the promotion, protection, and administration of foreign investments in view of investment protection and fair competition.

Pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by one or more natural persons, business entities, or otherwise organizations of a foreign country within China, or foreign investors, and the investment activities include the following situations: (i) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, establishes an FIE in China; (ii) a foreign investor acquires stock shares, equity shares, shares in assets, or other similar rights and interests of an enterprise within China; (iii) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, invests in a new project in China; and (iv) investments in other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations, or the State Council.

Pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law, the State Council will publish or approve to publish a catalog for special administrative measures, or a “negative list”, The Foreign Investment Law grants national treatment to FIEs, except for those

FIEs that operate in industries deemed to be either “restricted” or “prohibited” in the “negative list.” Because the “negative list” has yet to be published, it is unclear whether it will differ from the current special administrative measures for market access of foreign investment (Negative List). The Foreign Investment Law provides that FIEs operating in foreign restricted or prohibited industries will require market entry clearance and other approvals from relevant PRC governmental authorities.

Furthermore, the Foreign Investment Law provides that FIEs established according to the existing laws regulating foreign investment may maintain their structure and corporate governance within five years after the implementation of the Foreign Investment Law.

In addition, the Foreign Investment Law also provides several protective rules and principles for foreign investors and their investments in China, including, among others, that local governments must abide by their commitments to the foreign investors; FIEs are allowed to issue stocks and corporate bonds; expropriation or requisition of the investment of foreign investors is prohibited except for special circumstances, in which case statutory procedures must be followed and fair and reasonable compensation must be made in a timely manner; mandatory technology transfer is prohibited; and the capital contributions, profits, capital gains, proceeds out of asset disposal, licensing fees of intellectual property rights, indemnity or compensation legally obtained, or proceeds received upon settlement by foreign investors in China may be freely remitted inward and outward in Renminbi or foreign currencies. Also, foreign investors or FIEs should be imposed legal liabilities for failing to report investment information in accordance with the requirements.

On December 26, 2019, the PRC State Council approved the Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. The Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law restates certain principles of the Foreign Investment Law and further provides that, among others, (i) if the legal form or the governing structure of an FIE established prior to the effective date of the Foreign Investment Law does not comply with the compulsory provisions of the PRC Company Law or the PRC Partnership Enterprises Law, such FIE should complete amendment registration accordingly no later than January 1, 2025; if it fails to do so, the enterprise registration authority will not process other registration matters of the FIE and may publicize such non-compliance; and (ii) the provisions regarding transfer of equity interests, distribution of profits and remaining assets as stipulated in the joint venture contracts of an existing FIE may survive the Foreign Investment Law during its joint venture term.

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Regulations on Value-Added Telecommunications Services

In 2000, the State Council promulgated the PRC Telecommunications Regulations, which was most recently amended in February 2016 and provides a regulatory framework for telecommunications services providers in China. The Telecommunications Regulations categorize all telecommunications businesses in China as either basic or value-added telecommunications services. Value-added telecommunications services are defined as telecommunications and information services provided through public network infrastructure. Pursuant to the Classified Catalog of Telecommunications Services, an attachment to the Telecommunications Regulations, which was most recently updated in June 2019 by the MIIT, internet information services, or ICP services, are classified as value-added telecommunications services. Under the Telecommunications Regulations and relevant administrative measures, commercial operators of value-added telecommunications services must first obtain an ICP license from the MIIT or its provincial level counterparts. Otherwise, such an operator might be subject to sanctions, including rectification orders and warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, and, in case of significant infringement, orders to close the website.

Pursuant to the Administrative Measures on Internet Information Services, promulgated by the State Council in 2000 and amended in 2011, “internet information services” refer to the provision of information through the internet to online users, and are divided into “commercial internet information services” and “non-commercial internet information services.” A commercial ICP service operator must obtain an ICP license before engaging in any commercial ICP services in China, while the ICP license is not required if the operator will only provide internet information on a non-commercial basis.

In addition to the regulations and measures above, the provision of commercial internet information services on mobile internet applications are regulated by the Administrative Provisions on Information Services of Mobile Internet Applications, promulgated by the State Internet Information Office in June 2016 and amended on June 14, 2022. Information services providers of mobile internet applications are subject to these provisions, including acquiring relevant qualifications and being responsible for the management of information security.

We provide certain paid membership and other paid premium services to the owners of the vehicles through our websites and mobile application, which constitute commercial internet information services as defined in the above provisions. Beijing Chelixing Information Technology Co., Ltd. has obtained an ICP License that will remain effective until May 29, 2024.

Regulations on Consumer Rights Protection

Our business is subject to a variety of consumer protection laws, including the PRC Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law, which was amended in 2013 and became effective on March 15, 2014. It imposes stringent requirements and obligations on business operators. Failure to comply with these consumer protection laws could subject us to administrative sanctions, such as the issuance of a warning, confiscation of illegal income, imposition of fines, an order to cease business operations, revocation of business licenses, and potential civil or criminal liabilities.

Regulations on Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection

In November 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, promulgated the PRC Cybersecurity Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017. The Cybersecurity Law requires that network operators, including internet information services providers, take technical measures and other necessary measures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and the compulsory requirements of the national and industrial standards to safeguard the safe and stable operation of its networks. We are subject to such requirements as we are operating a website and mobile application and providing certain internet services mainly through our mobile application. The Cybersecurity Law further requires internet information services providers to formulate contingency plans for network security incidents, report to the competent departments immediately upon the occurrence of any incident endangering cybersecurity, and take corresponding remedial measures.

Internet information services providers are also required to maintain the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of network data. The Cybersecurity Law reaffirms the basic principles and requirements specified in other existing laws and regulations on personal data protection, such as the requirements on the collection, use, processing, storage, and disclosure of personal data, and internet information services providers being required to take technical and other necessary measures to ensure the security of the personal information they have collected and prevent the personal information from being divulged, damaged, or lost. Any violation of the Cybersecurity Law may subject an internet information services provider to warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses, cancelation of filings, shutdown of websites, or criminal liabilities.

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On September 14, 2022, the CAC released the Notice on Seeking Public Comments on the Decision on Amending the Cybersecurity Law of the People’s Republic of China (Draft for Public Comments), which imposes more stringent legal liabilities and raises the upper limit of monetary fines for serious violation of the security protection obligations of network operation, network information, critical information infrastructure and personal information under the Cybersecurity Law to RMB50 million or 5% of the company’s total sales from the previous year.

The Decision on Maintenance of Cybersecurity enacted by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on December 28, 2000, as amended in August 2009, stipulates, among others, that the following activities conducted via internet are subject to criminal penalty if they constitute crimes under PRC law: (i) hacking into a computer or system of strategic importance; (ii) intentionally inventing and spreading destructive programs such as computer viruses to attack computer systems and communications networks, thus damaging computer systems and the communications networks; (iii) disconnecting computer networks or communications services without authorization in violation of laws and regulations; (iv) divulging state secrets; (v) spreading false commercial information; or (vi) infringing intellectual property rights via internet.

The Provisions on Technological Measures for Cybersecurity Protection promulgated on December 13, 2005 by the Ministry of Public Security requires internet service providers and organizations that use interconnection services to implement technical measures for cybersecurity protection from any threat to network security, such as computer viruses and network attacks and breaches. All internet access service providers are required to take measures to keep a record of and preserve user registration information. Under these measures, value-added telecommunications services license holders must regularly update information security and content control systems for their websites and must also report any public dissemination of prohibited content to local public security authorities. If a value-added telecommunications services license holder violates these measures, the Ministry of Public Security and the local security bureaus may revoke its operating license and shut down its websites.

Pursuant to the Decision on Strengthening the Protection of Online Information issued by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress in 2012 and the Provisions on the Protection of Telecommunication and Internet User Personal Information issued by the MIIT in 2013 and the Cybersecurity Law, any collection and use of a user’s personal information must be consensual, legal, reasonable, and necessary, and must be limited to specified purposes, methods, and scopes. An internet information service provider must also keep such information strictly confidential, and is further prohibited from divulging, tampering with, or destroying any such information, or selling or providing such information to other parties. An internet information service provider is required to take technical and other measures to prevent the collected personal information from any unauthorized disclosure, damage, or loss. In case of any actual or potential leakage of user personal information, internet information service providers must take immediate remedial measures and make timely report to the relevant regulatory authorities and inform users in accordance with the regulations. Any violation of these laws and regulations may subject the internet information service provider to warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses, cancelation of filings, shutdown of websites, or even criminal liabilities.

Pursuant to the Notice of the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate, and the Ministry of Public Security on Lawfully Punishing Criminal Activities Infringing upon the Personal Information of Citizens issued in 2013 and the Interpretation of the Supreme People’s Court and the Supreme People’s Procuratorate on Several Issues Regarding Legal Application in Criminal Cases Infringing upon the Personal Information of Citizens issued on May 8, 2017 and effective on June 1, 2017, the following activities may constitute the crime of infringing upon a citizen’s personal information: (i) providing a citizen’s personal information to specified persons or releasing a citizen’s personal information online or through other methods in violation of relevant regulations and rules; (ii) providing legitimately collected information relating to a citizen to others without such citizen’s consent (unless the information is processed, not traceable to a specific person, and not recoverable); (iii) collecting a citizen’s personal information in violation of applicable regulations and rules when performing a duty or providing services; or (iv) collecting a citizen’s personal information by purchasing, accepting, or exchanging such information in violation of applicable regulations and rules.

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With respect to the security of information collected and used by mobile apps, pursuant to the Announcement of Conducting Special Supervision Against the Illegal Collection and Use of Personal Information by Apps issued on January 23, 2019, app operators should collect and use personal information in compliance with the Cybersecurity Law and should be responsible for the security of personal information obtained from users and take effective measures to strengthen the protection of personal information. Furthermore, app operators must not force their users to make authorization by means of bundling, suspending installation, or in other default forms and should not collect personal information in (i) violation of laws or regulations, or (ii) breach of user agreements. Such regulatory requirements were emphasized by the Notice on the Special Rectification of Apps Infringing upon Users’ Personal Rights and Interests issued by the MIIT on October 31, 2019. On November 28, 2019, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the MIIT, the Ministry of Public Security, and the SAMR jointly issued the Methods of Identifying Illegal Acts of Apps to Collect and Use Personal Information. This regulation further illustrates certain commonly seen illegal practices of app operators in terms of the protection of personal information, including: “failure to publicize rules for collecting and using personal information,” “failure to expressly state the purpose, manner, and scope of collecting and using personal information,” “collection and use of personal information without consent of users of the app,” “collecting personal information irrelevant to the services provided by the app in violation of the principle of necessity,” “provision of personal information to others without users’ consent,” “failure to provide the function of deleting or correcting personal information as required by laws,” and “failure to publish information such as methods for complaints and reporting.” Any of the following acts, among others, of an app operator will constitute “collection and use of personal information without consent of users:” (i) collecting any user’s personal information or activating the permission for collecting any user’s personal information without obtaining such user’s consent; (ii) collecting personal information or activating the permission for collecting the personal information of any user who explicitly refuses such collection, or repeatedly seeking any user’s consent such that the user’s normal use of such app is disturbed; (iii) collecting any user’s personal information that has been actually collected by the app operator or activating the permission for collecting any user’s personal information by the app operator that is beyond the scope of personal information authorized to be collected; (iv) seeking any user’s consent in a non-explicit manner; (v) modifying any user’s settings for activating the permission for collecting any personal information without such user’s consent; (vi) using users’ personal information and any algorithms to directionally push any information, without providing the option of non-directed pushing of such information; (vii) misleading users to permit collecting their personal information or activating the permission for collecting the users’ personal information by improper methods, such as fraud and deception; (viii) failing to provide users with the means and methods to withdraw their permission for collecting personal information; and (ix) collecting and using personal information in violation of the rules for collecting and using personal information promulgated by the app operator.

On August 20, 2021, the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress issued the PRC Personal Information Protection Law, which took effect on November 1, 2021, integrates the scattered rules with respect to personal information rights and privacy protection. The PRC Personal Information Protection Law aims at protecting the personal information rights and interests, regulating the processing of personal information, ensuring the orderly and free flow of personal information in accordance with the law, and promoting the reasonable use of personal information. Personal information, as defined in the PRC Personal Information Protection Law, refers to information related to identified or identifiable natural persons and recorded by electronic or other means, but excluding the anonymized information. The PRC Personal Information Protection Law provides the circumstances under which a personal information processor could process personal information, which include but not limited to, where the consent of the individual concerned is obtained and where it is necessary for the conclusion or performance of a contract to which the individual is a contractual party. It also stipulates certain specific rules with respect to the obligations of a personal information processor, such as to inform the purpose and method of processing to the individuals, and the obligation of the third party who has access to the personal information by way of co-processing or delegation.

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Pursuant to the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2020) promulgated by the Cyberspace Administration of China and certain other PRC regulatory authorities in April 2020, which took effect in June 2020, critical information infrastructure operators must pass a cybersecurity review when purchasing network products and services that affect or may affect national security. On December 28, 2021, the Cyberspace Administration of China published the Cybersecurity Review Measures, which became effective on February 15, 2022 and replaced the Measures for Cybersecurity Review (2020). Pursuant to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, critical information infrastructure operators that purchase network products and services and network platform operators engaging in data processing activities that affect or may affect national security must be subject to the cybersecurity review. According to the Cybersecurity Review Measures, before purchasing any network products or services, a critical information infrastructure operator should assess potential national security risks that may arise from the launch or use of such products or services, and apply for a cybersecurity review with the cybersecurity review office of CAC if national security will or may be affected. In addition, network platform operators who possess personal information of more than one million users and intend to be listed on a foreign stock exchange must be subject to the cybersecurity review. The relevant government authorities may initiate the cybersecurity review against the relevant operators if the authorities believe that the network products or services or data processing activities of such operators affect or may affect national security.

The Cybersecurity Review Measures further elaborate the factors to be considered when assessing the national security risks of the relevant activities, including, among others: (i) the risk of any critical information infrastructure being illegally controlled, interfered, or sabotaged; (ii) the harm to the business continuity of any critical information infrastructure caused by the disruption of supply of these products and services; (iii) the security, openness, transparency, and variety of sources of these products or services, the reliability of supply channels, and risks of supply interruptions due to factors such as politics, diplomacy, and trade; (iv) the level of compliance with PRC laws and regulations of the product and service providers; (v) the risk of core data, important data, or a large amount of personal information being stolen, leaked, destroyed, and illegally used or transferred cross-border; (vi) the risk of critical information infrastructure, core data, important data, or a large amount of personal information being affected, controlled, or maliciously used by foreign governments and the cyber information security risk in connection with public offering; and (vii) other factors that may adversely affect the security of critical information infrastructures, cybersecurity, or data security.

If the cybersecurity review office of CAC deems it necessary to conduct a cybersecurity review, it should complete a preliminary review (including reaching a suggestion for the review conclusion and sending the suggestion to the implementing body for the cybersecurity review mechanism and the relevant authorities for their comments) within 30 business days from the issuance of a written notice to the operator, or 45 business days for complicated cases. Upon the receipt of a review conclusion suggestion, the implementing body for the cybersecurity review mechanism and the relevant authorities for their comments should issue a written reply within 15 business days. If the cybersecurity review office of CAC and these authorities reach a consensus, the cybersecurity review office of CAC should inform the operator in writing; otherwise, the case will go through a special review procedure. The special review procedure should be completed within 90 business days, or longer for complicated cases.

On June 10, 2021, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Data Security Law, which took effect in September 2021. The Data Security Law introduces a data classification and hierarchical protection system based on the materiality of data in economic and social development, as well as the degree of harm it will cause to national security, public interests, or legitimate rights and interests of persons or entities when such data is tampered with, destroyed, divulged, or illegally acquired or used. It also provides for a security review procedure for the data activities which may affect national security.

On August 17, 2021, the State Council issued the Regulations on Protection of Security of Critical Information Infrastructure, which took effect on September 1, 2021, pursuant to which “critical information infrastructures” refers to critical network facilities and information systems involved in important industries and sectors, such as public communication and information services, energy, transportation, water conservancy, finance, public services, governmental digital services, science and technology related to national defense industry, and those that may seriously endanger national security, national economy, and citizen’s livelihood or public interests if damaged or malfunctioned, or if any leakage of data in relation thereto occurs. Pursuant to these regulations, the relevant governmental authorities are responsible for stipulating rules for the identification of critical information infrastructures with reference to several factors set forth in the regulations, and further identify the critical information infrastructure operators in the related industries in accordance with such rules. The relevant authorities should also notify operators identified as the critical information infrastructure operators.

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On November 14, 2021, the CAC published the Administrative Regulations on Internet Data Security (Draft for Comments), which provides that data processors conducting the following activities should apply for cybersecurity review: (i) merger, reorganization or separation of internet platform operators that have acquired a large number of data resources related to national security, economic development or public interests affects or may affect national security; (ii) listing on a foreign stock exchange by the data processors processing personal information of over one million users; (iii) listing in Hong Kong which affects or may affect national security; and (iv) other data processing activities that affect or may affect national security. Failure of cybersecurity and data privacy concerns could subject us to penalties, damage our reputation and brand, and harm our business and results of operations.” In addition, the Draft Data Security Regulations also require data processors processing important data or going public to conduct an annual data security assessment by themselves or by entrusting data security service agencies, and submit the data security assessment report of the previous year to the local branch of CAC before January 31 each year. Where data collected and generated within the PRC are provided by the data processors overseas, if such data includes important data, or if the relevant data processor is a critical information infrastructure operator or processes personal information of more than one million people, the data processor shall go through the security assessment of cross-border data transfer organized by the CAC. The CAC solicited comments on this draft, but there is no timetable as to when it will be enacted.

On July 30, 2021, the MIIT released the Opinions on Strengthening the Management of Intelligent Network Automotive Manufacturers and Product Access, pursuant to which intelligent automotive manufacturers are required to strengthen the management of automobile data security, network security, online software upgrade, functional safety, ensure product quality and production consistency, and promote high-quality development of the intelligent internet connection automobile industry. The opinions require intelligent automotive manufacturers to store personal information and important data in China, and security assessment needs to be made in case of cross-border transfer of personal data and important data. It also requires intelligent automotive manufacturers to establish data asset management accounts, implement data classification and hierarchical management, strengthen the protection of personal information and important data, take technical measures for data security protection to ensure that data is continuously in a state of effective protection and legal use, and implement data security risk assessment, data security incident reporting, and other requirements in accordance with the law.

On August 16, 2021, the CAC, NDRC, MIIT, Ministry of Public Security, and Ministry of Transport jointly issued the Regulations on the Management of Automobile Data Security (for Trial Implementation), or the Regulations on Automobile Data Security, which became effective on October 1, 2021 and is aimed to regulate the activities of processing automobile data, including, without limitation, personal information and important data involved in the process of automotive design, production, sales, use, operation, and maintenance within the PRC territory. The Regulations on Automobile Data Security elaborates the principles and requirements for the protection of personal information and important data in the automobile industry scenarios. Automobile data processors are required to comply with the following principles and requirements when processing automobile data: (i) the principle of in-car processing: automobile data should be processed inside a car, unless it is absolutely necessary to provide the data outside the car; (ii) the principle of no collection by default: “No collection” should be set as default for every drive, unless the driver independently sets it otherwise; (iii) the principle of proper precision: the coverage and resolution of camera, radar, and others should be determined according to the data accuracy requirements of the functional services provided; and (iv) the principle of desensitization: anonymization and de-identification should be conducted as much as possible. Automobile data processors that process personal information are also required to notify individuals details on the data collected and use of data in an obvious way, such as a user manual, onboard display panel, audio, and vehicle use application. In addition, the Regulations on Automobile Data Security defines “important data” as the data that may endanger national security, public interests, or the legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations if it is tampered with, damaged, disclosed, illegally obtained, or illegally used, including: (i) geographic information, passenger flow, vehicle flow, and other data of important sensitive areas such as military administrative zones, entities of science, technology and industry for national defense, and Chinese Communist Party organizations and government agencies at or above the county level; (ii) data reflecting economic operation such as vehicle flow and logistics; (iii) operational data of the automobile charging network; (iv) video and image data outside the vehicles that contain facial information and license plate information, among others; (v) personal information involving more than 100,000 subjects; and (vi) other data that may affect national security, public interest, and the legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations as specified by the CAC and other relevant departments of the State Council. The Regulations on Automobile Data Security requires that the important data should be stored within China, and if it is necessary to transfer such data abroad, it must undergo a security assessment organized by the regulator.

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On July 7, 2022, the CAC issued the Measures for the Security Assessment of Cross-border Transfer of Data, which became effective on September 1, 2022. These measures require the data processor providing data overseas to apply for the security assessment of cross-border transfer of data with the local provincial-level counterparts of the national cybersecurity authority under any of the following circumstances: (i) where the data processor intends to provide important data overseas; (ii) where a critical information infrastructure operator and a data processor who has processed personal information of more than 1,000,000 individuals intends to provide personal information overseas; (iii) where a data processor who has provided personal information of 100,000 individuals or sensitive personal information of 10,000 individuals to overseas recipients, in each case as calculated cumulatively, since January 1 of the last year intends to provide personal information overseas; or (iv) other circumstances where the security assessment of data cross-border transfer is required as prescribed by the CAC. Furthermore, the data processor shall conduct a self-assessment on the risk of data cross-border transfer prior to applying for the foregoing security assessment, under which the data processor shall consider certain factors including, among other things, (i) the purpose, scope and manner of the cross-border data transfer and the overseas data recipient processing data and the legality, legitimacy and necessity thereof, (ii) the scale, scope, type and sensitivity of the transferred data, the risks to national security, public interests and the legitimate rights and interests of individuals or organizations arising from the cross-border data transfer, (iii) the overseas data recipient’s commitment to assume responsibility and obligations, the management and technical measures to fulfill the responsibilities and obligations, and the ability to ensure the security of the transferred data, (iv) the risk of data being tampered with, destroyed, leaked, lost, transferred, or illegally obtained or illegally used during and after the cross-border transfer, and the existence of channels for safeguarding the rights and interests of personal information, and (v) adequate compliance of data transfer-related contracts or other legally binding documents between the data processor and the overseas recipient with the data security protection responsibilities and obligations. The data processors that in violation of such measures are required to rectify such non-compliance within 6 months of the effectiveness date thereof.

On December 8, 2022 the MIIT issued the Measures for the Administration of Data Security in the Field of Industry and Information Technology (for Trial Implementation), which became effective on January 1, 2023. The measures are aimed to regulate the processing activities of data in the field of industry and information technology field conducted by relevant data processors in China. The measures apply to industrial enterprises, software and information technology service companies, and companies holding licenses for operation of telecommunication services that independently determine the purposes and methods of data processing in the course of data processing activities. Data processing activities include, among others, the collection, storage, use, processing, transmission, provision, and disclosure of data. Pursuant to the measures, data in the field of industry and information technology includes industrial data, telecommunication data, and radio data generated and collected during the operation of relevant services. The measures provide for the classification of data in the field of industry and information technology as general, important, or core data, and provide specific requirements for the management of data classifications and data protection measures, including, among other things, data collection, storage, processing, transmission, disclosure, and destruction for data processors in the field of industry and information technology. In particular, data processors processing important data and core data are required to complete filing with relevant authorities for the catalogue of important data and core data. The filing information includes basic information on the data, such as category, classification, quantity, processing purposes and methods of data processing, scope of use, liable entities, data sharing, cross-border transfer of data, and data security protection measures. If over 30% of the quantity (i.e. number of data items or amount of data stored) of important and core data changes or there is any material change to other filing information, data processors must update the filing information with the relevant authorities within three months after such change. Furthermore, the measures provide data security requirements for cross-border and data transfers for data processors. If a data processor needs to transfer data in cases of merger, restructuring, or bankruptcy, it shall make data transfer plan and notify users affected. In addition, the measures indicate that the legal representative or principal of the data processor should be the primary person held accountable for data security and the person in charge of data security should take direct responsibility for the security of data processing activities.

Regulations on E-Commerce

On August 31, 2018, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC E-Commerce Law, which became effective on January 1, 2019. The E-Commerce Law establishes the regulatory framework for the e-commerce sector in China for the first time by laying out certain requirements on e-commerce platform operators. Pursuant to the E-Commerce Law, e-commerce platform operators are required to prepare a contingency plan for cybersecurity incidents and take technological measures and other measures to prevent online illegal and criminal activities. The E-Commerce Law also expressly requires e-commerce platform operators to take necessary actions to ensure fair dealing on their platforms to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, including to prepare platform service agreements, transaction information record-keeping, and transaction rules, to prominently display such documents on the platform’s website, and to keep such information for no less than three years following the completion of a transaction. Where the e-commerce platform operators conduct self-operated business on their platforms, they need to distinguish and mark their self-operated business from the businesses of the business operators using the platform in a clear manner and should not mislead consumers. The e-commerce platform operators should bear civil liability of a commodity seller or service provider for the business marked as self-operated, pursuant to the law.

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Regulations on Land and the Development of Construction Projects

Regulations on Land Grants

Under the Interim Regulations on Assignment and Transfer of the Rights to the Use of the State-Owned Urban Land, which was promulgated by the State Council on May 19, 1990 and amended on November 29, 2020, a system of assignment and transfer of the right to use state-owned land was adopted. A land user must pay land premiums to the state as consideration for the assignment of the right to use a land site within a certain term, and the land user who obtained the right to use the land may transfer, lease out, mortgage, or otherwise commercially exploit the land within the term of use. Under the Interim Regulations on Assignment and Transfer of the Rights to the Use of the State-Owned Urban Land and the PRC Urban Real Estate Administration Law, the local land administration authority may enter into an assignment contract with the land user for the assignment of land use rights. The land user is required to pay the land premium as provided in the assignment contract. After the full payment of the land premium, the land user must register with the land administration authority and obtain a land use rights certificate that evidences the acquisition of land use rights.

Regulations on Planning of a Construction Project

Pursuant to the Regulations on Planning Administration Regarding Assignment and Transfer of the Rights to Use of the State-Owned Land in Urban Area promulgated by the Ministry of Construction in December 1992 and amended in January 2011, a construction land planning permit should be obtained from the municipal planning authority with respect to the planning and use of land. Pursuant to the PRC Urban and Rural Planning Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on October 28, 2007 and amended on April 24, 2015 and April 23, 2019, a construction work planning permit must be obtained from the competent urban and rural planning government authority for the construction of any structure, fixture, road, pipeline, or other engineering project within an urban or rural planning area.

After obtaining a construction work planning permit, subject to certain exceptions, a construction enterprise must apply for a construction work commencement permit from the construction authority under the local people’s government at the county level or above pursuant to the Administrative Provisions on Construction Permit of Construction Projects promulgated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on June 25, 2014, implemented on October 25, 2014, and amended on September 28, 2018 and March 30, 2021.

Pursuant to the Administrative Measures for Reporting Details Regarding Acceptance Examination upon Completion of Buildings and Municipal Infrastructure promulgated by the Ministry of Construction on April 4, 2000 and amended on October 19, 2009, and the Provisions on Acceptance Examination upon Completion of Buildings and Municipal Infrastructure promulgated and implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on December 2, 2013, upon the completion of a construction project, the construction enterprise must submit an application to the competent government department at or above county level where the project is located for examination upon completion of building and for filing purpose, and to obtain the filing form for acceptance and examination upon completion of construction project.

Regulations on Environmental Protection and Work Safety

Regulations on Environmental Protection

Pursuant to the PRC Environmental Protection Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on December 26, 1989, amended on April 24, 2014, and effective on January 1, 2015, any entity which discharges or will discharge pollutants during the course of operations or other activities must implement effective environmental protection safeguards and procedures to control and properly treat waste gas, waste water, waste residue, dust, malodorous gases, radioactive substances, noise, vibrations, electromagnetic radiation, and other hazards produced during such activities.

Environmental protection authorities impose various administrative penalties on persons or enterprises in violation of the Environmental Protection Law. Such penalties include warnings, fines, orders to rectify within a prescribed period, orders to cease construction, orders to restrict or suspend production, orders to make recovery, orders to disclose relevant information or make an announcement, imposition of administrative action against relevant responsible persons, and orders to shut down enterprises. Any person or entity that pollutes the environment resulting in damage could also be held liable under the PRC Civil Code. In addition, environmental organizations may also bring lawsuits against any entity that discharges pollutants detrimental to the public welfare.

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Regulations on Work Safety

Under relevant construction safety laws and regulations, including the PRC Work Safety Law, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on June 29, 2002, amended on August 27, 2009, August 31, 2014, and June 10, 2021, and became effective on September 1, 2021, production and operating business entities must establish objectives and measures for work safety and improve the working environment and conditions for workers in a planned and systematic way. A work safety protection scheme must also be set up to implement the work safety job responsibility system. In addition, production and operating business entities must arrange work safety training and provide their employees with protective equipment that meets the national or industrial standards. Automobile and components manufacturers are subject to such environment protection and work safety requirements.

Regulations on Fire Control

Pursuant to the PRC Fire Safety Law, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the Interim Provisions on Administration of Fire Control Design Review and Acceptance of Construction Project promulgated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the construction entity of a large-scale crowded venue (including the construction of a manufacturing plant whose size is over 2,500 square meters) and other special construction projects must apply for fire prevention design review with fire control authorities, and complete fire assessment inspection and acceptance procedures after the construction project is completed. The construction entity of other construction projects must complete the filing for fire prevention design and the fire safety completion inspection and acceptance procedures within five business days after passing the construction completion inspection and acceptance. If the construction entity fails to pass the fire safety inspection before such venue is put into use or fails to conform to the fire safety requirements after such inspection, it will be subject to (i) orders to suspend the construction of projects, use of such projects, or operation of relevant business, and (ii) a fine between RMB30,000 and RMB300,000.

Regulations on Intellectual Property Rights

Patent Law

According to the PRC Patent Law which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on March 12, 1984 and last amended in 2020 the State Intellectual Property Office is responsible for administering patent law in China. The patent administration departments of the provincial, autonomous region, or municipal governments are responsible for administering patent law within their respective jurisdictions. The PRC patent system adopts a first-to-file principle, which means that when more than one person files different patent applications for the same invention, only the person who files the application first is entitled to obtain a patent of the invention. To be patentable, an invention or a utility model must meet three criteria: novelty, inventiveness, and practicability. A patent is valid for twenty years in the case of an invention, ten years in the case of utility models, and fifteen years in the case of designs.

Regulations on Copyright

The PRC Copyright Law, which took effect on June 1, 1991 and was last amended in 2020 provides that Chinese citizens, legal persons, or other organizations own copyright in their copyrightable works, whether published or not, which include, among others, works of literature, art, natural science, social science, engineering technology, and computer software. Copyright owners enjoy certain legal rights, including right of publication, right of authorship, and right of reproduction. The Copyright Law as revised in 2010 extends copyright protection to Internet activities, products disseminated over the Internet, and software products. In addition, the PRC Copyright Law provides for a voluntary registration system administered by the China Copyright Protection Center. Pursuant to the PRC Copyright Law, an infringer of copyrights is subject to various civil liabilities, which include ceasing infringement activities, apologizing to the copyright owners, and compensating the loss of the copyright owners. Infringers of copyright may also be subject to fines and/or administrative or criminal liabilities in severe situations.

Pursuant to the Computer Software Copyright Protection Regulations promulgated by the State Council on December 20, 2001 and amended on January 30, 2013, the software copyright owner may go through the registration formalities with a software registration authority recognized by the State Council’s copyright administrative department. The software copyright owner may authorize others to exercise that copyright and is entitled to receive remuneration.

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Trademark Law

Trademarks are protected under the PRC Trademark Law, which was adopted on August 23, 1982 and subsequently amended in 1993, 2001, 2013, and 2019, respectively, and the Implementation Regulations of the PRC Trademark Law adopted by the State Council in 2002 and most recently amended on April 29, 2014. The Trademark Office under the SAMR (formally known as the SAIC) handles trademark registrations. The Trademark Office grants a ten-year term to registered trademarks and the term may be renewed for another ten-year period upon request by the trademark owner. A trademark registrant may license its registered trademarks to another party by entering into trademark license agreements, which must be filed with the Trademark Office for the record. As with patents, the Trademark Law has adopted a first-to-file principle with respect to trademark registration. If a trademark applied for is identical or similar to another trademark which has already been registered or subject to a preliminary examination and approval for use on the same or similar kinds of products or services, such a trademark application may be rejected. Any person applying for the registration of a trademark may not injure existing trademark rights first obtained by others, nor may any person register in advance a trademark that has already been used by another party and has already gained a “sufficient degree of reputation” through such party’s use.

Regulations on Domain Names

The MIIT promulgated the Measures on Administration of Internet Domain Names on August 24, 2017, which became effective on November 1, 2017 and replaced the Administrative Measures on China Internet Domain Names promulgated by the MIIT on November 5, 2004. Pursuant to these measures, the MIIT is in charge of the administration of PRC internet domain names. The domain name registration follows a first-to-file principle. Applicants for registration of domain names must provide the true, accurate, and complete information of their identities to domain name registration service institutions. The applicants will become the holder of such domain names upon the completion of the registration procedure.

Regulations on Foreign Exchange

General Administration of Foreign Exchange

Under the PRC Foreign Currency Administration Rules promulgated on January 29, 1996 and most recently amended on August 5, 2008 and various regulations issued by SAFE, and other relevant PRC government authorities, Renminbi is convertible into other currencies for current account items, such as trade-related receipts and payments and payment of interest and dividends. The conversion of Renminbi into other currencies and remittance of the converted foreign currency outside China for capital account items, such as direct equity investments, loans, and repatriation of investment, requires the prior approval from SAFE or its local office.

Payments for transactions that take place in China must be made in Renminbi. Unless otherwise approved, PRC companies may not repatriate foreign currency payments received from abroad or retain the same abroad. FIEs may retain foreign exchange in accounts with designated foreign exchange banks under the current account items subject to a cap set by SAFE or its local branch. Foreign exchange proceeds under the current accounts may be either retained or sold to a financial institution engaged in settlement and sale of foreign exchange pursuant to relevant SAFE rules and regulations. For foreign exchange proceeds under the capital accounts, approval from SAFE is generally required for the retention or sale of such proceeds to a financial institution engaged in settlement and sale of foreign exchange.

Pursuant to the Circular of SAFE on Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies for Direct Investment, which was promulgated on November 19, 2012, became effective on December 17, 2012, and was further amended on May 4, 2015, October 10, 2018, and December 30, 2019, approval of SAFE is not required for opening a foreign exchange account and depositing foreign exchange into the accounts relating to the direct investments. This circular also simplifies foreign exchange-related registration required for foreign investors to acquire equity interests of PRC companies and further improve the administration on foreign exchange settlement for FIEs.

The Circular on Further Simplifying and Improving the Foreign Currency Management Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Circular 13, which became effective on June 1, 2015 and was amended on December 30, 2019, cancels the administrative approvals of foreign exchange registration of direct domestic investment and direct overseas investment and simplifies the procedure of foreign exchange-related registration. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 13, investors should register with banks for direct domestic investment and direct overseas investment.

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The Circular on Reforming the Management Approach Regarding the Settlement of Foreign Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprise, which was promulgated on March 30, 2015, became effective on June 1, 2015, and was amended on December 30, 2019, provides that an FIE may, according to its actual business needs, settle with a bank the portion of the foreign exchange capital in its capital account for which the relevant foreign exchange administration has confirmed monetary capital contribution rights and interests (or for which the bank has registered the injection of the monetary capital contribution into the account). Pursuant to this circular, for the time being, FIEs are allowed to settle 100% of their foreign exchange capital on a discretionary basis; an FIE should truthfully use its capital for its own operational purposes within the scope of its business; where an ordinary FIE makes domestic equity investment with the amount of foreign exchanges settled, the FIE must first go through domestic re-investment registration and open a corresponding account for foreign exchange settlement pending payment with the foreign exchange administration or the bank at the place where it is registered.

The Circular on Reforming and Regulating Policies on the Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital Accounts, which was promulgated and became effective on June 9, 2016, provides that enterprises registered in China may also convert their foreign debts from foreign currency into Renminbi on a self-discretionary basis. This circular also provides an integrated standard for conversion of foreign exchange under capital account items (including, but not limited to, foreign currency capital and foreign debts) on a self-discretionary basis, which applies to all enterprises registered in China.

On January 26, 2017, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Further Improving Reform of Foreign Exchange Administration and Optimizing Genuineness and Compliance Verification, which stipulates several capital control measures with respect to the outbound remittance of profit from domestic entities to offshore entities, including: (i) banks should check board resolutions regarding profit distribution, the original version of tax filing records, and audited financial statements pursuant to the principle of genuine transactions; and (ii) domestic entities should hold income to account for previous years’ losses before remitting the profits. Moreover, pursuant to this circular, domestic entities should make detailed explanations of the sources of capital and utilization arrangements, and provide board resolutions, contracts, and other proof when completing the registration procedures in connection with an outbound investment.

On October 23, 2019, SAFE promulgated the Notice for Further Advancing the Facilitation of Cross-border Trade and Investment, which, among other things, allows all FIEs to use Renminbi converted from foreign currency-denominated capital for equity investments in China, as long as the equity investment is genuine, does not violate applicable laws, and complies with the negative list on foreign investment. However, since this circular is relatively new, it is unclear how SAFE and competent banks will carry it out in practice.

Pursuant to the Circular of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Optimizing Foreign Exchange Administration to Support the Development of Foreign-related Business promulgated and effective on April 10, 2020 by SAFE, the reform of facilitating the payments of incomes under the capital accounts will be promoted nationwide. Under the prerequisite of ensuring true and compliant use of funds and compliance and complying with the prevailing administrative provisions on use of income from capital projects, enterprises which satisfy the criteria are allowed to use income under the capital account, such as capital funds, foreign debt, and overseas listing, for domestic payment, without the need to provide proof materials for veracity to the bank beforehand for each transaction.

According to the Administrative Regulation on the Registration of Market Entities, which were promulgated by the State Council on July 27, 2021 and became effective on March 1, 2022, and other laws and regulations governing FIEs and registrations of market entities, the establishment of an FIE and any capital increase and other major changes in an FIE should be registered with the SAMR or its local counterparts and filed via the enterprise registration system.

Pursuant to SAFE Circular 13 and other laws and regulations relating to foreign exchange, when setting up a new FIE, the enterprise should register with the bank located at its registered place after obtaining the business license, and if there is any change in capital or other changes relating to the basic information of the FIE, including, without limitation, any increase in its registered capital or total investment, the FIE must register such changes with the bank located at its registered place after obtaining approval from or completing the filing with relevant authorities. Pursuant to the relevant foreign exchange laws and regulations, such foreign exchange registration with the banks will typically take less than four weeks upon the acceptance of the registration application.

Based on the foregoing, if we intend to provide funding to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries through capital injection at or after their establishment, we must register the establishment of and any follow-on capital increase in our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries with the SAMR or its local counterparts, file such via the enterprise registration system, and register such with the local banks for the foreign exchange related matters.

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Loans by the Foreign Companies to Their PRC Subsidiaries

A loan made by foreign investors as shareholders in an FIE is considered foreign debt in China and is regulated by various laws and regulations, including the PRC Regulation on Foreign Exchange Administration, the Interim Provisions on the Management of Foreign Debts (Revised in 2022), the Statistical Monitoring of Foreign Debt Tentative Provisions, the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of Provisional Regulations on Statistics and Supervision of Foreign Debt, and the Administrative Measures for Registration of Foreign Debt. Under these rules and regulations, a shareholder loan in the form of foreign debt made to a PRC entity does not require the prior approval of SAFE. However, such foreign debt must be registered with and recorded by SAFE or its local branches within fifteen business days after the entering of the foreign debt contract. Pursuant to these rules and regulations, the balance of the foreign debts of an FIE cannot exceed the difference between the total investment and the registered capital of the FIE.

On January 12, 2017, the PBOC promulgated the Notice of the People’s Bank of China on Matters concerning the Macro-Prudential Management of Full-Covered Cross-Border Financing, or PBOC Notice No. 9. Pursuant to PBOC Notice No. 9, within a transition period of one year from January 12, 2017, FIEs may adopt the currently valid foreign debt management mechanism, or the mechanism as provided in PBOC Notice No. 9 at their own discretions. PBOC Notice No. 9 provides that enterprises may conduct independent cross-border financing in Renminbi or foreign currencies as required. Pursuant to PBOC Notice No. 9, the outstanding cross-border financing of an enterprise (the outstanding balance drawn, here and below) will be calculated using a risk-weighted approach and cannot exceed certain specified upper limits. PBOC Notice No. 9 further provides that the upper limit of risk-weighted outstanding cross-border financing for enterprises is 200% of its net assets, or the Net Asset Limits. Enterprises must file with SAFE in its capital item information system after entering into the relevant cross-border financing contracts and prior to three business days before drawing any money from the foreign debts.

Based on the foregoing, if we provide funding to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries through shareholder loans, the balance of such loans cannot exceed the difference between the total investment and the registered capital of the subsidiaries and we will need to register such loans with SAFE or its local branches in the event that the currently valid foreign debt management mechanism applies, or the balance of such loans will be subject to the risk-weighted approach and the Net Asset Limits and we will need to file the loans with SAFE in its information system in the event that the mechanism as provided in PBOC Notice No. 9 applies. Pursuant to PBOC Notice No. 9, after a transition period of one year from January 11, 2017, the PBOC and SAFE would determine the cross-border financing administration mechanism for the FIEs after evaluating the overall implementation of PBOC Notice No. 9. As of the date hereof, neither the PBOC nor SAFE has promulgated and made public any further rules, regulations, notices, or circulars in this regard. It is uncertain which mechanism will be adopted by the PBOC and SAFE in the future and what statutory limits will be imposed on us when providing loans to our PRC subsidiaries.

Offshore Investment

Under the Circular of SAFE on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration over the Overseas Investment and Financing and Round-Trip Investment by Domestic Residents via Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, effective on July 4, 2014, PRC residents are required to register with the local SAFE branch prior to the establishment or control of an offshore special purpose vehicle, which is defined as an offshore enterprise directly established or indirectly controlled by PRC residents for investment and financing purposes, with the enterprise assets or interests PRC residents hold in China or overseas. The term “control” means to obtain the operation rights, right to proceeds, or decision-making power of a special purpose vehicle through acquisition, trust, holding shares on behalf of others, voting rights, repurchase, convertible bonds, or other means. An amendment to registration or subsequent filing with the local SAFE branch by such PRC residents is also required if there is any change in the basic information of the offshore company or any material change with respect to the capital of the offshore company. At the same time, SAFE has issued the Operation Guidance for the Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration over Round-Trip Investment regarding the procedures for SAFE registration under SAFE Circular 37, which became effective on July 4, 2014 as an attachment of SAFE Circular 37.

Under the relevant rules, failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in the SAFE Circular 37 may result in bans on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant onshore company, including the payment of dividends and other distributions to its offshore parent or affiliates, and may also subject relevant PRC residents to penalties under PRC foreign exchange administration regulations.

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As of the date of this annual report, our founder, Mr. Xiang Li, Mr. Tie Li and ten other PRC residents known to us that currently hold direct or indirect ownership interests in our company have completed the initial registrations with SAFE as required by SAFE regulations. Mr. Xiang Li and four other officers, directors or PRC residents are planning to update the registrations with respect to the capital of their respective offshore holding vehicles. We cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners that are PRC residents, including the beneficiaries of certain trusts directly or indirectly holding interests in our company, have complied with, and will in the future make, obtain, or update any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations.

Regulations on Dividend Distribution

The principal laws and regulations regulating the distribution of dividends by FIEs in China include the PRC Company Law, as amended in 2004, 2005, 2013, and 2018, and the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules. Under the current regulatory regime in China, FIEs in China may pay dividends only out of their retained earnings, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. A PRC company is required to set aside as statutory reserve funds at least 10% of its after-tax profit, until the cumulative amount of such reserve funds reaches 50% of its registered capital unless laws regarding foreign investment provide otherwise. A PRC company cannot distribute any profits until any losses from prior fiscal years have been offset. Profits retained from prior fiscal years may be distributed together with distributable profits from the current fiscal year.

Regulations on Taxation

Enterprise Income Tax

On March 16, 2007, the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, which was amended on February 24, 2017 and December 29, 2018. On December 6, 2007, the State Council enacted the Regulations for the Implementation of the Enterprise Income Tax Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008 and amended on April 23, 2019. Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law and the relevant implementation regulations, both resident enterprises and non-resident enterprises are subject to tax in China. Resident enterprises are defined as enterprises that are established in China in accordance with PRC laws, or that are established in accordance with the laws of foreign countries but are actually or in effect controlled from within China. Non-resident enterprises are defined as enterprises that are organized under the laws of foreign countries and whose actual management is conducted outside China, but have established institutions or premises in China, or have no such established institutions or premises but have income generated from inside China. Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law and relevant implementing regulations, a uniform corporate income tax rate of 25% is applied. However, if non-resident enterprises have not formed permanent establishments or premises in China, or if they have formed permanent establishment or premises in China but there is no actual relationship between the relevant income derived in China and the established institutions or premises set up by them, enterprise income tax is set at the rate of 10% with respect to their income sourced from inside the PRC.

Value-Added Tax

The PRC Provisional Regulations on Value-Added Tax were promulgated by the State Council on December 13, 1993, which became effective on January 1, 1994 and were subsequently amended from time to time. The Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the PRC Provisional Regulations on Value-Added Tax (2011 Revision) was promulgated by the Ministry of Finance on December 25, 1993 and subsequently amended on December 15, 2008 and October 28, 2011. On November 19, 2017, the State Council promulgated the Decisions on Abolishing the PRC Provisional Regulations on Business Tax and Amending the PRC Provisional Regulations on Value-Added Tax. Pursuant to these regulations, rules and decisions, all enterprises and individuals engaged in sale of goods, provision of processing, repair, and replacement services, sales of services, intangible assets, real property, and the importation of goods within the PRC territory are VAT taxpayers. On March 20, 2019, the Ministry of Finance, the STA, and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued the Announcement on Relevant Policies on Deepen the Reform of Value-Added Tax. Pursuant to this announcement, the generally applicable VAT rates are simplified as 13%, 9%, 6%, and 0%, which became effective on April 1, 2019, and the VAT rate applicable to the small-scale taxpayers is 3%.

Dividend Withholding Tax

The Enterprise Income Tax Law provides that since January 1, 2008, an income tax rate of 10% will normally be applicable to dividends declared to non-PRC resident investors that do not have an establishment or place of business in China, or that have such establishment or place of business but the relevant income is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business, to the extent such dividends are derived from sources within China.

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Pursuant to the Arrangement Between the Mainland of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital, and other applicable PRC laws, if a Hong Kong resident enterprise is determined by the competent PRC tax authority to have met the relevant conditions and requirements under this arrangement and other applicable laws, the 10% withholding tax on the dividends the Hong Kong resident enterprise receives from a PRC resident enterprise may be reduced to 5%. However, based on the Circular on Certain Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend

Provisions in Tax Treaties issued on February 20, 2009, if the relevant PRC tax authorities determine, in their discretions, that a company benefits from such reduced income tax rate due to a structure or arrangement that is primarily tax-driven, such PRC tax authorities may adjust the preferential tax treatment. Pursuant to the Circular on Several Questions regarding the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties, which was issued on February 3, 2018 by the STA and became effective on April 1, 2018, when determining the applicant’s status as the “beneficial owner” regarding tax treatments in connection with dividends, interests, or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors, including, without limitation, whether the applicant is obligated to pay more than 50% of his or her income in twelve months to residents in third country or region, whether the business operated by the applicant constitutes the actual business activities, and whether the counter party country or region to the tax treaties does not levy any tax or grant any tax exemption on relevant incomes or levy tax at an extremely low rate, will be taken into account, and such factors will be analyzed according to the actual circumstances of the specific cases. This circular further provides that an applicant who intends to prove his or her status as the “beneficial owner” must submit the relevant documents to the relevant tax bureau pursuant to the Announcement on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Non-Resident Taxpayers’ Enjoyment of the Treatment under Tax Agreements.

Tax on Indirect Transfer

On February 3, 2015, the STA issued the Circular on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or STA Circular 7. Pursuant to STA Circular 7, an “indirect transfer” of assets, including equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise, by non-PRC resident enterprises, may be recharacterized and treated as a direct transfer of PRC taxable assets, if such arrangement does not have a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of avoiding payment of PRC enterprise income tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax. When determining whether there is a “reasonable commercial purpose” in the transaction arrangement, features to be taken into consideration include, inter alia, whether the main value of the equity interest of the relevant offshore enterprise derives directly or indirectly from PRC taxable assets; whether the assets of the relevant offshore enterprise mainly consists of direct or indirect investment in China or if its income is mainly derived from China; and whether the offshore enterprise and its subsidiaries directly or indirectly holding PRC taxable assets have a real commercial nature which is evidenced by their actual function and risk exposure. Pursuant to STA Circular 7, where the payer fails to withhold any or sufficient tax, the transferor shall declare and pay such tax to the tax authority by itself within the statutory time limit. Late payment of applicable tax will subject the transferor to default interest. STA Circular 7 does not apply to transactions of sale of shares by investors through a public stock exchange where such shares were acquired on a public stock exchange. On October 17, 2017, the STA issued the Circular on Issues of Tax Withholding Regarding Non-PRC Resident Enterprise Income Tax, or STA Circular 37, which was amended by the Announcement of the State Taxation Administration on Revising Certain Taxation Normative Documents issued on June 15, 2018 by the STA. STA Circular 37 further elaborates the relevant implemental rules regarding the calculation, reporting, and payment obligations of the withholding tax by the non-resident enterprises. Nonetheless, there remain uncertainties as to the interpretation and application of STA Circular 7. STA Circular 7 may be determined by the tax authorities to be applicable to our offshore transactions or sale of our shares or those of our offshore subsidiaries where non-resident enterprises, being the transferors, were involved.

Regulations on Employment and Social Welfare

Labor Contract Law

The PRC Labor Contract Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008 and amended on December 28, 2012, primarily aims at regulating rights and obligations of employer and employee relationships, including the establishment, performance, and termination of labor contracts. Pursuant to the Labor Contract Law, labor contracts must be executed in writing if labor relationships are to be or have been established between employers and employees. Employers are prohibited from forcing employees to work above certain time limits and employers must pay employees for overtime work in accordance with national regulations. In addition, employee wages must not be lower than local standards on minimum wages and must be paid to employees in a timely manner.

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Social Insurance

As required under the Regulation of Insurance for Labor Injury implemented on January 1, 2004 and amended in 2010, the Provisional Measures for Maternity Insurance of Employees of Corporations implemented on January 1, 1995, the Decisions on the Establishment of a Unified Program for Old-Aged Pension Insurance of the State Council issued on July 16, 1997, the Decisions on the Establishment of the Medical Insurance Program for Urban Workers of the State Council promulgated on December 14, 1998, the Unemployment Insurance Measures promulgated on January 22, 1999, and the PRC Social Insurance Law implemented on July 1, 2011 and amended on December 29, 2018, employers are required to provide their employees in China with welfare benefits covering pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work-related injury insurance, and medical insurance. These payments are made to local administrative authorities. Any employer that fails to make social insurance contributions may be ordered to rectify the non-compliance and pay the required contributions within a prescribed time limit and be subject to a late fee. If the employer still fails to rectify the failure to make the relevant contributions within the prescribed time, it may be subject to a fine ranging from one to three times the amount overdue. On July 20, 2018, the General Office of the State Council issued the Plan for Reforming the State and Local Tax Collection and Administration Systems, which stipulated that the STA will be solely responsible for collecting social insurance premiums.

Housing Fund

In accordance with the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Funds, which was promulgated by the State Council in 1999 and amended in 2002 and 2019, employers must register at the designated administrative centers and open bank accounts for depositing employees’ housing funds. Employers and employees are also required to pay and deposit housing funds, with an amount no less than 5% of the monthly average salary of the employee in the preceding year in full and on time.

Employee Stock Incentive Plan

Pursuant to the Notice of Issues Related to the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Listed Companies, which was issued by SAFE on February 15, 2012, employees, directors, supervisors, and other senior management who participate in any stock incentive plan of a publicly-listed overseas company and who are PRC citizens or non-PRC citizens residing in China for a continuous period of no less than one year, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a qualified domestic agent, which may be a PRC subsidiary of such overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures.

In addition, the STA has issued certain circulars concerning employee stock options and restricted shares. Under these circulars, employees working in China who exercise stock options or are granted restricted shares will be subject to PRC individual income tax. The PRC subsidiaries of an overseas listed company are required to file documents related to employee stock options and restricted shares with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes of employees who exercise their stock options or purchase restricted shares. If the employees fail to pay or the PRC subsidiaries fail to withhold income tax in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the PRC subsidiaries may be subject to sanctions imposed by the tax authorities or other PRC governmental authorities.

M&A Rules and Overseas Listing

On August 8, 2006, six PRC governmental and regulatory agencies, including the Ministry of Commerce and the CSRC, promulgated the M&A Rules governing the mergers and acquisitions of domestic enterprises by foreign investors, which became effective on September 8, 2006 and was revised on June 22, 2009. The M&A Rules, among other things, require that if an overseas company established or controlled by PRC companies or PRC citizens intends to acquire equity interests or assets of any other PRC domestic company affiliated with the PRC citizens, such acquisition must be submitted to the Ministry of Commerce for approval. The M&A Rules also require that an offshore special purpose vehicle, or a special purpose vehicle formed for overseas listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals, shall obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to overseas listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange.

On July 6, 2021, the General Office of the State Council and Central Committee of the Communist Party of China issued Opinions on Strictly Cracking Down Illegal Securities Activities in Accordance with the Law. The opinions emphasized the need to strengthen the administration over illegal securities activities and the supervision on overseas listings by China-based companies and proposed to take effective measures, such as promoting the construction of relevant regulatory systems to deal with the risks and incidents faced by China-based overseas-listed companies.

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On February 17, 2023, the CSRC issued the Trial Administrative Measures of Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Overseas Listing Regulations, and five supporting guidelines, which became effective on March 31, 2023. Pursuant to the Overseas Listing Regulations, companies in the Chinese mainland that directly or indirectly offer or list their securities in an overseas market, including a company in the Chinese mainland limited by shares and an offshore company whose main business operations are in the the Chinese mainland and intends to offer shares or be listed in an overseas market based on its equities, assets or similar interests in the Chinese mainland are required to file with the CSRC within three business days after submitting their listing application documents to the regulator in the place of intended listing. Failure to complete the filing under the Overseas Listing Regulations or conceals any material fact or falsifies any major content in its filing documents may subject the company to administrative penalties, such as order to rectify, warnings, fines, and its controlling shareholders, actual controllers, direct officers-in-charge and other direct personnel-in-charge may also be subject to administrative penalties, such as warnings and fines. The Overseas Listing Regulations also provide that a company in the Chinese mainland must file with the CSRC within three business days for its follow on offering of securities after it is listed in an overseas market. On February 17, 2023, the CSRC also issued the Notice on Administration of the Filing of Overseas Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies and held a press conference for the release of the Overseas Listing Regulations, which, among others, clarified that the companies in the Chinese mainland that have been listed overseas before March 31, 2023 are not required to file with the CSRC immediately, but these companies should complete filing with the CSRC for their refinancing activities in accordance with the Overseas Listing Regulations. Based on the foregoing, we are not required to complete filing with the CSRC for our prior overseas offerings at this stage, but we may be subject to the filing requirements for our future capital raising activities under the Overseas Listing Regulations.

In addition, pursuant to the Overseas Listing Regulations, enterprises in the Chinese mainland is prohibited from overseas offering and listing under any of the following circumstances, if (i) the overseas offering and listing is explicitly prohibited by PRC laws; (ii) the overseas offering and listing may constitute a threat to or endanger national security as determined by relevant PRC authorities; (iii) the domestic enterprises and their controlling shareholders and actual controllers have committed certain criminal offenses (such as corruption, bribery, embezzlement, misappropriation of property or other criminal offenses undermining the order of the socialist market economy) in the past three years and there is still no explicit conclusion; (iv) the domestic enterprises are currently under investigations in connection with suspicion of having committed criminal offences or material violations of applicable laws and regulations; or (v) there is material ownership disputes over the shareholdings held by the controlling shareholder or the shareholder under the control of the controlling shareholder or the actual controllers.

On February 24, 2023, the CSRC, jointly with other relevant governmental authorities, issued the Provisions on Strengthening the Confidentiality and Archive Management Work Relating to the Overseas Securities Offering and Listing by Domestic Companies, or the Confidentiality and Archives Management Provisions, which took effect on March 31, 2023. These provisions expanded the applicable scope of the regulation to indirect overseas offerings and listings by companies based in the Chinese mainland and emphasized the confidentiality and archive management duties of such companies during the process of overseas offerings and listings. Pursuant to the Confidentiality and Archives Management Provisions, companies based in the Chinese mainland that offer and list securities in overseas markets shall establish confidentiality and archives system. The “companies based in the Chinese mainland” refer to companies in the Chinese mainland limited by shares which are directly listed in the overseas capital market and the domestic operation entities of an offshore company being indirectly listed in a foreign stock exchange. The companies based in the Chinese mainland shall obtain approval from the relevant authorities and file with the confidential administration department at the same level when providing or publicly disclosing documents and materials related to state secrets or secrets of the government authorities to the relevant securities companies, securities service agencies or the offshore regulatory authorities, or providing or publicly disclosing such documents and materials through its offshore listing entity. In addition, the companies based in the Chinese mainland should complete corresponding procedures when (i) providing or publicly disclosing documents and materials which may adversely affect national security and public interest to the relevant securities companies, securities service agencies or the offshore regulatory authorities, (ii) providing or publicly disclosing such documents and materials through its offshore listing entity, or (iii) providing accounting files or copies to relevant security companies, security service institutions, overseas regulators and individuals. The companies based in the Chinese mainland are also required to provide written statements on the implementation of the aforementioned rules to the relevant securities companies and securities service agencies. If a company based in the Chinese mainland finds that the documents and materials related to state secrets or secrets of the government authorities or other materials which may adversely affect national security and public interest have been leaked or are going to be leaked, it should take remedial measures immediately and report to the relevant authorities.

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Anti-Monopoly

The SCNPC promulgated the Anti-Monopoly Law of the PRC, or the Anti-Monopoly Law, on August 30, 2007, which came into effect on August 1, 2008 and last amended on June 24, 2022, reiterates that monopolistic conduct such as entering into monopoly agreements, abuse of dominant market position and concentration of undertakings that have the effect of eliminating or restricting competition are prohibited. Furthermore, a business operator with a dominant market position may not abuse such position to conduct acts such as selling commodities at unfairly high prices or purchasing commodities at unfairly low prices, selling products at prices below cost without any justifiable cause, and refusing to trade with a trading party without any justifiable cause. Sanctions for the violations of the prohibition on the abuse of dominant market position include an order to cease the relevant activities, confiscation of the illegal gains and fines (from 1% to 10% of sales revenue from the previous year).

On August 3, 2008, the State Council issued the Provisions of the State Council on the Thresholds for Declaring Concentration of Business Operators, which became effective on the same date, and last amended and took effective on September 18, 2018. Pursuant to the Anti-Monopoly Law and such Provisions, when a concentration of undertakings occurs and reaches any of the following thresholds, the undertakings concerned shall file a prior notification with the Anti-Monopoly agency (i) the total global turnover of all operators participating in the transaction exceeded RMB10 billion in the preceding fiscal year and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB400 million within China in the preceding fiscal year, or (ii) the total turnover within China of all the operators participating in the concentration exceeded RMB2 billion in the preceding fiscal year, and at least two of these operators each had a turnover of more than RMB400 million within China in the preceding fiscal year are triggered, and no concentration shall be implemented until the Anti-Monopoly agency clears the Anti-Monopoly filing. “Concentration of undertakings” means any of the following: (i) merger of undertakings; (ii) acquisition of control over another undertaking by acquiring equity or assets; or (iii) acquisition of control over, or exercising decisive influence on, another undertaking by contract or by any other means. On March 24, 2023, the SAMR issued the Provisions on the Review of Concentration of Undertakings, the Provisions on the Prohibition of Monopoly Agreements, the Provisions on the Prohibition of Acts of Abuse of Dominant Market Position, and the Provisions on the Prohibition of Acts of Abuse of Administrative Power to Exclude or Restrict Competition. These provisions took effect on April 15, 2023, further consolidating the PRC anti-monopoly legal system and rules.

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C.

Organizational Structure

Corporate Structure

The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including our principal subsidiaries and the VIEs, as of the date of this annual report.

Graphic

Note:

(1)Certain other subsidiaries include, among others, Chongqing Lixiang Automobile Co., Ltd., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Leading Ideal HK Limited (Hong Kong).

Contractual Arrangements with the VIEs and Their Shareholders

Current PRC laws and regulations impose certain restrictions or prohibitions on foreign ownership of companies that engage in value-added telecommunication services and certain other businesses. Li Auto Inc. is an exempted company with limited liability incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Wheels Technology is our PRC subsidiary and an FIE under the PRC laws. To comply with PRC laws and regulations, we primarily conduct our business in China through the VIEs, Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information, and their subsidiaries in China, based on a series of contractual arrangements by and among Wheels Technology, the VIEs, and their respective shareholders.

Our contractual arrangements with the VIEs and their respective shareholders allow us to (i) exercise effective control over the VIEs, (ii) receive substantially all of the economic benefits of the VIEs, and (iii) have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in the VIEs when and to the extent permitted by the PRC laws.

As a result of our direct ownership in Wheels Technology and the contractual arrangements with the VIEs, we are regarded as the primary beneficiary of the VIEs, and we treat the VIEs and their subsidiaries as our consolidated entities under U.S. GAAP. We have consolidated the financial results of the VIEs and their subsidiaries in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

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The following is a summary of the currently effective contractual arrangements by and among Wheels Technology, the VIEs, and their respective shareholders.

Agreements that provide us with a controlling financial interest over the VIEs and their subsidiaries

Powers of Attorney and Business Operation Agreement. Pursuant to the respective power of attorney entered into in April 2021, each shareholder of Beijing CHJ irrevocably authorized Wheels Technology to act as his attorney in-fact to exercise all of his or her rights as a shareholder of Beijing CHJ, including the right to convene shareholder meetings, the right to vote and sign any resolution as a shareholder, the right to appoint directors, supervisors, and officers, and the right to sell, transfer, pledge, and dispose of all or a portion of the equity interest held by such shareholder. These powers of attorney will remain in force for 10 years. Upon request by Wheels Technology, each shareholder of Beijing CHJ shall extend the term of its authorization prior to its expiration.

Pursuant to the business operation agreement entered into in April 2021 by and among Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information, Xindian Information will not take any action that may have a material adverse effect on its assets, businesses, human resources, rights, obligations, or business operations without prior written consent of Wheels Technology. Xindian Information and its shareholders further agreed to accept and strictly follow Wheels Technology’s instructions relating to Xindian Information’s daily operations, financial management, and election of directors appointed by Wheels Technology. The shareholders of Xindian Information agree to transfer any dividends or any other income or interests they receive as the shareholders of Xindian Information immediately and unconditionally to Wheels Technology. Unless Wheels Technology terminates this agreement in advance, this agreement will remain effective for 10 years and can be renewed upon request by Wheels Technology prior to its expiration. Xindian Information and its shareholders have no right to terminate this agreement unilaterally. Pursuant to the business operation agreement, each shareholder of Xindian Information has executed a power of attorney in April 2021 to irrevocably authorized Wheels Technology to act as his or her attorney- in-fact to exercise all of his or her rights as a shareholder of Xindian Information. The terms of these powers of attorney are substantially similar to the powers of attorney executed by the shareholders of Beijing CHJ described above.

Spousal Consent Letters. Spouses of three shareholders of Beijing CHJ, who collectively hold 100% of equity interests in Beijing CHJ, have each signed a spousal consent letter. Each signing spouse of the relevant shareholder acknowledges that the equity interests in Beijing CHJ held by the relevant shareholder of Beijing CHJ are the personal assets of that shareholder and not jointly owned by the married couple. Each signing spouse also has unconditionally and irrevocably disclaimed his or her rights to the relevant equity interests and any associated economic rights or interests to which he or she may be entitled pursuant to applicable laws, and has undertaken not to make any assertion of rights to such equity interests and the underlying assets. Each signing spouse has agreed and undertaken that he or she will not carry out in any circumstances any conducts that are contradictory to the contractual arrangements and the spousal consent letter.

Spouses of nine shareholders of Xindian Information, who collectively hold 98.1% equity interests in Xindian Information, have each signed a spousal consent letter, which includes terms substantially similar to the spousal consent letter relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

Equity Pledge Agreements. Pursuant to the equity pledge agreement entered into in April 2021 by and between Wheels Technology and the shareholders of Beijing CHJ, the shareholders of Beijing CHJ have agreed to pledge 100% of equity interests in Beijing CHJ to Wheels Technology to guarantee the performance by the shareholders of their obligations under the equity option agreement and the power of attorney, as well as the performance by Beijing CHJ of its obligations under the equity option agreement, the power of attorney, and payment of service fees to Wheels Technology under the exclusive consultation and service agreement. In the event of a breach by Beijing CHJ or any shareholder of contractual obligations under the equity pledge agreement, Wheels Technology, as pledgee, will have the right to dispose of the pledged equity interests in Beijing CHJ and will have priority in receiving the proceeds from such disposal. The shareholders of Beijing CHJ also have undertaken that, without prior written consent of Wheels Technology, they will not dispose of, create, or allow any encumbrance on the pledged equity interests.

In April 2021, Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information entered into an equity pledge agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the equity pledge agreement relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

We have completed the registration of the equity pledge relating to Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information with the local branches of the SAMR in accordance with applicable PRC Property laws.

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Agreements that allow us to receive economic benefits from the VIEs and their subsidiaries

Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreements. Pursuant to the exclusive consultation service agreement entered into in April 2021 by and between Wheels Technology, and Beijing CHJ, Wheels Technology has the exclusive right to provide Beijing CHJ with software technology development, technology consulting, and technical services required by Beijing CHJ’s business. Without Wheels Technology’ prior written consent, Beijing CHJ cannot accept any same or similar services subject to this agreement from any third party. Beijing CHJ agrees to pay Wheels Technology an annual service fee at an amount that is equal to 100% of its quarterly net income, after making up losses from previous years, or an amount that is adjusted in accordance with Wheels Technology’ sole discretion for the relevant quarter and also the mutually-agreed amount for certain other technical services, both of which should be paid within 10 days after Wheels Technology sends invoice within 30 days after the end of the relevant calendar quarter. Wheels Technology has exclusive ownership of all the intellectual property rights created as a result of the performance of the exclusive consultation and service agreement, to the extent permitted by applicable PRC laws. To guarantee Beijing CHJ’s performance of its obligations thereunder, the shareholders have agreed to pledge their equity interests in Beijing CHJ to Wheels Technology pursuant to the equity pledge agreement. The Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement will remain effective for 10 years, unless otherwise terminated by Wheels Technology. Upon request by Wheels Technology, the term of this agreement can be renewed prior to its expiration.

In April 2021, Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information entered into an exclusive consultation and service agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

Agreements that provide us with the option to purchase the equity interests in and assets of the VIEs and their subsidiaries

Equity Option Agreements. Pursuant to the equity option agreement in April 2021 by and between Wheels Technology, Beijing CHJ, and each of the shareholders of Beijing CHJ, the shareholders of Beijing CHJ have irrevocably granted Wheels Technology an exclusive option to purchase all or part of their equity interests in Beijing CHJ, and Beijing CHJ has irrevocably granted Wheels Technology an exclusive option to purchase all or part of its assets. Wheels Technology or its designated person may exercise such options to purchase equity interests at the lower of the amount of their respective paid-in capital in Beijing CHJ and the lowest price permitted under applicable PRC laws. Wheels Technology or its designated person may exercise the options to purchase assets at the lowest price permitted under applicable PRC laws. The shareholders of Beijing CHJ have undertaken that, without Wheels Technology’s prior written consent, they will not, among other things, (i) transfer or otherwise dispose of their equity interests in Beijing CHJ, (ii) create any pledge or encumbrance on their equity interests in Beijing CHJ, (iii) change Beijing CHJ’s registered capital, (iv) merge Beijing CHJ with any other entity, (v) dispose of Beijing CHJ’s material assets (except in the ordinary course of business), or (vi) amend Beijing CHJ’s articles of association. The equity option agreement will remain effective for 10 years and can be renewed upon request by Wheels Technology.

In April 2021, Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information entered into an equity option agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the equity option agreement relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

In the opinion of Han Kun Law Offices, our PRC legal counsel:

the ownership structures of the VIEs in China and Wheels Technology are not in violation of any explicit provisions of PRC laws and regulations currently in effect; and
each of the agreements listed above among our company, Wheels Technology, the VIEs, and their respective shareholders governed by PRC law is valid, binding, and enforceable in accordance with their terms and applicable laws and regulations currently in effect.

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However, our PRC legal counsel has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations, and rules. Accordingly, the PRC regulatory authorities may take a view that is contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to the VIE structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. If we or the VIEs are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with the VIEs do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.”

The revenue contribution of the VIEs and their subsidiaries, taking into account all of their respective business with or without foreign investment restrictions under PRC laws, amounted to approximately 84.6%, 23.3%, and 0% of our total revenues in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

D.

Property, Plants and Equipment

We are headquartered in Beijing, China. We own a manufacturing base in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China of 0.72 million square meters and the ownership with respect to the plants thereon for the term ends between May 7, 2065 and January 23, 2069.

We have also leased a number of our facilities. The relevant lease agreements expire between 2023 and 2035. The following table sets forth the location, approximate size, primary use, and lease term of our major leased facilities as of December 31, 2022.

Approximate

    

    

Size (Building)

in Square

Location

    

Meters

    

Primary Use

    

Lease Term

    

Expire Date

Beijing

 

59,954

 

Headquarters, office, research and development

 

15 years

August 2035

Beijing, Shanghai,Hangzhou and Mianyang

 

74,897

 

Office

 

1 year to 3 years

January 2023 to August 2025

Baoding, Handan, Qinhuangdao, Shijiazhuang, Cangzhou, Tangshan, Xingtai, Datong, Taiyuan, Tianjin, Harbin, Daqing, Changchun, Anshan, Dalian, Shenyang, Baotou, Chifeng, Ordos, Hohhot, Beijing, Kaifeng, Luoyang, Pingdingshan, Shangqiu, Xinxiang, Xinmi, Zhengzhou, Anyang, Zhoukou, Puyang, Dezhou, Dongying, Heze, Jinan, Jining, Linyi, Qingdao, Jiaozhou, Rizhao, Taian, Weifang, Weihai, Yantai, Zibo, Ningbo, Jinhua, Hangzhou, Jiande, Huzhou, Jiaxing, Yiwu, Yuyao, Cixi, Zhuji, Shaoxing, Quzhou, Taizhou, Wenling, Wenzhou, Lishui, Bengbu, Hefei, Shanghai, Changzhou, Huaian, Lianyungang, Nanjing, Nantong, Suqian, Suzhou, Kunshan, Taizhou, Wuxi, Xuzhou, Yangzhou, Yancheng, Danyang, Foshan, Guangzhou, Jiangmen, Zhanjiang, Zhongshan, Qingyuan, Zhuhai, Guilin, Liuzhou, Nanning, Yulin, Haikou, Fuzhou, Longyan, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Fuzhou, Dongguan, Huizhou, Jieyang, Shantou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Kunming, Zunyi, Guiyang, Xining, Urumqi, Lhasa, Nanchong, Mianyang, Luzhou, Leshan, Deyang, Chengdu, Zhuzhou, Xiangtan, Hengyang, Changsha, Changde, Yichang, Xiangyang, Wuhan, Enshi, Shiyan, Nanchang, Ganzhou, Yulin, Yan'an, Xi'an, Yinchuan, Lanzhou, Sanya, Fuyang, Wuhu

 

473,062

 

Retail stores, delivery centers, and servicing centers

 

2 months to 12 years

January 2023 to September 2034

Chongqing and Shanghai

 

23,620

 

Vehicle, engineering, and other services

 

3 years to 15 years

November 2024 to August 2032

ITEM 4A.UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

Not applicable.

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ITEM 5.OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” or in other parts of this annual report.

A.

Operating Results

We are a leader in China’s NEV market. We design, develop, manufacture, and sell premium smart electric vehicles. Our mission is: Create a Mobile Home, Create Happiness (“创造移动的家,创造幸福的家). Through our product and technology, we provide families with safe and convenient products and services.

We are a pioneer in successfully commercializing EREVs in China. We started volume production of Li ONE, our first model and a six-seat, large premium smart electric SUV, in November 2019 and released the 2021 Li ONE in May 2021. On June 21, 2022, we unveiled Li L9, our six-seat flagship family SUV, and commenced delivery of Li L9 in August 2022. On September 30, 2022, we launched Li L8, a six-seat premium family SUV and a successor to Li ONE, and unveiled Li L7, a five-seat flagship family SUV. Both Li L8 and Li L7 are offered in two trims, Pro and Max. Delivery of Li L8 commenced in November 2022, and delivery of Li L7 commenced in March 2023. We will continue to expand our product portfolio by developing new BEVs and EREVs to target a broader user base. The cumulative deliveries of our vehicles reached 257,334 as of December 31, 2022.

Key Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations

Our business and results of operations are affected by a number of general factors that impact the China automotive industry, including, among others, overall economic growth in China, any increase in per capita disposable income, growth in consumer spending and consumption upgrade, raw material costs, and the competitive environment. They are also affected by a number of factors affecting the China NEV industry, including laws, regulations, and government policies, battery and other new energy technology development, charging infrastructure development, and increasing awareness of the environmental impacts of tailpipe emissions. Unfavorable changes in any of these general factors could adversely affect demand for our vehicles and materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

While our business is influenced by these general factors, our results of operations are more directly affected by the following company-specific factors.

Our ability to attract orders and achieve delivery targets

Our results of operations depend significantly on our ability to attract orders from users and achieve our vehicle delivery targets, both of which impact our sales volume. Appropriate vehicle pricing is essential for us to remain competitive in the China automotive market while preserving our ability to achieve and maintain profitability in the future. When our premium SUVs compete with comparable premium models of other automakers, an attractive price can help boost orders, which in turn may contribute to our sales volume and revenue growth. In addition, it is critical for us to successfully manage production ramp-up and quality control so as to deliver vehicles to users in adequate volume and high quality. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused delays in our production ramp-up from time to time, which required us to spend more time and resources, including overtime work arrangements, than originally planned to meet the delivery targets. The temporary closure of our retail stores or delivery and servicing centers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the reduced visitor traffic after reopening also had an impact on the timely achievement of our delivery targets. Since October 2020, the supply of semiconductor chips used for automotive manufacturing has experienced a global shortage following the disruption to semiconductor manufacturers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in global demand for personal computers for work-from-home economies, which also adversely affected our production and deliveries. As a new manufacturer of NEVs, we may have challenges in our quality control processes. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver automobiles of high quality and appeal to users, on schedule, and on a large scale is unproven and still evolving.” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—We may be compelled to undertake product recalls or other actions, which could adversely affect our brand image, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.”

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Our ability to control production and material costs

Our cost of sales primarily consists of direct production and material costs. Our future profitability significantly depends on our ability to manufacture our vehicles in an efficient manner. As part of the manufacturing process, we purchase a wide variety of components, raw materials, and other supplies. Due to our adoption of EREV technology, we are able to significantly reduce the battery and body material costs of our vehicles and thus reduce our BOM cost to be comparable to ICE vehicles of similar classes. We expect that our cost of sales will be affected primarily by our production volume. Our cost of sales will also be affected, to a lesser extent, by fluctuations in certain raw material prices, although we typically seek to manage these costs and minimize their volatility through our arrangements with the suppliers. As our business further grows in scale and we establish ourselves as a major player in the China NEV industry, we expect to have higher bargaining power and hence more favorable terms from suppliers, including pricing and payment terms.

Our ability to execute effective marketing

Our ability to execute effective marketing will affect the growth of our orders. Demand for our vehicles directly affects our sales volume, which in turn contributes to our revenue growth and our ability to achieve and maintain profitability. Vehicle orders may depend, in part, on whether prospective users find it compelling to purchase our vehicles among competing vehicle models as their first, second, or replacement cars, which in turn depends on prospective users’ perception of our brand. We guide our marketing channel selection and marketing expenditure by precisely analyzing the effectiveness of marketing channels based on our needs at various stages of sales and brand awareness. Effective marketing can help amplify our efforts in boosting vehicle sales with efficient costs.

Our ability to maintain and improve operating efficiency

Our results of operations are further affected by our ability to maintain and improve our operating efficiency, as measured by our total operating expenses as a percentage of our revenues. This is important to the success of our business and our prospect of gradually achieving profitability. As our business grows, we expect to further improve our operating efficiency and achieve economies of scale.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Our Operations and Financial Performance

The COVID-19 pandemic had affected China’s automotive industry in general and our company and our suppliers in particular, resulting in a reduction of vehicles manufactured and delivered in the first quarter of 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic starting in January 2020, we postponed the production in our Changzhou manufacturing base after the Chinese New Year holiday in February 2020 for approximately three weeks, and also experienced short-term delays in our suppliers’ delivery of certain raw materials needed for production ranging from approximately two weeks to two months. We also temporarily postponed the vehicle delivery. In addition, we did not open any new retail stores from January 2020 to April 2020. Since we resumed normal operations in the second quarter of 2020, the COVID-19 resurgence from time to time had affected China’s automotive industry in general and our company and our suppliers in particular, resulting in severe industry-wide disruptions in supply chain, logistics, and production. Despite the impact of COVID-19 resurgence, we delivered 133,246 vehicles in 2022, representing a 47.2% year-over-year increase. Our total revenues increased from RMB27.0 billion to RMB45.3 billion (US$6.6 billion) in 2022, representing a 67.7% year-over-year increase.

Starting in December 2022, most of the travel restrictions and quarantine requirements in China were lifted. Although there were significant surges of COVID-19 infections in various regions in China during that month, the situation has been significantly improved and normalized since January 2023. There remains uncertainty as to the future impact of the virus. There can be no assurance as to whether the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting disruption to our business will extend over a prolonged period, and if yes, it could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Pandemics and epidemics, natural disasters, terrorist activities, political unrest, and other outbreaks could disrupt our production, delivery, and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.”

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Key Components of Results of Operations

Revenues

Our revenues consist of vehicle sales and other sales and services revenues. We began recognizing vehicle sales revenues for Li ONEs in December 2019 and for the L series in August 2022, when we began making deliveries of the respective models. We also recognize revenues from peripheral products and services, including multiple distinct products and services of vehicle sales such as charging stalls, vehicle internet connection services, FOTA upgrades, and extended lifetime warranties for initial owners, standalone services such as our Li Plus Membership, maintenance service, and sales of new energy credit points.

Cost of Sales

Our cost of sales primarily consists of cost of vehicles sales, including direct production and material costs, labor costs, manufacturing overhead (including depreciation of assets associated with the production), shipping and logistics costs, and reserves for estimated warranty costs. The cost of sales also includes adjustments to warranty costs and charges to write down the carrying value of the inventory when it exceeds its estimated net realizable value and to provide for inventory on hand that is either obsolete or in excess of the forecasted demand, loss on inventory purchase commitment, and impairment charges of certain property, plant, and equipment.

Operating Expenses

Our operating expenses consist of research and development expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses.

Research and Development Expenses

Our research and development expenses consist of (i) employee compensation for our research and development staff, including salaries, bonuses, and other benefits, (ii) design and development expenses, primarily including consultation fees and validation and testing fees, (iii) depreciation and amortization expenses of equipment and software for our research and development activities, and (iv) rental and other expenses. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist of (i) employee compensation for employees other than research and development staff, including salaries, bonuses, and other benefits, (ii) marketing and promotional expenses, (iii) rental and related expenses primarily for our offices, retail stores and delivery and servicing centers, (iv) depreciation and amortization expenses primarily relating to leasehold improvements, factory buildings, facilities and equipment before the start of production, and (v) office supplies and other expenses.

Interest Expense

Interest expense represents accrued and paid interest with respect to our indebtedness, including convertible debt, financing lease for our manufacturing facility, secured note payable, and borrowings.

Interest Income and Investment Income, Net

Interest income primarily consists of interest earned on cash deposits in banks. Investment income primarily consists of gain from short-term investments and fair value changes in our long-term investments.

Change in Fair Value of Warrants and Derivative Liabilities

Change in fair value of warrants and derivative liabilities consists of fair value changes in the warrants issued during our Series B-3 financing and Series C financing and the conversion feature bifurcated from our preferred shares.

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Seasonality

The sales volume of passenger vehicles typically declines over January and February, particularly around the Chinese New Year, gradually climbs over the spring and summer months, and typically culminates in the last three months of the calendar year. Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to judge the exact nature or extent of the seasonality of our business. Also, any unusually severe weather conditions in some markets may impact demand for our vehicles.

Taxation

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains, or appreciation, and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties, which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or brought within the jurisdiction of, the Cayman Islands. In addition, the Cayman Islands does not impose withholding tax on dividend payments.

Hong Kong

Our subsidiary incorporated in Hong Kong, Leading Ideal HK Limited, is subject to 16.5% Hong Kong profit tax on its taxable income generated from operations in Hong Kong. Under the Hong Kong tax laws, our subsidiary in Hong Kong is exempted from the Hong Kong income tax on our foreign-derived income. In addition, payments of dividends from our subsidiary in Hong Kong to us are not subject to any Hong Kong withholding tax.

Singapore

Corporate taxpayers are subject to Singapore income tax on income accruing in or derived from Singapore and foreign-source income received or deemed to be received in Singapore from outside Singapore, unless specifically exempted from tax. The prevailing corporate income tax rate in Singapore is 17%. Additionally, payments of dividends by the subsidiaries incorporated in Singapore to the Company are not subject to any Singapore withholding tax.

China

Beijing CHJ and Wheels Technology are qualified as a high and new technology enterprise under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and are eligible for a preferential enterprise income tax rate of 15% for a period of three years, while other PRC companies are subject to enterprise income tax at a uniform rate of 25%. The enterprise income tax is calculated based on an entity’s global income as determined under PRC tax laws and accounting standards.

Wheels Technology, which is our wholly-owned entity primarily engaged in the operations of technology, software research and development and relevant services, was recognized as a Software Enterprise and thereby entitled to an income tax exemption for two years beginning from its first profitable calendar year since 2021, and a 50% reduction in the standard statutory rate for the subsequent three consecutive years.

Our vehicles sales are subject to value-added tax at a rate of 13%, less the value-added tax we have already paid or borne. We are also subject to surcharges on value-added tax payments in accordance with PRC laws.

Chongqing Lixiang Automobile Co,. Ltd., one of our subsidiaries, is eligible for consumption tax rate of 3% and related surcharge. The consumption tax is calculated based on the sales price of its self-manufactured vehicles and 3% consumption tax rate from August 2021.

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Dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries in China to our Hong Kong subsidiary will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%, unless the Hong Kong subsidiary satisfies all the requirements under the Arrangement Between China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital and receives approval from the relevant tax authority, in which case dividends paid to the Hong Kong subsidiary will be subject to withholding tax at the standard rate of 5%. Effective from November 1, 2015, the aforementioned approval requirement had been abolished, but a Hong Kong entity is still required to file application package with the relevant tax authority, and to settle overdue taxes if the preferential 5% tax rate is denied based on the subsequent review of the application package by the relevant tax authority.

If our holding company in the Cayman Islands or any of our subsidiaries outside of China were deemed to be a “resident enterprise” under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, it would be subject to enterprise income tax on its worldwide income at a rate of 25%. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.”

For more information on tax regulations, see “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation.”

Significant Accounting Policies and Critical Accounting Estimates

An accounting policy is considered critical if it requires an accounting estimate to be made based on assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain at the time such estimate is made, and if different accounting estimates that reasonably could have been used, or changes in the accounting estimates that are reasonably likely to occur periodically, could materially impact the consolidated financial statements.

We prepare our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date, and the reported revenue and expenses during the reported period in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. We continually evaluate these estimates and assumptions based on the most recently available information, our own historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Since the use of estimates is an integral component of the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from our expectations as a result of changes in our estimates. Some of our accounting policies require a higher degree of judgment than others in their application and require us to make significant accounting estimates.

The following descriptions of significant accounting policies, judgments, and related critical estimates should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and other disclosures included in this annual report. When reviewing our financial statements, you should consider (i) our selection of significant accounting policies, (ii) the judgments and other uncertainties affecting the application of such policies, and (iii) the sensitivity of reported results to changes in conditions and assumptions.

Revenue Recognition

We recognize revenues from vehicle sales and peripheral products and services. We adopted ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, on January 1, 2018 by applying the full retrospective method.

Revenue is recognized when or as the control of the goods or services is transferred to a user. Depending on the terms of the contract and the laws that apply to the contract, control of the goods and services may be transferred over time or at a point in time.

Contracts with users may include multiple performance obligations. For such arrangements, we allocate revenue to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. We generally determine standalone selling prices based on the prices charged to users. If the standalone selling price is not directly observable, it is estimated using expected cost plus a margin, depending on the availability of observable information. Assumptions and estimations have been made in estimating the relative selling price of each distinct performance obligation, and changes in judgments on these assumptions and estimates may impact the revenue recognition.

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Vehicle Sales

We recognize revenues from sales of vehicles together with a number of embedded products and services through contracts. There are multiple distinct performance obligations explicitly stated in the sales contracts including sales of our vehicles, charging stalls, vehicle internet connection services, FOTA upgrades, and extended lifetime warranties for initial owners, subject to certain conditions, which are accounted for in accordance with ASC 606. The standard warranty we provide is accounted for in accordance with ASC 460, Guarantees, and the estimated costs are recorded as a liability when we transfer the control of a vehicle to a user.

Users only pay the amount after deducting the government subsidies to which they are entitled for the purchase of NEVs, which are applied on their behalf and collected by us from the government according to the applicable government policy. We have concluded that government subsidies should be considered as a part of the transaction price we charge the users for the NEVs, as subsidies are granted to NEV purchasers and such purchasers remain liable for such amount if the subsidies are not received by us due to the purchasers’ fault. After the issuance of the circular by the PRC Ministry of Finance and other national regulatory authorities in April 2020 to reduce the amount of subsidies in 10% increments each year commencing from 2020, only NEVs with an MSRP of RMB300,000 or less before subsidies are eligible for such subsidies starting from July 2020, and the selling price of Li ONE is higher than the threshold. Li ONE used to be eligible for a government subsidy of RMB10,000 per individual buyer before April 2020 or RMB8,500 per individual buyer from April to July 2020. After July 2020, Li ONE is no longer eligible for the government subsidy. Our other vehicles are not elighible for the government subsidy.

The overall contract price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation based on the relative estimated standalone selling price in accordance with ASC 606. We allocate the revenue to charging stalls and extended lifetime warranties for initial owners based on its relative observable standalone selling price. We use the cost plus a margin approach to estimate the standalone price and allocate the revenue to vehicle internet connection services and FOTA upgrades, considering our pricing policies and practices, direct cost data utilized in marking pricing decisions and market data related to historical margin within the industry. The revenues for sales of vehicles and charging stalls are recognized at a point in time when the control of the products is transferred to users. For vehicle internet connection services and FOTA upgrades, revenues are recognized using a straight-line method over the service period. For the extended lifetime warranties for initial owners, given the limited operating history and lack of historical data, the revenues are recognized over time based on a straight-line method over the extended warranty period initially, and we will continue to monitor the cost pattern periodically and adjust the revenue recognition pattern to reflect the actual cost pattern as it becomes available.

As the purchase price for vehicles and all embedded products and services must be paid in advance, which means the payments are received prior to the transfer of products or services by us, we record a contract liability (deferred revenue) for the allocated amount regarding those unperformed obligations.

Sales of Li Plus Membership

We also sell the Li Plus Membership to users and the total Li Plus Membership fee is allocated to each performance obligation based on the relative estimated standalone selling price. The revenue for each performance obligation is recognized either over the service period or at a point in time when the relevant product or service is delivered or when the membership is expired, whichever is earlier.

Customer Loyalty Points

Beginning in January 2020, we offer customer loyalty points, which can be redeemed for merchandise or services in our online store. We determine the value of each customer loyalty point based on the cost plus a margin of our merchandise or services that can be obtained through redemption of the customer loyalty points.

We conclude that the customer loyalty points offered to customers in connection with the purchase of our vehicles is a material right and is considered to be a separate performance obligation according to ASC 606, and should be taken into consideration when allocating the transaction price of the sales of vehicle. The amount allocated to the customer loyalty points as separate performance obligation is recorded as contract liability (deferred revenue) and revenue should be recognized when the customer loyalty points are used or expired.

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Customers or users of our mobile application can also obtain customer loyalty points through other ways, such as referring new customers to purchase the vehicles via the mobile application. As we offer these customer loyalty points to encourage user engagement and generate market awareness, we account for such points as selling and marketing expenses with a corresponding liability recorded under accruals and other current liabilities upon the points offering.

Sales of Automotive Regulatory Credits

Pursuant to the measurements and policies promulgated by the MIIT, each of the vehicle manufacturers or importers above a certain scale is able to earn Automotive Regulatory Credits by manufacturing or importing NEVs. The Automotive Regulatory Credits are tradable and can be sold to other companies through a credit management system established by the MIIT. We earn the tradable new energy vehicle credits from the production of our electric vehicles. We sell these credits at agreed prices to other regulated entities who can use the credits to comply with the regulatory requirements. We recognized revenue on the sale of Automotive Regulatory Credits at the time control of the Automotive Regulatory Credits are transferred to the purchasing party as MIIT has completed the review and approved the sale of Automotive Regulatory Credits, the related NEV credits have been transferred to purchasing party.

Practical Expedients and Exemptions

We elect to expense the costs to obtain a contract as incurred given the majority of the contract considerations for vehicle sales are allocated to the sales of our vehicles and recognized as revenues upon transfer of control of the vehicles, which is within one year after entering the sales contracts.

Product Warranties

We provide product warranties on all new vehicles based on the contracts with our users at the time of sale of vehicles. We accrue a warranty reserve for the vehicles sold by multiplying the expected unit costs for warranty services by the sales volume, which includes the best estimates of projected costs to repair or replace items under the warranties and for recalls when identified. These estimates are primarily based on the estimates of the nature, frequency, and average costs of future claims. These estimates are inherently uncertain given our relatively short history of sales, and changes to the historical or projected warranty experience may cause material changes to the warranty reserve in the future. The portion of the warranty reserve expected to be incurred within the next 12 months is included within the accrued and other current liabilities while the remaining balance is included within other non-current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Warranty cost is recorded as a component of cost of sales in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

We recognize the benefit from a recovery of the costs associated with the warranty when specifics of the recovery have been agreed with our suppliers and the amount of the recovery is virtually certain.

As of December 31, 2022, we had recorded RMB1.6 billion of accrued warranty, including the warranty cost for the voluntary recall for vehicles produced on or before June 1, 2020. We monitor warranty activity and adjust our reserve estimates when it is probable that future warranty costs will be different than those estimates. See Note 2(q), “Product Warranties,” of the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report for disclosure of our product warranty liabilities.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets and Intangible Assets with Indefinite Lives

Long-lived assets include property, plant and equipment and intangible assets with definite lives. Long-lived assets are assessed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances (such as a significant adverse change to market conditions that will impact the future use of the assets) indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable in accordance with ASC 360. We measure the carrying amount of a long-lived asset against the estimated undiscounted future cash flows associated with it. The impairment exists when the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset being evaluated.

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Intangible assets with indefinite lives are tested for impairment at least annually as of each balance sheet date and more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the assets are impaired in accordance with ASC 350. We first perform a qualitative assessment to assess all relevant events and circumstances that could affect the significant inputs used to determine the fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset. If we determine that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired after performing the qualitative assessment, we calculate the fair value using a discounted cash flow method of the intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value of the asset with its carrying amount. Inherent in our development of cash flow projections are highly subjective assumptions and estimates derived from a review of our operating results, business plan forecasts, expected growth rates, and cost of capital, similar to those a market participant would use to assess fair value. If the carrying amount of the indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds its fair value, we recognize an impairment loss in an amount equal to that excess. In consideration of the growing electric vehicle industry in China, our improving financial performance, the stable macroeconomic conditions in China, and our future manufacturing plans, we determined that it is not likely that the indefinite-lived intangible assets were impaired as of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Consolidation of VIEs

Subsidiaries are those entities in which we, directly or indirectly, control more than half of the voting power, have the power to appoint or remove the majority of the members of the board of directors, or to cast a majority of votes at the meeting of the board of directors, or have the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the investee under a statute or agreement among the shareholders or equity holders.

A VIE is an entity in which we, or any of our subsidiaries, through contractual arrangements, have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, bear the risks of and enjoys the rewards normally associated with ownership of the entity, and therefore we or our subsidiary is the primary beneficiary of the entity.

Critical judgements have been involved in determining whether a legal entity is a consolidated affiliated entity, and must be reconsidered as a matter of course, upon the occurrence of certain events as provided for within ASC 810-10-35-4. In this regard, we will continue to monitor and assess whether we remain primary beneficiaries of these entities and should continue to consolidate each prospectively. See “Item 3.D. Key Information-Risk Factors-Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure.”

All significant intercompany balances and transactions within the group have been eliminated upon consolidation.

Share-Based Compensation

We grant share options and restriced share units to eligible employees, directors and consultants and accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation.

Employees’ share-based compensation awards granted with service conditions and the occurrence of a qualified initial public offering as performance condition, are measured at the grant date fair value. Cumulative share-based compensation expenses for the options that have satisfied the service condition are recorded upon the completion of our initial public offering in the United States using the graded-vesting method. This performance condition was met upon the completion of our initial public offering in August 2020 and the associated share-based compensation expenses for awards vested as of that date were recognizes. Employees’ share-based compensation awards granted with only service conditions are recognized as expenses over the vesting period, using the graded vesting method, net of estimated forfeitures.

The binomial option-pricing model is used to measure the value of share options. The determination of the fair value is affected by the fair value of the ordinary shares as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables, including the expected share price volatility, risk-free interest rates and expected dividends. The fair value of these awards was determined taking into account these factors.

The assumptions used in share-based compensation expense recognition represent management’s best estimates, but these estimates involve inherent uncertainties and application of management judgment. If factors change or different assumptions are used, the share-based compensation expenses could be materially different for any period. Moreover, the estimates of fair value of the awards are not intended to predict actual future events or the value that ultimately will be realized by grantees who receive share-based awards, and subsequent events are not indicative of the reasonableness of the original estimates of fair value made by Li Auto Inc. for accounting purposes.

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In July 2019, our board of directors and members approved the 2019 Plan to secure and retain the services of valuable employees, directors, and consultants and provide incentives for such persons to exert their best efforts for the success of our business. The maximum aggregate number of Class A ordinary shares which may be issued under the 2019 Plan is 141,083,452 as of February 28, 2023.

We began to grant share options to employees from 2015. In conjunction with our reorganization in July 2019, we transferred share options from Beijing CHJ to Li Auto Inc. The share options under the 2019 Plan have a contractual term of ten years from the grant date. The options granted have both service and performance condition. The options are generally scheduled to be vested over five years, and one-fifth of the awards will be vested after one year of service from the vesting commencement date. Meanwhile, the options granted are only exercisable upon the occurrence of our initial public offering in the United States.

In July 2020, our board of directors and members adopted the 2020 Plan, which allows us to grant options and RSUs to our employees, directors, and consultants. The maximum number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2020 Plan as of February 28, 2023 is 165,696,625. On January 1, 2023, we granted an aggregate of 10,831,600 restricted share units pursuant to the 2020 Plan to one senior management member and 678 employees, representing the same number of Class A ordinary shares.

In March 2021, we adopted the 2021 Plan and granted options to purchase 108,557,400 Class B Ordinary Shares to Mr. Xiang Li, our founder and chief executive officer. On May 5, 2021, our board of directors approved to replace these share options with the same amount of restricted Class B ordinary shares under the 2021 Plan. These Class B ordinary shares were converted to Class A ordinary shares on a one-to-one basis with effect immediately upon the listing of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

As of December 31, 2019, we had not recognized any share-based compensation expenses for options granted, because we consider that it is not probable that the performance conditions will be satisfied until the event occurs. We recorded share-based compensation expenses of RMB142.8 million in 2020, including cumulative share-based compensation expenses recognized upon the completion of our initial public offering in the United States. We recorded share-based compensation expenses of RMB1.1 billion and RMB2.1 billion (US$ 297.7 million) for the years ended December 31, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

Fair Value of Options

For share options for the purchase of ordinary shares granted to employees, directors and consultants classified as equity awards, the related share-based compensation expenses are measured based on the fair value of the awards on the grant date, which is calculated using the binomial option pricing model. The determination of the fair value is affected by the share price as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables, including the expected share price volatility, actual and projected employee share option exercise behavior, risk-free interest rates and expected dividends. The fair value of the ordinary shares is assessed using the income approach/discounted cash flow method, with a discount for lack of marketability, given that the shares underlying the awards were not publicly traded at the time of grant.

The fair value of each option granted under the 2019 Plan and 2020 Plan for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022 was estimated on the date of each grant using the binomial option pricing model with the assumptions (or ranges thereof) in the following table:

For the Year Ended December 31,

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Exercise price (US$)

 

0.10

0.10

0.10

Fair value of the ordinary shares on the date of option grant (US$)

 

1.35–1.90

14.42–17.35

16.05

Risk-free interest rate

0.69%–1.92%

0.93%–1.48%

1.51%

Expected term (in years)

10.00

10.00

10.00

Expected dividend yield

0%

0%

0%

Expected volatility

45%–46%

47%–48%

48%

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The fair value of the option granted under the 2021 Plan was estimated on the date of grant using the binomial option pricing model with the assumptions (or ranges thereof) in the following table:

    

For the Year Ended

 

December 31,

 

2021

 

Exercise price (US$)

 

14.63

Fair value of the ordinary shares on the date of option grant (US$)

 

10.67

Risk-free interest rate

 

1.59

%

Expected term (in years)

 

10.00

Expected dividend yield

 

0

%

Expected volatility

 

47

%

The options granted under the 2021 Plan to Mr. Xiang Li included performance conditions. As of December 31, 2022, we did not recognize any share-based compensation expenses for these awards, because we consider it is not probable that the performance-based vesting conditions will be satisfied as of December 31, 2022.

The assumptions used in the binomial option pricing model, other than the fair value of ordinary shares, are estimated as follows:

Risk-free interest rate: the Risk-free interest rate is estimated based on the yield curve of U.S. Sovereign Bond as of the option valuation date.
Expected terms (in years): we estimate the expected term based on the contract terms for employees.
Expected dividend yield: expected dividend yield is zero percent, as we have not paid and do not anticipate paying dividends on our common stock.
Expected volatility: the expected volatility at the grant date and each option valuation date is estimated based on annualized standard deviation of daily stock price return of comparable companies with a time horizon close to the expected expiry of the term of the options.

We continue to use judgment in evaluating the expected volatility and expected term utilized in our stock-based compensation expense calculation on a prospective basis. As we continue to accumulate additional data related to our ordinary shares, we may refine our estimates of expected volatility and expected term, which could materially impact our future stock-based compensation expense.

For performance-based awards, stock-based compensation expense is recognized over the expected performance achievement period of performance achievement when the achievement of each performance achievement becomes probable. Please refer to the performance-based compensation granted to Mr. Xiang Li aforementioned.

Income Taxes

Current income taxes are recorded in accordance with the regulations of the relevant tax jurisdiction. We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method in accordance with ASC 740, Income Tax. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the tax consequences attributable to differences between carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities in the financial statements and their respective tax basis, and operating loss carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss in the period of change. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce the amount of deferred tax assets if it is considered more likely than not that amount of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

We must assess the likelihood that we will be able to recover our deferred tax assets against future sources of taxable income and reduce the carrying amount of deferred tax assets by recording a valuation allowance if, based on all available evidence, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of such assets will not be realized.

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This assessment takes into account various types of evidence, including the following:

nature, frequency, and severity of current and cumulative pre-tax losses. A pattern of objectively measured recent pre-tax losses is heavily weighted as a source of negative evidence. We generally consider cumulative pre-tax losses in the prior periods ending with the current year to be significant negative evidence regarding future profitability. We also consider the strength and trend of earnings, as well as other relevant factors. In certain circumstances, historical information may not be as relevant due to changes in our business operations.
sources of future taxable income. Future reversals of existing temporary differences are heavily weighted sources of objectively positive evidence. Projections of future taxable income exclusive of reversing temporary differences are a source of positive evidence only when the projections are combined with a history of recent profits and can be reasonably estimated. Otherwise, these projections are considered inherently subjective and generally will not be sufficient to overcome negative evidence that includes relevant cumulative losses in recent years, particularly if the projected future taxable income is dependent on an anticipated turnaround to profitability that has not yet been achieved. In such cases, we generally give these projections of future taxable income no weight for the purposes of our valuation allowance assessment; and
tax planning strategies. If necessary and available, tax planning strategies could be implemented to generate taxable amounts to utilize the loss carryforwards. These strategies would be a source of additional positive evidence and, depending on their nature, could be heavily weighted.

For additional information regarding income taxes, see Note 25 of the Notes to our consolidated financial statements.

Inflation

To date, inflation in China has not materially impacted our results of operations. According to the PRC National Bureau of Statistics, the year-over-year percent changes in the consumer price index for December 2020, 2021, and 2022 were increases of 0.2%, 1.5%, and 1.8% respectively. Although we have not been materially affected by inflation in the past, we can provide no assurance that we will not be affected by higher rates of inflation in China in the future. For example, certain operating expenses, such as employee compensation and rental and related expenses for office, retail stores and delivery and servicing centers may increase as a result of higher inflation. Additionally, because a substantial portion of our assets consists of cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments, high inflation could significantly reduce the value and purchasing power of these assets. We are not able to hedge our exposure to higher inflation in China.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

A list of recently issued accounting pronouncements that are relevant to us is included in Note 3 to our audited consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this annual report.

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Results of Operations

The following table sets forth a summary of our consolidated results of operations for the periods presented. This information should be read together with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this annual report. The results of operations in any period are not necessarily indicative of our future trends.

For the Year Ended December 31,

2020

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

(in thousands)

Revenues:

 

  

 

  

 

  

—Vehicle sales

 

9,282,703

 

26,128,469

44,106,434

 

6,394,832

—Other sales and services

 

173,906

 

881,310

1,180,382

 

171,139

Total revenues

 

9,456,609

 

27,009,779

45,286,816

 

6,565,971

Cost of sales(1):

 

 

 

—Vehicle sales

 

(7,763,628)

 

(20,755,578)

(35,688,343)

 

(5,174,323)

—Other sales and services

 

(143,642)

 

(492,747)

(808,017)

 

(117,151)

Total cost of sales

 

(7,907,270)

 

(21,248,325)

(36,496,360)

 

(5,291,474)

Gross profit

 

1,549,339

 

5,761,454

8,790,456

 

1,274,497

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

—Research and development(1)

 

(1,099,857)

 

(3,286,389)

(6,780,032)

 

(983,012)

—Selling, general and administrative(1)

 

(1,118,819)

 

(3,492,385)

(5,665,301)

 

(821,391)

Total operating expenses

 

(2,218,676)

 

(6,778,774)

(12,445,333)

 

(1,804,403)

Loss from operations

 

(669,337)

 

(1,017,320)

(3,654,877)

 

(529,906)

Other (expense)/income:

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

(66,916)

 

(63,244)

(106,340)

 

(15,418)

Interest income and investment income, net

 

254,916

 

740,432

976,229

 

141,540

Changes in fair value of warrants and derivative liabilities

 

272,327

 

 

Others, net

 

20,133

 

187,320

625,633

 

90,708

Loss before income tax expense

 

(188,877)

 

(152,812)

(2,159,355)

 

(313,076)

Net loss

 

(151,657)

 

(321,455)

(2,032,348)

 

(294,662)

Note:

(1)

Share-based compensation expenses were allocated as follows:

For the Year Ended December 31,

2020

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

(in thousands)

Cost of sales

 

1,515

 

26,713

44,845

 

6,502

Research and development expenses

 

60,789

 

741,793

1,333,710

 

193,370

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

80,491

 

332,850

674,610

 

97,809

Total

 

142,795

 

1,101,356

2,053,165

 

297,681

Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2021

Revenues

Our total revenues increased from RMB27.0 billion in 2021 to RMB45.3 billion (US$6.6 billion) in 2022, primarily due to increase in revenues from vehicle sales.

Revenues from vehicle sales increased from RMB26.1 billion in 2021 to RMB44.1 billion (US$6.4 billion) in 2022, primarily attributable to the increased deliveries of 133,246 vehicles in 2022, compared with 90,491 in 2021, as well as higher average selling price due to our delivery of Li L-Series models starting from the third quarter of 2022.

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Revenues from other sales and services increased from RMB881.3 million in 2021 to RMB1.2 billion (US$171.1 million) in 2022, primarily attributable to increased sales of charging stalls, accessories and services in line with higher accumulated vehicle sales, partially offset by the sales of automotive regulatory credits in 2021, which did not recur in 2022.

Cost of Sales

Our cost of sales increased from RMB21.2 billion in 2021 to RMB36.5 billion (US$5.3 billion) in 2022, due to the increase in vehicle deliveries, as well as the higher average cost of sales due to our delivery of Li L-Series starting from the third quarter of 2022.

Gross Profit

As a result of the foregoing, we generated gross profit of RMB8.8 billion (US$1.3 billion) in 2022, compared with RMB5.8 billion in 2021.

Research and Development Expenses

Our research and development expenses increased from RMB3.3 billion in 2021 to RMB6.8 billion (US$983.0 million) in 2022, primarily attributable to a RMB1.7 billion increase in employee compensation as a result of growing number of staff as well as a RMB1.6 billion increase in costs associated with new products and technologies developments.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Our selling, general and administrative expenses increased from RMB3.5 billion in 2021 to RMB5.7 billion (US$821.4 million) in 2022, primarily attributable to a RMB1.5 billion increase in employee compensation as a result of growing number of staff, as well as a RMB321.1 million increase in rental expenses associated with the expansion of our sales and servicing network.

Loss from Operations

As a result of the foregoing, the operating loss increased from RMB1.0 billion in 2021 to RMB3.7 billion (US$529.9 million) in 2022.

Interest Expense

Our interest expense increased from RMB63.2 million in 2021 to RMB106.3 million (US$15.4 million) in 2022, primarily attributable to the increased principal of the borrowings in 2022.

Interest Income and Investment Income, Net

Our interest income and investment income, net increased from RMB740.4 million in 2021 to RMB976.2 million (US$141.5 million) in 2022, primarily attributable to the increased cash position in 2022.

Others, Net

Our others, net increased from RMB187.3 million in 2021 to RMB625.6 million (US$90.7 million) in 2022, primarily attributable to the increased VAT refunds and reimbursement paid to us by the depositary of our ADS program.

Net Loss

As a result of the foregoing, we incurred net loss of RMB2.0 billion (US$294.7 million) in 2022, compared with net loss of RMB321.5 million in 2021.

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Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020

Revenues

Our total revenues increased from RMB9.5 billion in 2020 to RMB27.0 billion in 2021, primarily due to increase in revenues from vehicle sales.

Revenues from vehicle sales increased from RMB9.3 billion in 2020 to RMB26.1 billion in 2021, primarily attributable to the increased deliveries of 90,491 vehicles in 2021, compared with 32,624 vehicles in 2020.

Revenues from other sales and services increased from RMB173.9 million in 2020 to RMB881.3 million in 2021, primarily attributable to a RMB678.2 million increase in the sales of charging stalls, accessories and services in line with higher accumulated vehicle sales, and the sales of automotive regulatory credits.

Cost of Sales

Our cost of sales increased from RMB7.9 billion in 2020 to RMB21.2 billion in 2021, due to increase in sales volume of vehicles.

Gross Profit

As a result of the foregoing, we generated gross profit of RMB5.8 billion in 2021, compared with RMB1.5 billion in 2020.

Research and Development Expenses

Our research and development expenses increased from RMB1.1 billion in 2020 to RMB3.3 billion in 2021, primarily attributable to a RMB1.5 billion increase in employee compensation as a result of growing number of research and development staff as well as a RMB571.6 million increase in costs associated with new products developments.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Our selling, general and administrative expenses increased from RMB1.1 billion in 2020 to RMB3.5 billion in 2021, primarily attributable to a RMB965.1 million increase in employee compensation as a result of growing number of staff, as well as a RMB836.0 million increase in marketing and promotional activities and a RMB161.7 million increase in rental expenses associated with the expansion of our sales network.

Loss from Operations

As a result of the foregoing, the operating loss increased from RMB669.3 million in 2020 to RMB1.0 billion in 2021.

Interest Income and Investment Income, Net

Our interest income and investment income, net increased from RMB254.9 million in 2020 to RMB740.4 million in 2021, primarily attributable to a significant expansion in the scale of our investment in wealth management products.

Change in Fair Value of Warrants and Derivative Liabilities

We recorded RMB272.3 million fair value gain of warrants and derivative liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2020, and these warrants and derivative liabilities were expired or exercised upon the completion of the initial public offering in the United States in July 2020.

Net Loss

As a result of the foregoing, we incurred net loss of RMB321.5 million in 2021, compared with net loss of RMB151.7 million in 2020.

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B.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

As of December 31, 2022, we had RMB58.5 billion (US$8.5 billion) in cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, time deposits and short-term investments. Our cash and cash equivalents primarily consist of cash on hand, time deposits and highly-liquid investments placed with banks or other financial institutions, which are unrestricted for withdrawal or use and have original maturities of three months or less.

Our operating cash flow for the year ended December 31, 2022 was RMB7.4 billion (US$1.1 billion), compared with RMB3.1 billion and RMB8.3 billion for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively. We believe that our current cash and cash equivalents and our anticipated cash flows from operations will be sufficient to meet our anticipated working capital requirements, capital expenditures and debt repayment obligations for at least the next 12 months. We may decide to enhance our liquidity position or increase our cash reserve for future operations and investments through additional financing. The issuance and sale of additional equity would result in further dilution to our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in increasing fixed obligations and could result in operating covenants that would restrict our operations. We cannot assure you that financing will be available in amounts or on terms acceptable to us, if at all.

Cash Flows

The following table sets forth a summary of our cash flows for the periods indicated.

For the Year Ended December 31,

2020

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

(in thousands)

Summary Consolidated Cash Flow Data

 

  

 

  

 

  

Net cash provided by operating activities

3,139,804

 

8,340,385

7,380,266

 

1,070,038

Net cash used in investing activities

(18,737,725)

 

(4,257,244)

(4,364,661)

 

(632,816)

Net cash provided by financing activities

24,710,697

 

16,709,533

5,639,392

 

817,635

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

(376,646)

 

(472,129)

1,270,097

 

184,146

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash

8,736,130

 

20,320,545

9,925,094

 

1,439,003

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at the beginning of the year

1,436,389

 

10,172,519

30,493,064

 

4,421,079

Cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash at the end of the year

10,172,519

 

30,493,064

40,418,158

 

5,860,082

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was RMB7.4 billion (US$1.1 billion), primarily attributable to our net loss of RMB2.0 billion (US$294.7 million) adjusted for (i) non-cash items of RMB4.4 billion (US$634.6 million), which primarily consisted of share-based compensation expenses, depreciation and amortization and inventory write-downs and losses on purchase commitments relating to inventory and loss on inventory obsolescence, and (ii) a net decrease in operating assets and liabilities of RMB5.0 billion (US$730.1 million). The net decrease in operating assets and liabilities was primarily the result of (i) an increase in trade and notes payable of RMB10.6 billion (US$1.5 billion) mainly consisting of trade payable for raw materials and (ii) an increase in accruals and other current liabilities of RMB1.2 billion (US$169.2 million), which mainly includes accrued costs of purchase commitments relating to inventory, payables for research and development expenses, payables for logistics expenses, and salaries and benefits payables, and (iii) an increase in other non-current liabilities of RMB1.0 billion (US$149.7 million) mainly consisting of accrued warranty and deferred government grants, partially offset by (x) an increase in inventories of RMB5.9 billion (US$858.3 million), and (y) an increase in prepayments and other current assets of RMB1.2 billion (US$169.9 million), which was primarily attributable to an increase in deductible VAT input and prepaid rental and deposits, and (z) an increase in other non-current assets of RMB745.3 million (US$108.1 million).

121

Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 was RMB8.3 billion, primarily attributable to our net loss of RMB321.5 million adjusted for (i) non-cash items of RMB2.0 billion, which primarily consisted of share-based compensation expenses, depreciation and amortization and deferred income tax, and (ii) a net decrease in operating assets and liabilities of RMB6.6 billion. The net decrease in operating assets and liabilities was primarily the result of (i) an increase in trade and notes payable of RMB6.2 billion mainly consisting of trade payable for raw materials and (ii) an increase in accruals and other current liabilities of RMB932.1 million, which mainly includes salaries and benefits payables, tax payable, accrued warranty, and payables for research and development expenses, and (iii) an increase in other non-current liabilities of RMB523.8 million mainly consisting of accrued warranty, partially offset by (y) a decrease in other non-current assets of RMB633.3 million mainly consisting of long-term deposits, and (z) a decrease in inventories of RMB611.6 million.

Net cash provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was RMB3.1 billion, primarily attributable to our net loss of RMB 151.7 million adjusted for (i) non-cash items of RMB237.8 million, which primarily consisted of depreciation and amortization and share-based compensation expenses, partially offset by fair value gain of warrants and derivative liabilities, and (ii) a net decrease in operating assets and liabilities of RMB3.1 billion. The net decrease in operating assets and liabilities was primarily the result of an increase in trade and notes payable of RMB2.5 billion, a decrease in prepayments and other current assets of RMB459.3 million, an increase of inventories of RMB516.9 million, and an increase in trade receivables of RMB 107.2 million.

The increase in trade and notes payable was primarily attributable to the increased purchase of raw materials as a result of our business expansion and the increased number of vehicles we produced in the period. The decrease in prepayments and other current assets was primarily attributable to the decreased deductible value-added tax due to the increased accumulated vehicle sales and decreased prepayments for raw materials due to our enhanced bargaining power with suppliers. The increase in inventories was primarily attributable to the increased number of finished products due to higher demands for our vehicles. The increase in trade receivable was attributable to the increased government subsidies to be collected on behalf of our users in connection with our increased accumulated vehicles sales.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was RMB4.4 billion (US$632.8 million). This was primarily attributable to (i) purchase of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets of RMB5.1 billion (US$743.5 million), (ii) our net investment in long-term investments of RMB763.8 million (US$110.7 million), partially offset by our net redemption of short-term investments and time deposits of RMB1.5 billion (US$220.4 million).

Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 was RMB4.3 billion. This was primarily attributable to (i) purchase of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets of RMB3.4 billion, (ii) our net investment in short-term investments and time deposits of RMB182.0 million and (iii) purchase of Changzhou Manufacturing Base Phase I and Phase II of RMB563.1 million.

Net cash used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was RMB 18.7 billion. This was primarily attributable to (i) our net investment in short-term investments and time deposits of RMB18.0 billion and (ii) purchase of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets of RMB675.2 million.

Financing Activities

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 was RMB5.6 billion (US$817.6 million), primarily attributable to (i) net proceeds of RMB3.1 billion (US$446.6 million) from the borrowings, and (ii) proceeds of RMB2.5 billion (US$357.0 million) from share issuance through an at-the-market equity offering program.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2021 was RMB16.7 billion, primarily attributable to (i) net proceeds of RMB11.0 billion from our initial public offering in Hong Kong, (ii) proceeds of RMB5.5 billion from the issuance of convertible debts, and (iii) net proceeds of RMB170.3 million from the borrowings.

Net cash provided by financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2020 was RMB24.7 billion, primarily attributable to (i) net proceeds of RMB 11.0 billion from our initial public offering in the United States and concurrent private placements, (ii) net proceeds of RMB 10.0 billion from our follow-on offering, and (iii) proceeds of RMB3.8 billion from the issuance of Series D convertible redeemable preferred shares, partially offset by the repayment of short-term borrowings of RMB144.7 million.

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Material Cash Requirements

Our material cash requirements as of December 31, 2022 and any subsequent interim period primarily include the cash needs in our business operations and capital expenditures.

Capital Expenditures

Our capital expenditures were RMB675.2 million, RMB4.0 billion, and RMB5.1 billion (US$743.5 million) in 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. In these periods, our capital expenditures were primarily used for the acquisition of factory buildings, equipment, tooling and leasehold improvements mainly for retail stores and delivery and servicing centers and laboratories. We plan to continue to incur capital expenditures in the future to meet our business growth.

Holding Company Structure

Li Auto Inc. is a holding company with no material operations of its own. We conduct our operations through our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs and their subsidiaries in China. As a result, our ability to pay dividends depends significantly upon dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries. If our existing PRC subsidiaries or any newly formed ones incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing their debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends to us. In addition, our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China are permitted to pay dividends to us only out of their retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. Under the PRC law, each of our subsidiaries and the VIEs in China is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain statutory reserve funds until such reserve funds reach 50% of its registered capital. In addition, each of our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries in China may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to enterprise expansion funds and staff bonus and welfare funds at its discretion, and each of the VIEs may allocate a portion of its after-tax profits based on PRC accounting standards to a discretionary surplus fund at its discretion. The statutory reserve funds and the discretionary funds are not distributable as cash dividends. Remittance of dividends by a wholly foreign-owned company out of China is subject to examination by the banks designated by SAFE. Our PRC subsidiaries have not paid dividends and will not be able to pay dividends until they generate accumulated profits and meet the requirements for statutory reserve funds.

C.

Research and Development, Patents and Licenses, etc.

See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview— Research and Development” And “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Intellectual Property.”

D.

Trend Information

Other than as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we are not aware of any trends, uncertainties, demands, commitments or events for the period from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 that are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on our total revenues, profitability, liquidity, or capital resources, or that caused the disclosed financial information to be not necessarily indicative of future operating results or financial conditions.

E.

Critical Accounting Estimates

See “—Significant Accounting Policies and Critical Accounting Estimates.”

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We have not entered into any off-balance sheet financial guarantees or other off-balance sheet commitments to guarantee the payment obligations of any third parties. We have not entered into any derivative contracts that are indexed to our shares and classified as shareholder’s equity or that are not reflected in our consolidated financial statements. Furthermore, we do not have any retained or contingent interest in assets transferred to an unconsolidated entity that serves as credit, liquidity, or market risk support to such entity. We do not have any variable interest in any unconsolidated entity that provides financing, liquidity, market risk, or credit support to us or engages in leasing, hedging, or product development services with us.

123

ITEM 6.DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES

A.

Directors and Senior Management

The following table sets forth information regarding our directors and executive officers as of the date of this annual report.

Directors and Executive Officers

    

Age

    

Position/Title

Xiang Li

41

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Tie Li

45

Director and Chief Financial Officer

Donghui Ma

48

Director and President

Yan Xie

44

Chief Technology Officer

Xing Wang

44

Director

Zheng Fan

44

Independent Director

Hongqiang Zhao

46

Independent Director

Xing Xiao

52

Independent Director

Zhenyu Jiang

49

Independent Director

Xiang Li is our founder and has served as our chairman and chief executive officer since our inception. Mr. Li is also the founder of Autohome Inc., (NYSE: ATHM; HKEX stock code: 2518), and served as its president from 1999 to June 2015. From May 2015 to September 2018, Mr. Li served as a director of NIO Inc. (NYSE: NIO; HKEX stock code: 9866). Mr. Li has served as an independent director of Beijing Siwei Tuxin Technology Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Stock Exchange stock code: 002405) from May 2017 to December 2021, and is also on the board of directors of several private companies.

Tie Li has served as our director and chief financial officer since July 2016. Prior to joining us, Mr. Li worked at Autohome from March 2008 to June 2016 with his last position as a vice president of Autohome. Before joining Autohome, Mr. Li worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers Beijing Office from August 2002 to February 2008. Mr. Li has served as an Independent non-executive director of Gushengtang Holdings Limited (HKEX stock code: 2273) since November 2021. Mr. Li completed the Senior Executive Leadership Program held by Harvard Business School in July 2019. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting and master’s degree in management from Tsinghua University in July 1999 and June 2002, respectively.

Donghui Ma has served as our director and president since January 2023. He has served as our chief engineer since September 2015 to December 2022, in charge of the research and development. Mr. Ma worked as dean of research institute at SANY Heavy Vehicle Body Co., Ltd. since June 2011. Prior to that, Mr. Ma worked as senior project manager at IAT Automobile Technology Co., Ltd. from June 2010 to June 2011. Mr. Ma served at Jianshi International Automotive Design (Beijing) Co., Ltd. from December 2003 to May 2010 with his last position as director of department of vehicle body. Mr. Ma received a bachelor’s degree in power engineering from Wuhan University of Technology in 1995 and a master’s degree in mechanical manufacturing and automation from Shanghai University in 2003.

Yan Xie has served as our chief technology officer since December 2022. Mr. Xie has also served as our senior vice president since July 2022. Mr. Xie has extensive work experience in the technology sector. Prior to joining us, Mr. Xie served as a vice president of software engineering at the consumer business group and the head of the device OS department at Huawei Technologies, chief architect of AliOS system, and a general manager at Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA and HKEX: 9988), and worked at Intel Corporation. Mr. Xie received a bachelor’s degree in information electrical engineering from Zhejiang University in 2001 and a master’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Delaware in 2003.

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Xing Wang has served as our director since July 2019 and, for purposes of the Hong Kong Listing Rules, a non-executive director. Mr. Wang is a co-founder, an executive director, the chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Meituan (HKEX stock code: 3690), a leading e-commerce platform for goods and services in China which was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange in September 2018. Prior to founding meituan.com in 2010, he co-founded xiaonei.com, China’s first college social network website, in 2005. xiaonei.com was later renamed as Renren Inc. (NYSE: RENN). Mr. Wang also co-founded fanfou.com, a social media company specializing in microblogging, in May 2007 and was responsible for the management and operation of this company from May 2007 to July 2009. Mr. Wang received his bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering from Tsinghua University in July 2001 and his master’s degree in electrical engineering from University of Delaware in January 2005.

Zheng Fan has served as our independent director since October 2020 and, for purposes of the Hong Kong Listing Rules, a non-executive director. Prior to joining us, Mr. Fan served as co-founder and vice president of Autohome from June 1999 to October 2016. Mr. Fan graduated with a college diploma in computer science from Hebei University of Science and Technology in July 2000.

Hongqiang Zhao has served as our independent director since July 2020 and, for purposes of the Hong Kong Listing Rules, an independent non-executive director. Mr. Zhao serves as an executive director and chief financial officer of Bairong Inc. (HKEX stock code: 6608), a leading big-data application platform in financial sector in China, since June 2018. Mr. Zhao also currently serves as an independent director of HUYA Inc. (NYSE: HUYA), a leading China-based game live streaming company since May 2018 and an independent non-executive director of Gogox Holdings Limited (HKEx stock code: 2246) since August 2021. Previously, Mr. Zhao served as chief financial officer of NetEase Lede Technology Co., Ltd. Beijing Branch from October 2014. Mr. Zhao previously held the position of assistant chief auditor at PCAOB, a regulatory oversight agency under the SEC. He was also employed with KPMG LLP in the United States from August 2001 to February 2009, with the most recent position being Manager Audit. Mr. Zhao received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Tsinghua University in July 1999 and a master’s degree in accountancy from the George Washington University in May 2001.

Zhenyu Jiang has served as an independent director since August 2021 and, for purposes of the Hong Kong Listing Rules, an independent non-executive director. Mr. Jiang has more than 13 years of experience in financial management and legal practices. Mr. Jiang has served as the chief financial officer and a joint company secretary of Dida Inc. since May 2020 and September 2020, respectively. Prior to joining Dida Inc., Mr. Jiang served as the chief financial officer of Cheetah Mobile Inc., a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CMCM), from April 2017 to January 2020. Prior to that, Mr. Jiang founded and operated a startup tech company. From February 2014 to October 2015, Mr. Jiang served as the chief financial officer at 9F Inc., a company listed on Nasdaq (Nasdaq: JFU). From September 2008 to March 2014, he worked as an associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Mr. Jiang also served as an engineer at BorgWarner, Inc., a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BWA) from January 2000 to July 2006. Mr. Jiang graduated from Tsinghua University with a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in automotive engineering in July 1995 and June 1998, respectively. He further obtained a master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University in December 1999 and a juris doctor degree from Cornell Law School in May 2008. Mr. Jiang qualified as a registered attorney at law in the State of New York in January 2009 and was also recognized as a chartered financial analyst by CFA Institute in the USA in April 2013.

Xing Xiao has served as our independent director since August 2021 and, for purposes of the Hong Kong Listing Rules, an independent non-executive director. Prof. Xiao is a professor and the Head of the Accounting Department of the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University, where she has taught classes since April 1997. During her time at the Tsinghua University, Prof. Xiao visited Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University of Wisconsin as a senior visiting scholar and received the Fulbright Scholar award in 2011. Prof. Xiao’s main research areas are corporate governance, financial management, financial statement analysis and financial accounting. Prof. Xiao has served as an independent director of Mango Excellent Media Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Stock Exchange stock code: 300413) since January 2019, an independent director of Bloomage Biotechnology Corporation Limited (Shanghai Stock Exchange stock code: 688363) from March 2019 to April 2022, an independent non-executive director of Agricultural Bank of China Limited (Shanghai Stock Exchange stock code: 601288 and HKEX stock code: 1288) from March 2015 to July 2021; independent director of Goertek Inc. (Shenzhen Stock Exchange stock code: 002241) from September 2013 to November 2019, an independent director of Beijing Thunisoft Corporation Limited (Shenzhen Stock Exchange stock code: 300271) from June 2019 to March 2020, and an independent director of Aixin Life Co., Ltd. since August 2017. Prof. Xiao received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a second bachelor’s degree in business management from Tsinghua University in July 1994 and a master’s degree in industrial foreign trade (accounting) from Tsinghua University in March 1997. Prof. Xiao obtained her doctorate degree in accounting from Tsinghua University in January 2004.

125

B.

Compensation

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, we paid an aggregate of approximately RMB9.8 million (approximately US$1.4 million) in cash to our directors and executive officers as a group. We have not set aside or accrued any amount to provide pension, retirement or other similar benefits to our executive officers and directors. Our PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs are required by law to make contributions equal to certain percentages of each employee’s salary for his or her pension insurance, medical insurance, unemployment insurance, and other statutory benefits and a housing provident fund.

Employment Agreements and Indemnification Agreements

We have entered into employment agreements with each of our executive officers. Under these agreements, each of our executive officers is employed for a specified time period. We may terminate employment for cause, at any time, without advance notice or remuneration, for certain acts of the executive officer, such as conviction or plea of guilty to a felony or any crime involving moral turpitude, negligent or dishonest acts to our detriment, or misconduct or a failure to perform agreed duties. We may also terminate an executive officer’s employment without cause upon three-month advance written notice. In such case of termination by us, we will provide severance payments to the executive officer as expressly required by applicable law of the jurisdiction where the executive officer is based. The executive officer may resign at any time with a three-month advance written notice.

Each executive officer has agreed to hold, both during and after the termination or expiry of his or her employment agreement, in strict confidence and not to use, except as required in the performance of his or her duties in connection with the employment or pursuant to applicable law, any of our confidential information or trade secrets, any confidential information or trade secrets of our clients or prospective clients, or the confidential or proprietary information of any third party received by us and for which we have confidential obligations. The executive officers have also agreed to disclose in confidence to us all inventions, designs and trade secrets which they conceive, develop or reduce to practice during the executive officer’s employment with us and to assign all right, title and interest in them to us, and assist us in obtaining and enforcing patents, copyrights and other legal rights for these inventions, designs and trade secrets.

In addition, each executive officer has agreed to be bound by non-competition and non-solicitation restrictions during the term of his or her employment and typically for one year following the last date of employment. Specifically, each executive officer has agreed not to (i) approach our suppliers, clients, users or contacts or other persons or entities introduced to the executive officer in his or her capacity as a representative of us for the purpose of doing business with such persons or entities that will harm our business relationships with these persons or entities; (ii) assume employment with or provide services to any of our competitors, or engage, whether as principal, partner, licensor or otherwise, any of our competitors, without our express consent; or (iii) seek directly or indirectly, to solicit the services of any of our employees who is employed by us on or after the date of the executive officer’s termination, or in the year preceding such termination, without our express consent.

We have also entered into indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. Under these agreements, we agree to indemnify our directors and executive officers against certain liabilities and expenses incurred by such persons in connection with claims made by reason of their being a director or officer of our Company.

Share Incentive Plans

2019 Share Incentive Plan

In July 2019, our board of directors and members approved the 2019 Plan to secure and retain the services of valuable employees, directors, or consultants and provide incentives for such persons to exert their best efforts for the success of our business. As of February 28, 2023, the maximum aggregate number of Class A ordinary shares which may be issued under the 2019 Plan is 141,083,452. As of February 28, 2023, awards to purchase 59,304,140 Class A ordinary shares under the 2019 Plan had been granted and remain outstanding, excluding awards that were forfeited or cancelled after the relevant grant dates.

The following paragraphs describe the principal terms of the 2019 Plan.

Types of awards. The 2019 Plan permits the awards of options, restricted shares, restricted share unit awards and share appreciation rights or other types of awards approved by the board of directors.

126

Plan administration. Our board of directors or a committee of one or more members of the board of directors administers the 2019 Plan. The committee or the board of directors determines, among other things, the participants eligible to receive awards, the type or types of awards to be granted to each eligible participant, the number of awards to be granted to each eligible participant, and the terms and conditions of each award grant.

Award Agreement. Awards granted under the 2019 Plan are evidenced by an award agreement that sets forth terms, conditions and limitations for each award, which may include the term of the option, the provisions applicable in the event that the grantee’s employment or service terminates, and our authority to unilaterally or bilaterally amend, modify, suspend, cancel or rescind the award.

Eligibility. We may grant awards to employees, consultants and directors of our company.

Vesting schedule. In general, the plan administrator determines the vesting schedule, which is specified in the relevant award agreement.

Exercise of options. The plan administrator determines the exercise price for each award, which is stated in the relevant award agreement. Options that are vested and exercisable will terminate if they are not exercised prior to the time as the plan administrator determines at the time of grant. However, the maximum exercisable term is ten years from the date of grant. In the case of an option granted to an employee who, immediately prior to the time the option is granted, owns stock representing more than 10% of the voting power of all classes of our stock or any parent or subsidiary of us, the term of option shall be no longer than five years from the date of grant.

Transfer restrictions. Awards may not be transferred in any manner by the eligible participant other than in accordance with the exceptions provided in the 2019 Plan, such as transfers to the immediate family members of the eligible participant, the holding companies controlled by the eligible participant or the eligible participant’s immediate family members, or trusts established for the benefit of the eligible participant or the eligible employee’s family members, or as approved by the plan administrator.

Termination and amendment of the 2019 Plan. Unless terminated earlier, the 2019 Plan has a term of ten years. The board of directors has the authority to terminate, amend, add to or delete any of the provisions of the plan, subject to the limitations of applicable laws. However, no termination, amendment or modification of the 2019 Plan may adversely affect in any material way any award previously granted pursuant to the 2019 Plan.

The following table summarizes, as of February 28, 2023, the options granted under the 2019 Plan to certain of our directors and executive officers, excluding awards that were forfeited or cancelled after the relevant grant dates.

Class A Ordinary

    

    

    

Shares

Underlying

Exercise Price

Date of

    

Options Awarded

    

(US$/Share)

    

Date of Grant

    

Expiration

Donghui Ma

 

10,000,000

 

0.10

 

12/1/2019

 

11/1/2025

Tie Li

 

10,000,000

 

0.10

 

12/1/2019

 

12/31/2026

Total

 

20,000,000

 

  

 

  

 

  

Note:

(1)Less than 1% of our total ordinary shares on an as-converted basis outstanding as of February 28, 2023.

As of February 28, 2023, other employees as a group held awards to purchase 41,304,140 Class A ordinary shares of our company, with an average weighted exercise price of US$0.1 per share.

2020 Share Incentive Plan

In July 2020, our board of directors and members adopted the 2020 Plan to secure and retain the services of valuable employees, directors, or consultants and provide incentive for such persons to exert their best efforts for the success of our business. The maximum aggregate number of shares which may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2020 Plan is 165,696,625.

127

As of February 28, 2023, awards to purchase 51,687,128 Class A ordinary shares under the 2020 Plan had been granted and remain outstanding, excluding awards that were forfeited or cancelled after the relevant grant dates.

The following paragraphs describe the principal terms of the 2020 Plan.

Types of awards. The 2020 Plan permits the awards of options, restricted shares, and restricted share unit awards or other types of awards approved by the board of directors.

Plan administration. Our board of directors or a committee of one or more members of the board of directors administers the 2020 Plan. The committee or the board of directors determines, among other things, the participants eligible to receive awards, the type or types of awards to be granted to each eligible participant, the number of awards to be granted to each eligible participant, and the terms and conditions of each award grant.

Award agreement. Awards under the 2020 Plan are evidenced by an award agreement that set forth the terms, conditions, and limitations for each award, which may include the term of the award, the provisions applicable in the event the grantee’s employment or service terminates, and our authority to unilaterally or bilaterally amend, modify, suspend, cancel, or rescind the Award.

Eligibility. We may grant awards to directors, consultants, and employees of our company.

Vesting schedule. In general, the plan administrator determines the vesting schedule, which is specified in the relevant award agreement.

Exercise of options. The plan administrator determines the exercise price for each award, which is stated in the relevant award agreement. Options that are vested and exercisable will terminate if they are not exercised prior to the time as the plan administrator determines at the time of grant. However, the maximum exercisable term is ten years from the date of grant.

Transfer restrictions. Awards may not be transferred in any manner by the eligible participant other than in accordance with the exceptions provided in the 2020 Plan, such as transfers to our company or a subsidiary of ours, transfers to the immediate family members of the participant by gift, the designation of a beneficiary to receive benefits if the participant dies, permitted transfers or exercises on behalf of the participant by the participant’s duly authorized legal representative if the participant has suffered a disability, or, subject to the prior approval of the plan administrator or our executive officer or director authorized by the plan administrator, transfers to one or more natural persons who are the participant’s family members or entities owned and controlled by the participant and/or the participant’s family members, including but not limited to trusts or other entities whose beneficiaries or beneficial owners are the participant and/or the participant’s family members, or to such other persons or entities as may be expressly approved by the plan administrator, pursuant to such conditions and procedures as the plan administrator may establish.

Termination and amendment of the 2020 Plan. Unless terminated earlier, the 2020 Plan has a term of ten years. Our board of directors has the authority to terminate, amend, add to, or delete any of the provisions of the plan, subject to the limitations of applicable laws. However, no termination, amendment, or modification of the 2020 Plan may adversely affect in any material way any award previously granted pursuant to the 2020 Plan.

On January 1, 2023, we granted an aggregate of 10,831,600 restricted share units pursuant to the 2020 Plan to 1 senior management member and 678 employees.

The following table summarizes, as of February 28, 2023, the options and restricted share units granted under the 2020 Plan to certain of our directors and executive officers, excluding awards that were forfeited or cancelled after the relevant grant dates.

Class A Ordinary

Shares

Underlying

Exercise Price

Date of

    

Awards Granted

    

(US$/Share)

    

Date of Grant

    

Expiration

Donghui Ma

 

1,000,000

 

0.10

 

1/1/2021

 

12/31/2030

Tie Li

 

2,000,000

 

0.10

 

1/1/2022

 

N/A

Yan Xie

 

1,000,000

 

0.10

 

1/1/2023

 

N/A

Total

 

4,000,000

 

  

 

  

 

  

128

As of February 28, 2023, other employees as a group held awards to purchase 48,087,128 Class A ordinary shares of our company, with an average weighted exercise price of US$0.1 per share.

2021 Share Incentive Plan

In March 2021, our board of directors adopted the 2021 Plan to secure and retain the services of valuable employees, directors, or consultants and provide incentive for such persons to exert their best efforts for the success of our business. The maximum aggregate number of Class B ordinary shares which may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2021 Plan is 108,557,400.

The following paragraphs describe the principal terms of the 2021 Plan.

Types of awards. The 2021 Plan permits the awards of options, restricted shares, and restricted share unit awards or other types of awards approved by the board of directors.

Plan administration. Our board of directors or a committee of one or more members of the board of directors administers the 2021 Plan. The committee or the board of directors determines, among other things, the participants eligible to receive awards, the type or types of awards to be granted to each eligible participant, the number of awards to be granted to each eligible participant, and the terms and conditions of each award grant.

Award agreement. Awards under the 2021 Plan are evidenced by an award agreement that set forth the terms, conditions, and limitations for each award, which may include the term of the award, the provisions applicable in the event the grantee’s employment or service terminates, and our authority to unilaterally or bilaterally amend, modify, suspend, cancel, or rescind the Award.

Eligibility. We may grant awards to directors, consultants, and employees of our company.

Vesting schedule. In general, the plan administrator determines the vesting schedule, which is specified in the relevant award agreement.

Exercise of options. The plan administrator determines the exercise price for each award, which is stated in the relevant award agreement. Options that are vested and exercisable will terminate if they are not exercised prior to the time as the plan administrator determines at the time of grant. However, the maximum exercisable term is ten years from the date of grant.

Transfer restrictions. Awards may not be transferred in any manner by the eligible participant other than in accordance with the exceptions provided in the 2021 Plan, such as transfers to our company or a subsidiary of ours, transfers to the immediate family members of the participant by gift, the designation of a beneficiary to receive benefits if the participant dies, permitted transfers or exercises on behalf of the participant by the participant’s duly authorized legal representative if the participant has suffered a disability, or transfers to one or more natural persons who are the participant’s family members or entities owned and controlled by the participant and/or the participant’s family members, including but not limited to the participant’s personal special purpose vehicle, trusts or other entities whose beneficiaries or beneficial owners are the participant and/or the participant’s family members, or to such other persons or entities as may be expressly approved by the plan administrator.

Termination and amendment of the 2021 Plan. Unless terminated earlier, the 2021 Plan has a term of ten years. Our board of directors has the authority to terminate, amend, add to, or delete any of the provisions of the plan, subject to the limitations of applicable laws. However, no termination, amendment, or modification of the 2021 Plan may adversely affect in any material way any award previously granted pursuant to the 2021 Plan.

On March 8, 2021, we granted options to purchase 108,557,400 Class B ordinary shares to Mr. Xiang Li, our chairman and chief executive officer. The exercise price of the options is US$14.63 per share, or US$29.26 per ADS, which is equal to the average closing price for our ADSs, as reported by the Nasdaq Global Select Market, of the thirty trading days immediately prior to the grant date adjusted for the ADS-to-ordinary-share ratio. The date of expiration for this grant is March 8, 2031.

The granted options are subject to performance-based vesting conditions. The granted options are divided into six equal tranches, or 18,092,900 each. The first tranche will become vested when the aggregate number of our vehicle deliveries in any 12 consecutive months exceeds 500,000. The second to sixth tranches will become vested when the aggregate number of our vehicle deliveries in any 12 consecutive months exceeds 1,000,000, 1,500,000, 2,000,000, 2,500,000 and 3,000,000, respectively.

129

On May 5, 2021, our board of directors approved to replace such options with the same amount of Class B ordinary shares under the same plan, all of which have become vested upon grant on May 5, 2021, subject to certain undertakings of restrictions by Mr. Li based on certain performance conditions substantially similar to the vesting conditions of the options being replaced. These Class B ordinary shares are converted to Class A ordinary shares on a one-to-one basis immediately upon the listing of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

C.

Board Practices

Board of Directors

Our board of directors currently consists of eight directors. A director is not required to hold any shares in our company by way of qualification. Subject to the Nasdaq listing rules, the Hong Kong Listing Rules, and disqualification by the chairman of the relevant board meeting, a director may vote with respect to any contract, proposed contract or arrangement in which he is directly or indirectly interested, provided that (i) such director, if his or her interest in such contract or arrangement is material, has declared the nature of his or her interest at the earliest meeting of the board at which it is practicable for him or her to do so, either specifically or by way of a general notice and (ii) if such contract or arrangement is a transaction with a related party, such transaction has been approved by the audit committee. Unless permitted under the Hong Kong Listing Rules, a director shall not be entitled to vote on (nor shall be counted in the quorum in relation to) any resolution of the directors in respect of any contract or arrangement or any other proposal whatsoever in which he or any of his close associates (or, if required by the Hong Kong Listing Rules, his other associates) has any material interest, and if he shall do so his vote shall not be counted (nor is he to be counted in the quorum for the resolution). The directors may exercise all the powers of the company to borrow money, mortgage or charge its undertaking, property, and uncalled capital, and issue debentures or other securities whenever money is borrowed or as security for any debt, liability, or obligation of the company or of any third party. None of our directors has a service contract with us that provides for benefits upon termination of service as a director.

Committees of the Board of Directors

We have established three committees under the board of directors: an audit committee, a compensation committee and a nominating and corporate governance committee. We have adopted a charter for each of the three committees. Each committee’s members and functions are described below.

Audit Committee. Our audit committee consists of Hongqiang Zhao, Zhenyu Jiang, and Xing Xiao. Hongqiang Zhao is the chairman of our audit committee. We have determined that Hongqiang Zhao, Zhenyu Jiang, and Xing Xiao satisfy the “independence” requirements of Rule 5605(c)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and meet the independence standards under Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act, as amended. We have determined that Hongqiang Zhao qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert.” The audit committee is also in compliance with Rule 3.21 of the Hong Kong Listing Rules and the Corporate Governance Code set out in Appendix 14 to the Hong Kong Listing Rules, or the Corporate Governance Code, except for the terms of reference required by paragraph D.3.3 and D.3.7 of the Corporate Governance Code. The audit committee oversees our accounting and financial reporting processes and the audits of the financial statements of our company. The audit committee is primarily responsible for, among other things:

appointing the independent auditors and pre-approving all auditing and non-auditing services permitted to be performed by the independent auditors;
reviewing with the independent auditors any audit problems or difficulties and management’s response;
discussing the annual audited financial statements with management and the independent auditors;
reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of our accounting and internal control policies and procedures and any steps taken to monitor and control major financial risk exposures;
reviewing and approving all proposed related party transactions;
meeting separately and periodically with management and the independent auditors;

130

monitoring compliance with our code of business conduct and ethics, including reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of our procedures to ensure proper compliance; and
assuming other duties and responsibilities as required under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and the Hong Kong Listing Rules.

Compensation Committee. Our compensation committee consists of Hongqiang Zhao, Xiang Li, and Zhenyu Jiang. Hongqiang Zhao is the chairman of our compensation committee. We have determined that Hongqiang Zhao and Zhenyu Jiang satisfy the “independence” requirements of Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules. The compensation committee is also in compliance with Rule 3.25 of the Hong Kong Listing Rules and the Corporate Governance Code, except for the terms of reference required by paragraph E.1.2 of the Corporate Governance Code. The compensation committee assists the board in reviewing and approving the compensation structure, including all forms of compensation, relating to our directors and executive officers. Our chief executive officer may not be present at any committee meeting during which his compensation is deliberated. The compensation committee is primarily responsible for, among other things:

reviewing and approving, or recommending to the board for its approval, the compensation for our chief executive officer and other executive officers;
reviewing and recommending to the board for determination with respect to the compensation of our non-employee directors;
reviewing periodically and approving any incentive compensation or equity plans, programs or similar arrangements;
selecting a compensation consultant, legal counsel or other adviser only after taking into consideration all factors relevant to that person’s independence from management; and
assuming other duties and responsibilities as required under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and the Hong Kong Listing Rules.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Our nominating and corporate governance committee consists of Zhenyu Jiang, Hongqiang Zhao and Xing Xiao. Zhenyu Jiang is the chairman of our nominating and corporate governance committee. We have determined that Zhenyu Jiang, Hongqiang Zhao, and Xing Xiao satisfy the “independence” requirements of Rule 5605(a)(2) of the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules. The nominating and corporate governance committee is also in compliance with the requirements in respect of nomination committees in the Corporate Governance Code and with the requirements regarding corporate governance committees under Chapter 8A of the Hong Kong Listing Rules. The nominating and corporate governance committee assists the board of directors in selecting individuals qualified to become our directors and in determining the composition of the board and its committees. The nominating and corporate governance committee is primarily responsible for, among other things:

selecting and recommending to the board nominees for election by the shareholders or appointment by the board;
reviewing annually with the board the current composition of the board with regards to characteristics such as independence, knowledge, skills, experience and diversity;
making recommendations on the frequency and structure of board meetings and monitoring the functioning of the committees of the board;
advising the board periodically with regards to significant developments in the law and practice of corporate governance as well as our compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and making recommendations to the board on all matters of corporate governance and on any remedial action to be taken; and
assuming other duties and responsibilities as required under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules and the Hong Kong Listing Rules.

131

Duties of Directors

Under Cayman Islands law, our directors owe fiduciary duties to our company, including a duty of loyalty, a duty to act honestly, and a duty to act in what they consider in good faith to be in our best interests. Our directors must also exercise their powers only for a proper purpose. Our directors also owe to our company a duty to act with skill and care. It was previously considered that a director need not exhibit in the performance of his duties a greater degree of skill than what may reasonably be expected from a person of his knowledge and experience. However, English and Commonwealth courts have moved towards an objective standard with regard to the required skill and care, and these authorities are likely to be followed in the Cayman Islands. In fulfilling their duty of care to us, our directors must ensure compliance with our memorandum and articles of association, as amended and restated from time to time, and the class rights vested thereunder in the holders of the shares. Our company has the right to seek damages if a duty owed by our directors is breached. A shareholder may in certain circumstances have rights to damages if a duty owed by the directors is breached.

Our board of directors has all the powers necessary for managing, and for directing and supervising, our business affairs. The functions and powers of our board of directors include, among others:

convening shareholders’ annual general meetings and reporting its work to shareholders at such meetings;
declaring dividends and distributions;
appointing officers and determining the term of office of the officers;
exercising the borrowing powers of our company and mortgaging the property of our company; and
approving the transfer of shares in our company, including the registration of such shares in our share register.

Terms of Directors and Officers

Our directors may be elected by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders. Each Class A ordinary share and each Class B ordinary share shall entitle its holder to one vote on a poll at a general meeting in respect of a resolution approving the appointment, election or removal of any Independent Non-executive Director (as defined in our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association). Alternatively, our board of directors may, by the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the directors present and voting at a board meeting appoint any person as a director to fill a casual vacancy on our board or as an addition to the existing board. Any director so appointed shall hold office only until the next following annual general meeting of the Company and shall then be eligible for re-election at that meeting. Our directors are not automatically subject to a term of office and hold office until such time as they are removed from office by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders. At every annual general meeting of the Company, the Independent Non-Executive Directors for the time being shall retire from office by rotation provided that every Independent Non-Executive Director (including those appointed for a specific term) shall be subject to retirement by rotation at least once every three years. A retiring Independent Non-Executive Director shall retain office until the close of the meeting at which he retires and shall be eligible for re-election thereat. In addition, a director will cease to be a director if he (i) becomes bankrupt or makes any arrangement or composition with his creditors; (ii) dies or is found to be or becomes of unsound mind.; (iii) resigns his office by notice in writing; (iv) without special leave of absence from our board, is absent from meetings of our board for three consecutive meetings and our board resolves that his office be vacated; or (v) is removed from office pursuant to any other provision of our articles of association.

Our officers are appointed by and serve at the discretion of the board of directors, and may be removed by our board of directors.

132

Board Diversity Matrix

Board Diversity Matrix (As of February 28, 2023)

Country of Principal Executive Offices:

People’s Republic of China

Foreign Private Issuer

Yes

Disclosure Prohibited Under Home Country Law

No

Total Number of Directors

8

Female

Male

Non-Binary

Did Not Disclose Gender

Part I: Gender Identity

Directors

1

7

N/A

N/A

Part II: Demographic Background

Underrepresented Individual in Home Country Jurisdiction

1

LGBTQ+

D.

Employees

As of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, we had 4,181, 11,901 and 19,396 employees, respectively. Substantially all of our employees are based in China.

The following table sets forth the number of our employees by function as of December 31, 2022.

Number of

    

 

Function

    

Employees

    

Percentage

 

Research and Development

 

4,838

 

25.0

%

Production

 

4,318

 

22.2

%

Sales and Marketing

 

9,199

 

47.4

%

General and Administrative Support

 

1,041

 

5.4

%

Total

 

19,396

 

100.0

%

Our success depends on our ability to attract, retain, and motivate qualified employees. We offer employees competitive salaries, performance-based cash bonuses and equity-based incentives, comprehensive training and development programs, and other fringe benefits and incentives. We believe that we maintain a good working relationship with our employees, and we have not experienced any material labor disputes or work stoppages. No collective bargaining agreement has been put in place.

As required by regulations in China, we participate in various government statutory employee benefit plans, including social insurance funds, namely, medical insurance, maternity insurance, workplace injury insurance, unemployment insurance, and pension benefits, as well as a housing provident fund. We are required under PRC law to contribute to employee benefit plans at specified percentages of the salaries, bonuses, and certain allowances of our employees up to a maximum amount specified by the local government from time to time.

We enter into standard labor contracts with our employees. We also enter into standard confidentiality agreements with all of our employees.

Human Capital Management

We provide regular and specialized training tailored to the needs of our employees in different departments. Through these trainings, we ensure that our staff’s skill sets remain up-to-date and enable them to discover and meet our users’ needs. We have in place an employee handbook approved by our management and distributed to all our employees, which contains internal rules and guidelines regarding best commercial practice, work ethics, fraud prevention mechanism, negligence, and corruption.

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We have in place an anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy to safeguard against any corruption within our company. The policy explains potential bribery and corruption conducts and our anti-bribery and anti-corruption measures. Improper payments prohibited by the policy include bribes, kickbacks, excessive gifts or facilitation payment, or any other payment made or offered to obtain an undue business advantage. We keep accurate books and records that reflect the substance of transactions and asset dispositions in reasonable detail. We specifically require that the employees submit all reimbursement requests related to entertainment related fee or gifts presented to third parties on behalf of the company in accordance with our expense expenditure policy, and specifically record the reason for the expenditure. These expenses should be recorded in the financial system and marked as promotional gift expenses or entertainment expenses as appropriate. We also require that the payment must not be used for any purpose other than those described in the supporting document. Misleading or incomplete entries in our books and records are not acceptable. The payment made in violation of the expense approval process, cash management system, or reimbursement system is strictly prohibited. Our compliance department is responsible for investigating the reported incidents and taking appropriate measures as necessary.

We conduct background check procedures before hiring any third party and ensure that the hiring procedure is implemented fully in accordance with the anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies. We also have regular trainings for employees regarding anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies to facilitate better implementation.

E.

Share Ownership

The following table sets forth information with respect to the beneficial ownership of our ordinary shares as of February 28, 2023 by:

each of our directors and executive officers; and
each person known to us to own beneficially more than 5% of our ordinary shares.

The calculations in the shareholder table below are based on 1,710,954,112 Class A ordinary shares (excluding the 17,811,782 Class A ordinary shares issued to the depositary bank for bulk issuance of ADSs reserved for future issuances upon the exercise or vesting of awards granted under our share incentive plans) and 355,812,080 Class B ordinary shares issued and outstanding as of February 28, 2023.

    

    

Percentage of

    

 

Class A

Class B

Beneficial

Percentage of

 

    

Ordinary Shares

    

Ordinary Shares

    

Ownership†

    

Voting Power††

 

Directors and Executive Officers:*

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Xiang Li(1)

 

108,557,400

 

355,812,080

 

22.5

%  

69.6

% (2)

Tie Li(3)

 

24,373,299

 

 

1.2

%  

0.5

%

Donghui Ma(4)

 

8,400,000

 

 

0.4

%  

0.2

%

Yan Xie

 

 

 

Xing Wang(5)

390,253,767

18.9

%  

7.4

%  

Zheng Fan(6)

 

83,078,960

 

 

4.0

%  

1.6

%

Hongqiang Zhao

 

 

 

Xing Xiao

 

 

 

 

Zhenyu Jiang

All directors and executive officers as a group

614,663,426

355,812,080

46.5

%  

78.9

%

Principal Shareholders:

 

 

  

 

  

 

  

Amp Lee Ltd.(1)

 

108,557,400

 

355,812,080

 

22.5

%  

69.6

% (2)

Zijin Global Inc.(5)

 

132,082,166

 

 

6.4

%  

2.5

%

Inspired Elite Investments Limited(7)

 

258,171,601

 

 

12.5

%  

4.9

%

Notes:

134

*

Except for Xing Wang, Hongqiang Zhao, Zhenyu Jiang, and Xing Xiao, the business address of our directors and executive officers is 11 Wenliang Street Shunyi District, Beijing 101399, People’s Republic of China. The business address of Mr. Xing Wang is Block B&C, No.4 Wang Jing East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. The business address of Mr. Hongqiang Zhao is No. 10 Furong Street, Block A, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China. The business address of Mr. Zhenyu Jiang is Floor 1, Building 14, No. 36, Chuangyuan Road, Chaolai High-Technology Industry Zone, Chaoyang Disctrict, Beijing, China. The business address of Prof. Xing Xiao is School of Economics and Management, Tshinghua University, 30 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China.

For each person and group included in this column, percentage ownership is calculated by dividing the number of shares beneficially owned by such person or group by the sum of the total number of shares outstanding and the number of shares such person or group has the right to acquire upon exercise of option, warrant or other right within 60 days after February 28, 2023. The total number of ordinary shares outstanding as of February 28, 2023 is 2,066,766,192, being the sum of 1,710,954,112 Class A ordinary shares (excluding the 17,811,782 Class A ordinary shares issued to the depositary bank for bulk issuance of ADSs reserved for future issuances upon the exercise or vesting of awards granted under our share incentive plans) and 355,812,080 Class B ordinary shares.

††

For each person and group included in this column, percentage of voting power is calculated by dividing the voting power beneficially owned by such person or group by the voting power of all of our Class A and Class B ordinary shares as a single class. Each holder of Class B ordinary shares is entitled to ten votes per share, subject to certain conditions, and each holder of our Class A ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per share on all matters submitted to them for a vote. Our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, except as may otherwise be required by law. Our Class B ordinary shares are convertible at any time by the holder thereof into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis.

(1)Represents (i) 355,812,080 Class B ordinary shares held by Amp Lee Ltd. and (ii) 108,557,400 Class A ordinary shares held by Amp Lee Ltd. acquired upon vesting of restricted shares pursuant to the 2021 Plan on May 5, 2021. Mr. Xiang Li has undertaken and covenanted that the 108,557,400 Class A ordinary shares are subject to certain restrictions on, among others, transfer, voting, and receiving dividends. The restrictions may be released in tranches when certain performance-based conditions are met and an award premium for each share is paid. Amp Lee Ltd. is a company incorporated in British Virgin Islands and is wholly owned by Cyric Point Enterprises Limited. The entire interest in Cyric Point Enterprises Limited is held by a trust that was established by Mr. Xiang Li (as the settlor) for the benefit of Mr. Xiang Li and his family. The registered address of Amp Lee Ltd. is P.O. Box 3321, Drake Chambers, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
(2)The shares Mr. Xiang Li, through Amp Lee Ltd., beneficially own represent 69.6% of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding ordinary shares assuming all the performance-based conditions are met and the award premium is fully paid in respect of the CEO Award Shares, or 67.5% of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding ordinary shares assuming none of the performance-based conditions are met and no award premium is fully paid in respect of the CEO Award Shares.
(3)Represents 14,373,299 Class A ordinary shares held by Sea Wave Overseas Limited and 10,000,000 Class A ordinary shares that Mr. Tie Li may purchase upon exercise of options within 60 days as of February 28, 2023. Sea Wave Overseas Limited is a company incorporated in British Virgin Islands and is wholly owned by Day Express Group Limited. The entire interest in Day Express Group Limited is held by a trust that was established by Mr. Tie Li (as the settlor) for the benefit of Mr. Tie Li and his family. The registered address of Sea Wave Overseas Limited is P.O. Box 3321, Drake Chambers, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
(4)Represents 8,400,000 Class A ordinary shares that Mr. Donghui Ma may purchase upon exercise of options within 60 days as of February 28, 2023.
(5)Represents 132,082,166 Class A ordinary shares (including in the form of ADSs) held by Zijin Global Inc. and 258,171,601 Class A ordinary shares held by Inspired Elite Investments Limited. Zijin Global Inc. is a company incorporated in British Virgin Islands. Zijin Global Inc. is wholly owned by Songtao Limited. The entire interest in Songtao Limited is held by a trust that was established by Mr. Xing Wang (as the settlor) for the benefit of Mr. Xing Wang and his family, with the trustee being TMF (Cayman) Ltd. The registered address of Zijin Global Inc. is Sertus Chambers, P.O. Box 905 Quastisky Building, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Inspire Elite Investments Limited is a company incorporated in British Virgin Islands. Inspired Elite Investments Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Meituan, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. Mr. Xing Wang is a director and the controlling shareholder of Meituan. The business address of Inspired Elite Investments Limited is P.O. Box 957, Offshore Incorporations Centre, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The business address of Meituan is Block B&C, Hengjiweiye Building, No. 4 Wang Jing East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, People’s Republic of China.

135

(6)Represents (i) 77,978,960 Class A ordinary shares held by Rainbow Six Limited and (ii) 5,100,000 Class A ordinary shares held by Future Power Holdings Limited. Rainbow Six Limited is a company incorporated in British Virgin Islands and is wholly owned by Star Features Developments Limited. The entire interest in Star Features Developments Limited is held by a trust that was established by Mr. Zheng Fan (as the settlor) for the benefit of Mr. Zheng Fan and his family. Future Power Holdings Limited is a company incorporated in the British Virgin Islands and wholly owned by Mr. Zheng Fan. The registered address of Rainbow Six Limited is Coastal Building, Wickham’s Cay II, P.O. Box 2221, Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands. The registered address of Future Power Holdings Limited is Vistra Corporate Services Centre, Wickhams Cay II, Road Town, Tortola VG1110, British Virgin Islands.
(7)Represents 258,171,601 Class A ordinary shares held by Inspired Elite Investments Limited.

To our knowledge and based on our review of our register of shareholders as of February 28, 2023, 17,811,782 Class A ordinary shares, including Class A ordinary shares issued to our depositary bank for bulk issuance of ADSs reserved for future issuances upon the exercise or vesting of awards granted under our share incentive plans, were held of record by one holder that reside in the United States, being Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, the depositary of our ADS program. The number of beneficial owners of our ADSs in the United States is likely to be much larger than the number of record holders of our Class A ordinary shares in the United States. We are not aware of any arrangement that may, at a subsequent date, result in a change of control of our company.

F.Disclosure of a registrant’s action to recover erroneously awarded compensation.

None.

ITEM 7.MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

A.

Major Shareholders

See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—E. Share Ownership.”

B.

Related Party Transactions

Contractual Arrangements with the VIEs and Their Respective Shareholders

See “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.”

Shareholders Agreement

We entered into an amended and restated shareholders agreement on July 1, 2020 with our shareholders, which consist of holders of ordinary shares and preferred shares. The amended and restated shareholders agreement provides for certain shareholders’ rights, including preemptive rights, participation rights, rights of first refusal and co-sale rights, information and inspection rights, drag along rights, redemption rights, liquidation rights and anti-dilution co-investment preferences and contains provisions governing our board of directors and other corporate governance matters. The special rights, as well as the corporate governance provisions, automatically terminated upon the completion of our initial public offering.

Registration Rights

We have granted certain registration rights to our shareholders. Set forth below is a description of the registration rights granted under the shareholders agreement.

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Demand Registration Rights.  At any time after the earlier of (i) June 30, 2023 or (ii) the expiry of one hundred eighty (180) days following August 3, 2020, holders of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting power of the then outstanding registrable securities held by all such holders may request in writing that we effect a registration of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the registrable securities. We have a right to defer filing of a registration statement for the period during which such filing would be materially detrimental to us or our members on the condition that we furnish to the holders requesting registration a certificate signed by our chief executive officer stating that in the good faith judgment of our board of directors, it would be materially detrimental to us and our shareholders for such registration statement to be filed in the near future. However, we cannot exercise the deferral right more than once during any six (6)-month period and cannot register any other securities during such period. We are obligated to effect no more than two (2) demand registrations that have been declared effective. Further, if the registrable securities are offered by means of an underwritten offering and the managing underwriter advises us that marketing factors require a limitation of the number of securities to be underwritten, the underwriters may exclude up to seventy percent (70%) of the registrable securities requested to be registered but only after first excluding all other equity securities from the registration and underwritten offering and on the condition that the number of shares to be included in the registration on behalf of the non-excluded holders is allocated among all holders in proportion to the respective amounts of registrable securities requested by such holders to be included.

Registration on Form F-3 or Form S-3.  Holders of at least twenty-five percent (25%) of the voting power of the then outstanding registrable securities held by all holders may request the Company to effect a registration on Form F-3 or Form S-3 if we qualify for registration on such forms. We have a right to defer filing of a registration statement for the period during which such filing would be materially detrimental to us or our members on the condition that we furnish to the holders requesting registration a certificate signed by our chief executive officer stating that in the good faith judgment of our board of directors, it would be materially detrimental to us and our shareholders for such registration statement to be filed in the near future. However, we cannot exercise the deferral right more than once during any six-month period and cannot register any other securities during such period. We are obligated to effect no more than two (2) demand registrations that have been declared effective within any twelve (12)-month period. Further, if the registrable securities are offered by means of an underwritten offering, and the managing underwriter advises us that marketing factors require a limitation of the number of securities to be underwritten, the underwriters may exclude up to seventy percent (70%) of the registrable securities requested to be registered but only after first excluding all other equity securities from the registration and underwritten offering and on the condition that the number of shares to be included in the registration on behalf of the non-excluded holders is allocated among all holders in proportion to the respective amounts of registrable securities requested by such holders to be included.

Piggyback Registration Rights.  If we propose to register for our own account any of our equity securities, or for the account of any holder, other than a holder of registerable securities, of such holder’s equity securities, in connection with the public offering of such equity securities, we shall offer holders of our registrable securities an opportunity to be included in such registration. If the offering involves an underwriting of our equity securities and the managing underwriter advises us that marketing factors require a limitation of the number of securities to be underwritten, the underwriters may exclude (i) all of the registrable securities requested to be registered in our initial public offering and (ii) up to seventy percent (70%) of the registrable securities requested to be registered in any other public offering, but in each case only after first excluding all other equity securities (except for securities sold for our account) from the registration and underwritten offering and on the condition that the number of shares to be included in the registration on behalf of the non-excluded holders is allocated among all holders in proportion to the respective amounts of registrable securities requested by such holders to be included.

Expenses of Registration. We will bear all registration expenses, other than the underwriting discounts and selling commissions applicable to the sale of registrable securities, incurred in connection with registrations, filings or qualification pursuant to the shareholders agreement.

Termination of Obligations. We have no obligation to effect any demand or Form F-3 or Form S-3 registration upon the earlier of (i) the fifth (5th) anniversary of August 3, 2020, the date of closing of our initial public offering, and (ii) with respect to any holder, the date on which such holder may sell without registration, all of such holder’ registrable securities under Rule 144 of the Securities Act in any ninety (90)-day period.

Employment Agreements and Indemnification Agreements

See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation of Directors and Executive Officers—Employment Agreements and Indemnification Agreements.”

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Investor Rights Agreement

We entered into an investor rights agreement with Inspired Elite Investments Limited, our shareholder and a wholly owned subsidiary of Meituan, on July 9, 2020. The investor rights agreement provides for certain special rights for Inspired Elite Investments Limited and any other subsidiary of Meituan, including:

(a)the right to appoint, remove, and replace one director;
(b)the consent right to the following matters:
(i)creation or issuance of any shares that carry more than one vote per share, or preferred shares having rights that are more favorable to the shares held by Inspired Elite Investments Limited and any other subsidiary of Meituan, or any action that amends the voting power attached to any Class B ordinary shares, and
(ii)amendment of any existing equity incentive plan by increasing the shares reserved for issuance or extending the expiration date, or adoption of any new equity incentive plan; and
(c)right of first refusal on change of control.

These special rights, except the right of first refusal on change of control, were terminated upon the listing of our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The right of first refusal on change of control will automatically terminate if Inspired Elite Investments Limited and any other subsidiary of Meituan cease to beneficially own, in aggregate, for the first time, at least fifty percent of the shares beneficially owned by them on the date of the completion of our initial public offering.

Other Transactions with Related Parties

Our transactions with Beijing Yihang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., an affiliate, included (i) purchase of research and development service, amounting to RMB4.4 million, RMB12.2 million, and RMB0.3 million (US$40.7 thousand) for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, (ii) purchase of materials, amounting to RMB58.4 million, RMB31.7 million, and RMB73 thousand (US$11 thousand) for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, (iii) amounts due to Beijing Yihang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. of RMB19.2 million, RMB7.1 million, and RMB5.9 million (US$0.9 million) as of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, and (iv) amounts due from Beijing Yihang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. of nil, RMB334 thousand, and nil as of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

Our transactions with Suzhou Yihang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd., an affiliate, included (i) purchase of research and development service, amounting to nil, RMB3.8 million, and nil for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Our transactions with Neolix Technologies Co., Ltd., an affiliate, included (i) amounts due from Neolix Technologies Co., Ltd. of RMB0.7 million, RMB0.7 million, and RMB0.7 million (US$98.3 thousand) as of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

Our transactions with Airx (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd., an affiliate, included (i) amounts due to Airx (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. of RMB23 thousand, RMB23 thousand and RMB23 thousand (US$3 thousand) as of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

Our transactions with Beijing Sankuai Online Technology Co., Ltd., a company controlled by one of our principal shareholders, included (i) purchase of food delivery service, amounting to nil, RMB1.0 million, and RMB5.5 million (US$0.8 million) for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, and (ii) amounts due to Beijing Sankuai Online Technology Co., Ltd. of nil, RMB330 thousand, and RMB1.2 million (US$0.2 million) as of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

Our transactions with Changzhou Huixiang New Energy Auto Parts Co., Ltd., which was an affiliate and became a subsidiary of our company after October 2022, included (i) initial investment due to Changzhou Huixiang, amounting to nil, RMB30 million, and nil for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, and (ii) purchase of materials, amounting to nil, nil, and RMB0.8 million (US$0.1 million) for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

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Our transactions with Hanhai Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a company controlled by one of our principal shareholders, included (i) purchase of services, amounting to nil, nil, and RMB1.2 million (US$0.2 million) for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively, and (ii) amounts due to Hanhai Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. of nil, nil, and RMB61 thousand (US$9 thousand) as of December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively.

Employment Agreements

See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—A. Directors and Senior Management—Employment Agreements and Indemnification Agreements.”

Share Incentive Plans

See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plans.”

C.

Interests of Experts and Counsel

Not applicable.

ITEM 8.FINANCIAL INFORMATION

A.

Consolidated Statements and Other Financial Information

We have appended consolidated financial statements filed as part of this annual report.

Legal Proceedings

We may from time to time be subject to various legal or administrative claims and proceedings arising in the ordinary course of our business. We are currently not a party to any material legal or administrative proceedings.

Litigation or any other legal or administrative proceeding, regardless of the outcome, is likely to result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources, including our management’s time and attention. For potential impact of legal or administrative proceedings on us, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—We may be subject to legal proceedings in the ordinary course of our business. If the outcomes of these proceedings are adverse to us, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—We are or may be subject to risks associated with strategic alliances or acquisitions.”

Dividend Policy

Our board of directors has complete discretion on whether to pay dividends, subject to applicable laws. Our shareholders may also by ordinary resolution declare dividends, but no dividend shall exceed the amount recommended by our board of directors. Even if our board of directors decides to pay dividends on our Class A ordinary shares, the form, frequency, and amount will depend upon our future operations and earnings, capital requirements and surplus, general financial condition, contractual restrictions, and other factors our board of directors may deem relevant.

If we pay any dividends on our Class A ordinary shares, we will pay those dividends that are payable in respect of the Class A ordinary shares underlying our ADSs to the depositary, as the registered holder of such Class A ordinary shares, and the depositary then will pay such amounts to holders of ADSs in proportion to the Class A ordinary shares underlying the ADSs held by such ADS holders, subject to the terms of the deposit agreement, including the fees and expenses payable thereunder. Cash dividends on our Class A ordinary shares, if any, will be paid in U.S. dollars.

B.

Significant Changes

Except as disclosed elsewhere in this annual report, we have not experienced any significant changes since the date of our audited consolidated financial statements included in this annual report.

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ITEM 9.THE OFFER AND LISTING

A.

Offer and Listing Details

The ADSs, each representing two Class A ordinary shares, have been listed on Nasdaq Global Select Market since July 30, 2020. The ADSs trade under the ticker symbol “LI.”

Our Class A ordinary shares have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since August 12, 2021 under the stock code “2015.”

B.

Plan of Distribution

Not applicable.

C.

Markets

The ADSs, each representing two Class A ordinary shares, have been listed on Nasdaq Global Select Market since July 30, 2020. The ADSs trade under the ticker symbol “LI.”

Our Class A ordinary shares have been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since August 12, 2021 under the stock code “2015.”

D.

Selling Shareholders

Not applicable.

E.

Dilution

Not applicable.

F.

Expenses of the Issue

Not applicable.

ITEM 10.ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

A.

Share Capital

Not applicable.

B.

Memorandum and Articles of Association

Our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association became effective on November 16, 2021. The following are summaries of material provisions of our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association and the Companies Act insofar as they relate to the material terms of our ordinary shares. The information set forth in Exhibit 2.6 to this Annual Report on Form 20-F is incorporated herein by reference.

Registered Office and Objects

Pursuant to Regulation 2 of our fifth amended and restated memorandum of association, our registered office is at the offices of Maples Corporate Services Limited, P.O. Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman KY1-1104, Cayman Islands, or at such other location within the Cayman Islands as our directors may from time to time determine. Pursuant to Regulation 3 of our fifth amended and restated memorandum of association, the objects for which our company is established are unrestricted and our company shall have full power and authority to carry out any object not prohibited by the Companies Act or any other law of the Cayman Islands.

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Directors

See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—C. Board Practices.”

Ordinary Shares

General. Our ordinary shares are divided into Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares will have the same rights except for voting and conversion rights. Our ordinary shares are issued in registered form and are issued when registered in our register of members. We may not issue shares to bearer. Our shareholders who are non-residents of the Cayman Islands may freely hold and vote their shares.

Conversion. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof. Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Class B ordinary shares shall only be held by the Founder (as defined in our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association) or a Director Holding Vehicle (as defined in our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association). Subject to the Hong Kong Listing Rules or other applicable laws or regulations, each Class B ordinary share shall be automatically converted into one Class A ordinary share upon the occurrence of any of the following events: (a) the death of the holder of such Class B ordinary share (or, where the holder is a Director Holding Vehicle, the death of the Founder); (b) the holder of such Class B ordinary share ceasing to be a Director or a Director Holding Vehicle for any reason; (c) the holder of such Class B ordinary share (or, where the holder is a Director Holding Vehicle, the Founder) being deemed by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to be incapacitated for the purpose of performing his duties as a Director; (d) the holder of such Class B ordinary share (or, where the holder is a Director Holding Vehicle, the Founder) being deemed by the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to no longer meet the requirements of a director set out in the Listing Rules; or (e) any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of the beneficial ownership of, or economic interest in, such Class B ordinary share or the control over the voting rights attached to such Class B Ordinary Share through voting proxy or otherwise to any person, including by reason that a Director Holding Vehicle no longer complies with Rule 8A.18(2) of the Listing Rules (in which case the Company and the Founder or the Director Holding Vehicle must notify the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as soon as practicable with details of the non-compliance), other than a transfer of the legal title to such Class B ordinary share by the Founder to a Director Holding Vehicle wholly-owned and wholly controlled by him, or by a Director Holding Vehicle to the Founder or another Director Holding Vehicle wholly-owned and wholly controlled by the Founder. All of the Class B ordinary shares in the authorised share capital shall be automatically re-designated into Class A ordinary shares in the event that none of the holders of Class B ordinary shares at the time of the Company’s initial listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange hold any Class B ordinary shares.

Dividends. Our directors may from time to time declare dividends (including interim dividends) and other distributions on our shares in issue and authorize payment of the same out of the funds of our company lawfully available therefor. In addition, our shareholders may declare dividends by ordinary resolution, but no dividend may exceed the amount recommended by our directors. Our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that dividends may be declared and paid out of the funds of our Company lawfully available therefor. Under the laws of the Cayman Islands, our company may pay a dividend out of either profit or share premium account; provided that in no circumstances may a dividend be paid if this would result in our company being unable to pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business.

Voting Rights. In respect of all matters subject to a shareholders’ vote, each holder of Class A ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per share and each holder of Class B ordinary shares is entitled to ten votes per share on all matters subject to vote at our general meetings, except that each Class A ordinary share and each Class B ordinary share shall entitle its holder to one vote on a poll at a general meeting in respect of a resolution on any of the following matters: (a) any amendment to the memorandum and articles of association, including the variation of the rights attached to any class of shares; (b) the appointment, election or removal of any independent non-executive director; (c) the appointment or removal of the auditors; or (d) the voluntary liquidation or winding-up of our company. Our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares vote together as a single class on all matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, except as may otherwise be required by law. At any general meeting a resolution put to the vote of the meeting shall be decided on a poll.

An ordinary resolution to be passed at a meeting by the shareholders requires the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the votes attaching to the ordinary shares cast at a meeting, while a special resolution requires the affirmative vote of no less than three-fourths of the votes cast attaching to the issued and outstanding ordinary shares at a meeting. A special resolution will be required for important matters such as change of name or making changes to our memorandum and articles of association. Our shareholders may, among other things, divide or combine their shares by ordinary resolution.

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General Meetings of Shareholders. The Company shall hold a general meeting as its annual general meeting in each year, within a period of not more than 15 months after the holding of the last preceding annual general meeting. The annual general meeting shall be held at such time and place as may be determined by the directors.

Shareholders’ general meetings may be convened by the chairman of our board of directors or by our directors (acting by a resolution of our board). Advance notice of at least twenty-one days is required for the convening of our annual general shareholders’ meeting and advance notice of at least fourteen days is required for the convening of any other general meeting of our shareholders. A quorum required for any general meeting of shareholders consists of one or more of our shareholders holding shares which carry in aggregate (or representing by proxy) not less than 10% of all votes attaching to the issued and outstanding shares in our company entitled to vote at such general meeting (on a one vote per share basis).

The Companies Act provides shareholders with only limited rights to requisition a general meeting, and does not provide shareholders with any right to put any proposal before a general meeting. However, these rights may be provided in a company’s articles of association. Our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association provide that upon the requisition of any one or more of our shareholders holding shares which carry in aggregate not less than one-tenth of the paid up capital of our company, on a one vote per share basis, that as at the date of the deposit carry the right to vote at general meetings, our board will convene an extraordinary general meeting and put the resolutions so requisitioned to a vote at such meeting. However, our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association do not provide our shareholders with any right to put any proposals before annual general meetings or extraordinary general meetings not called by such shareholders.

Transfer of Ordinary Shares. Subject to the restrictions set out below, any of our shareholders may transfer all or any of his or her ordinary shares by an instrument of transfer in the usual or common form or any other form approved by our board of directors.

Our board of directors may, in its absolute discretion, decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share which is not fully paid up or on which we have a lien. Fully paid shares shall be free from any restriction on the right of transfer and shall also be free from all lien. Our board of directors may also decline to register any transfer of any ordinary share unless:

the instrument of transfer is lodged with us, accompanied by the certificate for the ordinary shares to which it relates and such other evidence as our board of directors may reasonably require to show the right of the transferor to make the transfer;
the instrument of transfer is in respect of only one class of ordinary shares;
the instrument of transfer is properly stamped, if required;
in the case of a transfer to joint holders, the number of joint holders to whom the ordinary share is to be transferred does not exceed four; and
a fee of such maximum sum as Nasdaq Global Select Market may determine to be payable, and for so long as the shares are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, that transfers and other documents relating to or affecting the title to any registered securities shall be registered and where any fee or fees is/are charged, such fee or fees shall not exceed the maximum fees prescribed by The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited from time to time in the Listing Rules, is paid to the Company in respect thereof.

If our directors refuse to register a transfer they must, within three months after the date on which the instrument of transfer was lodged, send to each of the transferor and the transferee notice of such refusal.

The registration of transfers may, on ten calendar days’ notice being given by advertisement in such one or more newspapers, by electronic means or by any other means in accordance with the rules of the Nasdaq Global Select Market be suspended and the register closed at such times and for such periods as our board of directors may from time to time determine; provided, however, that the registration of transfers may not be suspended nor the register closed for more than 30 days in any year as our board may determine.

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Liquidation. On the winding up of our company, if the assets available for distribution amongst our shareholders will be more than sufficient to repay the whole of the share capital at the commencement of the winding up, the surplus will be distributed amongst our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them at the commencement of the winding up, subject to a deduction from those shares in respect of which there are monies due, of all monies payable to our company for unpaid calls or otherwise. If our assets available for distribution are insufficient to repay all of the paid-up capital, such assets will be distributed so that, as nearly as may be, the losses are borne by our shareholders in proportion to the par value of the shares held by them.

Calls on Shares and Forfeiture of Shares. Our board of directors may from time to time make calls upon shareholders for any amounts unpaid on their shares in a notice served to such shareholders at least 14 days prior to the specified time and place of payment. The shares that have been called upon and remain unpaid are subject to forfeiture.

Redemption, Repurchase and Surrender of Shares. We may issue shares on terms that such shares are subject to redemption, at our option or at the option of the holders of these shares, on such terms and in such manner as may be determined, before the issue of such shares, by our board of directors or by our shareholders by special resolution. Our company may also repurchase any of our shares on such terms and in such manner as have been approved by our board of directors or by an ordinary resolution of our shareholders. Under the Companies Act, the redemption or repurchase of any share may be paid out of our Company’s profits or out of the proceeds of a new issue of shares made for the purpose of such redemption or repurchase, or out of capital (including share premium account and capital redemption reserve) if our company can, immediately following such payment, pay its debts as they fall due in the ordinary course of business. In addition, under the Companies Act no such share may be redeemed or repurchased (a) unless it is fully paid up, (b) if such redemption or repurchase would result in there being no shares outstanding or (c) if the company has commenced liquidation. In addition, our company may accept the surrender of any fully paid share for no consideration.

Variations of Rights of Shares. Whenever the capital of our company is divided into different classes, the rights attached to any such class may, subject to any rights or restrictions for the time being attached to any class, only be materially adversely varied with the consent in writing of the holders of three-fourths in nominal value of the issued shares of that class or with the sanction of a special resolution passed at a separate meeting of the holders of the shares of that class. The rights conferred upon the holders of the shares of any class issued will not, unless otherwise expressly provided by the terms of issue of the shares of that class, be deemed to be varied by the creation, allotment, or issue of further shares ranking pari passu with such existing class of shares.

Issuance of Additional Shares. Our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association authorize our board of directors to issue additional ordinary shares from time to time as our board of directors may determine, to the extent of available authorized but unissued shares.

Subject to compliance with the Hong Kong Listing Rules and the Codes on Takeovers and Mergers and Share Buy-backs, and on the conditions that (a) no new class of shares with voting rights superior to those of Class A ordinary shares will be created; and (b) any variations in the relative rights as between the different classes will not result in the creation of new class of shares with voting rights superior to those of Class A ordinary shares, our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association also authorize our board of directors to establish from time to time one or more series of preference shares and to determine, with respect to any series of preference shares, the terms and rights of that series, including:

the designation of the series;
the number of shares of the series;
the dividend rights, dividend rates, conversion rights, voting rights; and
the rights and terms of redemption and liquidation preferences.

Our board of directors may issue preference shares without action by our shareholders to the extent authorized but unissued. Issuance of these shares may dilute the voting power of holders of ordinary shares.

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Inspection of Books and Records. Holders of our ordinary shares will have no general right under Cayman Islands law to inspect or obtain copies of our list of shareholders or our corporate records (other than copies of our memorandum and articles of association, our register of mortgages and charges, and any special resolutions passed by our shareholders). However, we intend to provide our shareholders with annual audited financial statements. Any register of members held in Hong Kong shall during normal business hours (subject to such reasonable restrictions as the directors may impose) be open to inspection by a shareholder without charge and any other person on payment of a fee of such amount not exceeding the maximum amount as may from time to time be permitted under the Listing Rules as the directors may determine for each inspection,

Anti-Takeover Provisions. Some provisions of our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or management that shareholders may consider favorable, including provisions that:

authorize our board of directors to issue preference shares in one or more series and to designate the price, rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions of such preference shares without any further vote or action by our shareholders; and
limit the ability of shareholders to requisition and convene general meetings of shareholders.

However, under Cayman Islands law, our directors may only exercise the rights and powers granted to them under our fifth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association for a proper purpose and for what they believe in good faith to be in the best interests of our company.

Exempted Company. We are an exempted company with limited liability under the Companies Act. The Companies Act distinguishes between ordinary resident companies and exempted companies. Any company that is registered in the Cayman Islands but conducts business mainly outside of the Cayman Islands may apply to be registered as an exempted company. The requirements for an exempted company are essentially the same as for an ordinary company except that an exempted company:

does not have to file an annual return of its shareholders with the Registrar of Companies;
is not required to open its register of members for inspection;
does not have to hold an annual general meeting;
may issue negotiable or bearer shares or shares with no par value;
may obtain an undertaking against the imposition of any future taxation (such undertakings are usually given for 20 years in the first instance);
may register by way of continuation in another jurisdiction and be deregistered in the Cayman Islands;
may register as a limited duration company; and
may register as a segregated portfolio company.

“Limited liability” means that the liability of each shareholder is limited to the amount unpaid by the shareholder on the shares of the company (except in exceptional circumstances, such as involving fraud, the establishment of an agency relationship or an illegal or improper purpose or other circumstances in which a court may be prepared to pierce or lift the corporate veil).

C.

Material Contracts

Other than in the ordinary course of business and other than those described under this item, in “Item 4. Information on the Company,” “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—B. Related Party Transactions,” or elsewhere in this annual report, we have not entered into any material contract during the two years immediately preceding the date of this annual report.

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D.

Exchange Controls

The Cayman Islands currently has no exchange control restrictions. See also “Item 4. Information on the Company - B. Business Overview - Regulation - Regulations on Foreign Exchange.”

E.

Taxation

Cayman Islands Taxation

The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains, or appreciation and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties, which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or, after execution, brought within the jurisdiction of the Cayman Islands. Payments of dividends and capital in respect of our ADSs or ordinary shares will not be subject to taxation in the Cayman Islands and no withholding will be required on the payment of a dividend or capital to any holder of our ADSs or ordinary shares, nor will gains derived from the disposal of our ADSs or ordinary shares be subject to Cayman Islands income or corporation tax. The Cayman Islands is not party to any double tax treaties that are applicable to any payments made to or by our company. There are no exchange control regulations or currency restrictions in the Cayman Islands.

PRC Taxation

Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside China with “de facto management body” within China is considered a resident enterprise. The implementation rules define the term “de facto management body” as the body that exercises full and substantial control and overall management over the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. In April 2009, the STA issued a circular, known as STA Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although this circular only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the STA’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to STA Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in China; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in China; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in China; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in China.

We believe that Li Auto Inc. is not a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. Li Auto Inc. is not controlled by a PRC enterprise or PRC enterprise group and we do not believe that Li Auto Inc. meets all of the conditions above. Li Auto Inc. is a company incorporated outside China. As a holding company, its key assets are its ownership interests in its subsidiaries, and its key assets are located, and its records (including the resolutions of its board of directors and the resolutions of its shareholders) are maintained, outside China. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” There can be no assurance that the PRC government will ultimately take a view that is consistent with ours.

If the PRC tax authorities determine that Li Auto Inc. is a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, we may be required to withhold a 10% withholding tax from dividends we pay to our shareholders that are non-resident enterprises, including the holders of our ADSs. In addition, non-PRC resident enterprise shareholders (including our ADS holders) may be subject to a 10% PRC tax on gains realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or ordinary shares, if such income is treated as sourced from within China. It is unclear whether our non-PRC resident individual shareholders (including our ADS holders) would be subject to any PRC tax on dividends or gains obtained by such non-PRC resident individual shareholders in the event we are determined to be a PRC resident enterprise. If any PRC tax were to apply to such dividends or gains, it would generally apply at a rate of 20% unless a reduced rate is available under an applicable tax treaty. However, it is also unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of Li Auto Inc. would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and China in the event that Li Auto Inc. is treated as a PRC resident enterprise. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.”

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United States Federal Income Tax Considerations

The following discussion is a summary of U.S. federal income tax considerations generally applicable to the ownership and disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares by a U.S. Holder (as defined below) that holds our ADSs as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment) under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). This discussion is based upon existing U.S. federal tax law, which is subject to differing interpretations or change, possibly with retroactive effect. There can be no assurance that the IRS or a court will not take a contrary position. This discussion, moreover, does not address the U.S. federal estate, gift, alternative minimum tax, and other non-income tax considerations, the Medicare tax on certain net investment income, or any state, local or non-U.S. tax considerations, relating to the ownership or disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. The following summary does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to particular investors in light of their individual circumstances or to persons in special tax situations such as:

banks and other financial institutions;
insurance companies;
pension plans;
cooperatives;
regulated investment companies;
real estate investment trusts;
broker-dealers;
traders that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting;
certain former U.S. citizens or long-term residents;
tax-exempt entities (including private foundations);
holders who acquire their ADSs or Class A ordinary shares pursuant to any employee share option or otherwise as compensation;
investors that will hold their ADSs or Class A ordinary shares as part of a straddle, hedge, conversion, constructive sale or other integrated transaction for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
investors that have a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar;
persons that actually or constructively own 10% or more of our stock (by vote or value); or
partnerships or other entities taxable as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes, or persons holding ADSs or Class A ordinary shares through such entities. all of whom may be subject to tax rules that differ significantly from those discussed below.

Each U.S. Holder is urged to consult its tax advisor regarding the application of U.S. federal taxation to its particular circumstances, and the state, local, non-U.S. and other tax considerations of the ownership and disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares.

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General

For purposes of this discussion, a “U.S. Holder” is a beneficial owner of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares that is, for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States;
a corporation (or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created in, or organized under the law of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia;
an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source; or
a trust (A) the administration of which is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and which has one or more U.S. persons who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (B) that has otherwise validly elected to be treated as a U.S. person under the Code.

If a partnership (or other entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. Partnerships holding our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares and their partners are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding an investment in our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares.

For U.S. federal income tax purposes, it is generally expected that a U.S. Holder of ADSs will be treated as the beneficial owner of the underlying shares represented by the ADSs. The remainder of this discussion assumes that a U.S. Holder of our ADSs will be treated in this manner. Accordingly, deposits or withdrawals of Class A ordinary shares for ADSs will generally not be subject to U.S. federal income tax.

Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations

A non-U.S. corporation, such as our company, will be classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, if either (i) 75% or more of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income (the “income test”) or (ii) 50% or more of the average percentage value of its assets (generally determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year is attributable to assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”). For this purpose, cash and assets readily convertible into cash are categorized as passive assets and the company’s goodwill and other unbooked intangibles are taken into account. Passive income generally includes, among other things, dividends, interest, rents, royalties, and gains from the disposition of passive assets. We will be treated as owning a proportionate share of the assets and earning a proportionate share of the income of any other corporation in which we own, directly or indirectly, at least 25% (by value) of the stock.

Although the law in this regard is not entirely clear, we treat our consolidated VIEs and their subsidiaries as being owned by us for U.S. federal income tax purposes because we control their management decisions and are entitled to substantially all of the economic benefits associated with them. As a result, we consolidated their results of operations in our consolidated U.S. GAAP financial statements. If it were determined, however, that we are not the owner of the VIEs for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be treated as a PFIC for the current taxable year and any subsequent taxable year.

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Assuming that we are the owner of the VIEs and their subsidiaries for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and based upon our current and projected income and assets, we do not believe that we were a PFIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2022 and do not presently expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year or the foreseeable future. While we do not expect to be or become a PFIC, no assurance can be given in this regard because the determination of whether we will be or become a PFIC for any taxable year is a fact intensive determination made annually that depends, in part, upon the composition of our income and assets. Fluctuations in the market prices of our ADSs and Class A ordinary shares may cause us to be or become classified as a PFIC for the current or future taxable years because the value of our assets for purposes of the asset test, including the value of our goodwill and unbooked intangibles, may be determined by reference to the market prices of our ADSs and Class A ordinary shares from time to time (which may be volatile). In estimating the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, we have taken into account our current market capitalization. If our market capitalization subsequently declines, we may be or become classified as a PFIC for the current taxable year or future taxable years. Furthermore, the composition of our income and assets may also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets. Under circumstances where revenues from activities that produce passive income significantly increase relative to our revenues from activities that produce non-passive income, or where we determine not to deploy significant amounts of cash for active purposes, our risk of being or becoming classified as a PFIC may substantially increase. Because PFIC status is a factual determination made annually after the close of each taxable year, there can be no assurance that we will not be a PFIC for the current taxable year or any future taxable year.

If we are classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, the PFIC rules discussed below under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules” generally will apply to such U.S. Holder for such taxable year, and unless the U.S. Holder makes certain elections, will apply in future years even if we cease to be a PFIC.

The discussion below under “—Dividends” and “—Sale or Other Disposition” is written on the basis that we will not be or become classified as a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The U.S. federal income tax rules that apply generally if we are treated as a PFIC for any taxable year are discussed below under “—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

Dividends

Any cash distributions (including the amount of any PRC tax withheld) paid on our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, as determined under U.S. federal income tax principles, will generally be includible in the gross income of a U.S. Holder as dividend income on the day actually or constructively received by the U.S. Holder, in the case of Class A ordinary shares, or by the depositary, in the case of ADSs. Because we do not intend to determine our earnings and profits on the basis of U.S. federal income tax principles, any distribution we pay will generally be treated as a “dividend” for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Dividends received on our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction generally allowed to corporations. A non-corporate U.S. Holder will be subject to tax at the lower capital gain tax rate applicable to “qualified dividend income,” provided that certain conditions are satisfied, including that (1) our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares on which the dividends are paid are readily tradeable on an established securities market in the United States, or, in the event that we are deemed to be a PRC resident enterprise under the PRC tax law, we are eligible for the benefits of the United States-PRC income tax treaty (the “Treaty”), (2) we are neither a PFIC nor treated as such with respect to such a U.S. Holder for the taxable year in which the dividend was paid and the preceding taxable year, and (3) certain holding period requirements are met. Our ADSs (but not our Class A ordinary shares), which are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, are considered readily tradeable on an established securities market in the United States. There can be no assurance, however, that our ADSs will be considered readily tradeable on an established securities market in later years.

In the event that we are deemed to be a PRC resident enterprise under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law (see “—PRC Taxation”), we may be eligible for the benefits of the Treaty. If we are eligible for such benefits, dividends we pay on our Class A ordinary shares, regardless of whether such shares are represented by the ADSs, would be eligible for the reduced rates of taxation described in the preceding paragraph.

148

Dividends paid on our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, if any, will generally be treated as income from foreign sources and will generally constitute passive category income for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes. Depending on the U.S. Holder’s individual facts and circumstances, a U.S. Holder may be eligible, subject to a number of complex limitations, to claim a foreign tax credit in respect of any nonrefundable foreign withholding taxes imposed on dividends received on our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. A U.S. Holder who does not elect to claim a foreign tax credit for foreign taxes withheld may instead claim a deduction, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, in respect of such withholding, but only for a year in which such holder elects to do so for all creditable foreign income taxes. The rules governing the foreign tax credit are complex and their outcome depends in large part on the U.S. Holder’s individual facts and circumstances. Accordingly, U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the availability of the foreign tax credit under their particular circumstances.

Sale or Other Disposition

A U.S. Holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of ADSs or Class A ordinary shares in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized upon the disposition and the holder’s adjusted tax basis in such ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. Any capital gain or loss will be long-term if the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares have been held for more than one year and will generally be U.S.-source gain or loss for U.S. foreign tax credit purposes. Long-term capital gain of non-corporate U.S. Holders will generally be eligible for a reduced rate of taxation. In the event that gain from the disposition of the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares is subject to tax in China, a U.S. Holder may elect to treat such gain as PRC-source gain under the Treaty. Pursuant to recently issued Treasury Regulations, however, if a U.S. Holder is not eligible for the benefits of the Treaty or does not elect to apply the Treaty, then such holder may not be able to claim a foreign tax credit arising from any PRC tax imposed on the disposition of the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. The deductibility of a capital loss may be subject to limitations. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the tax consequences if a foreign tax is imposed on a disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, including the availability of the foreign tax credit or deduction under their particular circumstances, their eligibility for benefits under the Treaty and the potential impact of the recently issued Treasury Regulations.

Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules

If we are classified as a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, and unless the U.S. Holder makes a mark-to-market election (as described below), the U.S. Holder will generally be subject to special tax rules on (i) any excess distribution that we make to the U.S. Holder (which generally means any distribution paid during a taxable year to a U.S. Holder that is greater than 125 percent of the average annual distributions paid in the three preceding taxable years or, if shorter, the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares), and (ii) any gain realized on the sale or other disposition of ADSs or Class A ordinary shares. Under the PFIC rules:

the excess distribution or gain will be allocated ratably over the U.S. Holder’s holding period for the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares;
the amount allocated to the current taxable year and any taxable years in the U.S. Holder’s holding period prior to the first taxable year in which we are classified as a PFIC (each, a “pre-PFIC year”) will be taxable as ordinary income;
the amount allocated to each prior taxable year, other than a pre-PFIC year, will be subject to tax at the highest tax rate in effect for individuals or corporations, as appropriate, for that year; and
an additional tax equal to the interest charge generally applicable to underpayments of tax will be imposed on the tax attributable to each prior taxable year, other than a pre-PFIC year.

If we are a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares and any of our subsidiaries, our consolidated VIEs or any of their subsidiaries is also a PFIC, such U.S. Holder would be treated as owning a proportionate amount (by value) of the shares of the lower-tier PFIC for purposes of the application of these rules. U.S. Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of the PFIC rules to any of our subsidiaries, our consolidated VIEs, or their subsidiaries.

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As an alternative to the foregoing rules, a U.S. Holder of “marketable stock” in a PFIC may make a mark-to-market election with respect to such stock, provided that such stock is regularly traded on a qualified exchange or other market, as defined in applicable United States Treasury Regulations. Our ADSs are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, which is a qualified exchange for these purposes, and our Class A ordinary shares are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which should constitute a qualified exchange or other market. We anticipate that our ADSs and Class A ordinary shares should qualify as being regularly traded, but no assurances may be given in this regard. If a U.S. Holder makes this election, the holder will generally (i) include as ordinary income for each taxable year that we are a PFIC the excess, if any, of the fair market value of ADSs or Class A ordinary shares held at the end of the taxable year over the adjusted tax basis of such ADSs or Class A ordinary shares and (ii) deduct as an ordinary loss the excess, if any, of the adjusted tax basis of the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares over the fair market value of such ADSs or Class A ordinary shares held at the end of the taxable year, but such deduction will only be allowed to the extent of the amount previously included in income as a result of the mark-to-market election. The U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the ADSs or Class A ordinary shares would be adjusted to reflect any income or loss resulting from the mark-to-market election. If a U.S. Holder makes a mark-to-market election in respect of a corporation classified as a PFIC and such corporation ceases to be classified as a PFIC, the holder will not be required to take into account the gain or loss described above during any period that such corporation is not classified as a PFIC. If a U.S. Holder makes a mark-to-market election, any gain such U.S. Holder recognizes upon the sale or other disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares in a year when we are a PFIC will be treated as ordinary income and any loss will be treated as ordinary loss, but such loss will only be treated as ordinary loss to the extent of the net amount previously included in income as a result of the mark-to-market election.

Because a mark-to-market election technically cannot be made for any lower-tier PFICs that we may own, a U.S. Holder that makes the mark-to-market election may continue to be subject to the PFIC rules with respect to such U.S. Holder’s indirect interest in any investments held by us that are treated as an equity interest in a PFIC for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

We do not intend to provide information necessary for U.S. Holders to make qualified electing fund elections which, if available, would result in tax treatment different from (and generally less adverse than) the general tax treatment for PFICs described above.

If a U.S. Holder owns our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares during any taxable year that we are a PFIC, the holder must generally file an annual IRS Form 8621. You should consult your tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences of owning and disposing of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares if we are or become a PFIC.

F.

Dividends and Paying Agents

Not applicable.

G.

Statement by Experts

Not applicable.

H.

Documents on Display

We have filed with SEC registration statements on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812 and File No. 333-251066), including relevant exhibits and securities under the Securities Act with respect to underlying ordinary shares represented by the ADSs. We have also filed with SEC a related registration statement on Form F-6 (File No. 333-240079) to register the ADSs.

We are subject to periodic reporting and other informational requirements of the Exchange Act as applicable to foreign private issuers. Accordingly, we are required to file reports, including annual reports on Form 20-F, and other information with SEC. All information filed with SEC can be obtained over the Internet at SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov or inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can request copies of these documents, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by writing to the SEC. Please call SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 or visit the SEC website for further information on the operation of the public reference rooms.

150

As a foreign private issuer, we are exempt from the rules of the Exchange Act prescribing the furnishing and content of proxy statements to shareholders, and our executive officers, directors and principal shareholders are exempt from the reporting and short-swing profit recovery provisions contained in Section 16 of the Exchange Act. In addition, we will not be required under the Exchange Act to file periodic reports and financial statements with SEC as frequently or as promptly as U.S. companies whose securities are registered under the Exchange Act. However, we intend to furnish the depositary with our annual reports, which will include a review of operations and annual audited consolidated financial statements prepared in conformity with U.S. GAAP, and all notices of shareholders’ meeting and other reports and communications that are made generally available to our shareholders. The depositary will make such notices, reports, and communications available to holders of ADSs and, upon our written request, will mail to all record holders of ADSs the information contained in any notice of a shareholders’ meeting received by the depositary from us.

I.

Subsidiary Information

Not applicable.

Enforceability of Civil Liabilities

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, while we conduct substantially all of our operations in China, and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, all our senior executive officers reside within China for a significant portion of the time and all our senior executive officers are PRC nationals. As a result, it may be difficult for our shareholders to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside China. In addition, China does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts with the Cayman Islands and many other countries and regions. Therefore, recognition and enforcement in China of judgments of a court in any of these non-PRC jurisdictions in relation to any matter not subject to a binding arbitration provision may be difficult or impossible.

Cayman Islands

We are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability. Our constituent documents do not contain provisions requiring that disputes, including those arising under the securities laws of the United States, between us, our officers, directors, and shareholders, be arbitrated.

Our Cayman Islands legal counsel has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether the courts of the Cayman Islands would (i) recognize or enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained against us or our directors or officers that are predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state in the United States, or (ii) entertain original actions brought in the Cayman Islands against us or our directors or officers that are predicated upon the federal securities laws of the United States or the securities laws of any state in the United States.

Our Cayman Islands legal counsel has informed us that although there is no statutory enforcement in the Cayman Islands of judgments obtained in the federal or state courts of the United States (and the Cayman Islands are not a party to any treaties for the reciprocal enforcement or recognition of such judgments), the courts of the Cayman Islands will, at common law, recognize and enforce a foreign monetary judgment of a foreign court of competent jurisdiction without any re-examination of the merits of the underlying dispute based on the principle that a judgment of a competent foreign court imposes upon the judgment debtor an obligation to pay the liquidated sum for which such judgment has been given, provided that such judgment (i) is final and conclusive, (ii) is not in the nature of taxes, a fine, or a penalty; and (iii) was not obtained in a manner and is not of a kind the enforcement of which is contrary to natural justice or the public policy of the Cayman Islands. However, the Cayman Islands courts are unlikely to enforce a judgment obtained from the U.S. courts under civil liability provisions of the U.S. federal securities law if such judgment is determined by the courts of the Cayman Islands to give rise to obligations to make payments that are penal or punitive in nature. A Cayman Islands court may stay enforcement proceedings if concurrent proceedings are being brought elsewhere.

PRC

Our PRC legal counsel has advised us that there is uncertainty as to whether PRC courts would (i) recognize or enforce judgments of United States courts obtained against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the civil liability provisions of the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States, or (ii) entertain original actions brought in each respective jurisdiction against us or our directors or officers predicated upon the securities laws of the United States or any state in the United States.

151

Our PRC legal counsel has further advised us that the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments are provided for under the PRC Civil Procedures Law. PRC courts may recognize and enforce foreign judgments in accordance with the requirements of the PRC Civil Procedures Law based either on treaties between China and the country where the judgment is made or on principles of reciprocity between jurisdictions. There exists no treaty and few other forms of reciprocity between China and the United States or the Cayman Islands governing the recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments as of the date of this prospectus. In addition, according to the PRC Civil Procedures Law, PRC courts will not enforce a foreign judgment against us or our directors and officers if they decide that the judgment violates the basic principles of PRC law or national sovereignty, security, or public interest. As a result, it is uncertain whether and on what basis a PRC court would enforce a judgment rendered by a court in the United States or in the Cayman Islands. Under the PRC Civil Procedures Law, foreign shareholders may originate actions based on PRC law before a PRC court against a company for disputes relating to contracts or other property interests, and the PRC court may accept a cause of action based on the laws or the parties’ express mutual agreement in contracts choosing PRC courts for dispute resolution if such foreign shareholders can establish sufficient nexus to China for a PRC court to have jurisdiction and meet other procedural requirements, including, among others, that the plaintiff must have a direct interest in the case and that there must be a concrete claim, a factual basis, and a cause for the case. The PRC court will determine whether to accept the complaint in accordance with the PRC Civil Procedures Law. The shareholder may participate in the action by itself or entrust any other person or PRC legal counsel to participate on behalf of such shareholder. Foreign citizens and companies will have the same rights as PRC citizens and companies in an action unless the home jurisdiction of such foreign citizens or companies restricts the rights of PRC citizens and companies.

However, it will be difficult for U.S. shareholders to originate actions against us in China in accordance with PRC laws because we are incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and it will be difficult for U.S. shareholders, by virtue only of holding our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, to establish a connection to China for a PRC court to have jurisdiction as required under the PRC Civil Procedures Law.

ITEM 11.QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

Interest Rate Risk

Our exposure to interest rate risk primarily relates to the interest income generated by excess cash, which is mostly held in interest-bearing bank deposits and wealth management products. Interest-earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. We have not been exposed to material risks due to changes in market interest rates, and we have not used any derivative financial instruments to manage our interest risk exposure.

We may invest the net proceeds that we receive from our offerings in interest-earning instruments. Investments in both fixed rate and floating rate interest earning instruments carry a degree of interest rate risk. Fixed rate securities may have their fair market value adversely impacted due to a rise in interest rates, while floating rate securities may produce less income than expected if interest rates fall.

Foreign Exchange Risk

Our expenditures are mainly denominated in Renminbi and, therefore, we are exposed to risks relating to movements between Renminbi and U.S. dollars. Our exposure to U.S. dollars exchange rate fluctuation arises from the Renminbi-denominated cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, time deposits, and short-term investments held by us and our subsidiaries whose functional currency is U.S. dollars, and the U.S. dollar-denominated cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, time deposits, and short-term investments held by our subsidiaries whose functional currency is Renminbi. We enter into hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk when we deem appropriate. The value of your investment in our Class A ordinary shares and the ADSs will be affected by the exchange rate between U.S. dollars and Renminbi because the value of our business is effectively denominated in Renminbi, while our Class A ordinary shares and the ADSs will be traded in Hong Kong dollars and U.S. dollars, respectively.

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The value of Renminbi against U.S. dollars and other currencies may fluctuate and is affected by, among other things, changes in political and economic conditions and the foreign exchange policy adopted by the PRC government. On July 21, 2005, the PRC government changed its policy of pegging the value of Renminbi to U.S. dollars. Following the removal of the U.S. dollar peg, Renminbi appreciated over 20% against U.S. dollars over the following three years. Between July 2008 and June 2010, this appreciation halted and the exchange rate between Renminbi and U.S. dollars remained within a narrow band. Since June 2010, the PRC government has allowed Renminbi to appreciate slowly against U.S. dollars again, and it has appreciated over 10% since June 2010. On August 11, 2015, the People’s Bank of China announced plans to improve the central parity rate of Renminbi against U.S. dollars by authorizing market-makers to provide parity to the China Foreign Exchange Trading Center operated by the People’s Bank of China with reference to the interbank foreign exchange market closing rate of the previous day, the supply and demand for foreign currencies as well as changes in exchange rates of major international currencies. Effective from October 1, 2016, the International Monetary Fund added Renminbi to its Special Drawing Rights currency basket. Such change and additional future changes may increase volatility in the trading value of the Renminbi against foreign currencies. The PRC government may adopt further reforms of its exchange rate system, including making the Renminbi freely convertible in the future. Accordingly, it is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between Renminbi and U.S. dollars in the future.

To the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars or other currencies into Renminbi for our operations, appreciation of Renminbi against U.S. dollars would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we receive from the conversion. Conversely, if we decide to convert Renminbi into U.S. dollars or other currency for the purpose of making payments to suppliers or for dividends on our Class A ordinary shares or ADSs or for other business purposes, appreciation of U.S. dollars against Renminbi would have a negative effect on the U.S. dollar amounts available to us.

ITEM 12.DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES

A.

Debt Securities

Not applicable.

B.

Warrants and Rights

Not applicable.

C.

Other Securities

Not applicable.

153

D.

American Depositary Shares

Fees and Charges Our ADS Holders May Have to Pay

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as depositary, will register and deliver the ADSs. Each ADS will represent ownership of two shares, deposited with Deutsche Bank AG, Hong Kong Branch, as custodian for the depositary. Each ADS will also represent ownership of any other securities, cash or other property which may be held by the depositary. The depositary’s corporate trust office at which the ADSs will be administered is located at 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005, United States. The principal executive office of the depositary is located at 60 Wall Street, New York, New York 10005, United States.

Service

    

Fees

To any person to which ADSs are issued or to any person to which a distribution is made in respect of ADS distributions pursuant to stock dividends or other free distributions of stock, bonus distributions, stock splits or other distributions (except where converted to cash)

Up to US$0.05 per ADS issued

Cancellation of ADSs, including the case of termination of the deposit agreement

Up to US$0.05 per ADS cancelled

Distribution of cash dividends

Up to US$0.05 per ADS held

Distribution of cash entitlements (other than cash dividends) and/or cash proceeds from the sale

Up to US$0.05 per ADS held of rights, securities and other entitlements

Distribution of ADSs pursuant to exercise of rights.

Up to US$0.05 per ADS held

Distribution of securities other than ADSs or rights to purchase additional ADSs

Up to US$0.05 per ADS held

Depositary services

Up to US$0.05 per ADS held on the applicable record date(s) established by the depositary bank

Fees and Other Payments Made by the Depositary to Us

The depositary may make payments to us or reimburse us for certain costs and expenses, by making available a portion of the ADS fees collected in respect of the ADR program or otherwise, upon such terms and conditions as we and the depositary bank agree from time to time.

Conversion Between Class A Ordinary Shares and ADSs

Dealings and Settlement of Class A Ordinary Shares in Hong Kong

Our Class A ordinary shares are traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in board lots of 100 Class A ordinary shares. Dealings in our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange will be conducted in Hong Kong dollars.

The transaction costs of dealings in our Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange include:

Hong Kong Stock Exchange trading fee of 0.005% of the consideration of the transaction, charged to each of the buyer and seller;
SFC transaction levy of 0.0027% of the consideration of the transaction, charged to each of the buyer and seller;
trading tariff of HK$0.50 on each and every purchase or sale transaction. The decision on whether or not to pass the trading tariff onto investors is at the discretion of brokers;
transfer deed stamp duty of HK$5.00 per transfer deed (if applicable), payable by the seller;
ad valorem stamp duty at a total rate of 0.26% of the value of the transaction, with 0.13% payable by each of the buyer and the seller;

154

stock settlement fee, which is currently 0.002% of the gross transaction value, subject to a minimum fee of HK$2.00 and a maximum fee of HK$100.00 per side per trade;
brokerage commission, which is freely negotiable with the broker (other than brokerage commissions for IPO transactions which are currently set at 1% of the subscription or purchase price and will be payable by the person subscribing for or purchasing the securities); and
charge by the Hong Kong Share Registrar between HK$2.50 to HK$20, depending on the speed of service (or such higher fee as may from time to time be permitted under the Hong Kong Listing Rules), for each transfer of Class A ordinary shares from one registered owner to another, each share certificate canceled or issued by it and any applicable fee as stated in the share transfer forms used in Hong Kong.

Investors in Hong Kong must settle their trades executed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange through their brokers directly or through custodians. For an investor in Hong Kong who has deposited his or her Class A ordinary shares in his or her stock account or in his or her designated CCASS Participant’s stock account maintained with CCASS, settlement will be effected in CCASS in accordance with the General Rules of CCASS and CCASS Operational Procedures in effect from time to time. For an investor who holds the physical certificates, settlement certificates and the duly executed transfer forms must be delivered to his or her broker or custodian before the settlement date.

An investor may arrange with his or her broker or custodian on a settlement date in respect of his or her trades executed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Under the Hong Kong Listing Rules and the General Rules of CCASS and CCASS Operational Procedures in effect from time to time, the date of settlement must be the second business day (a day on which the settlement services of CCASS are open for use by CCASS Participants) following the trade date (T+2). For trades settled under CCASS, the General Rules of CCASS and CCASS Operational Procedures in effect from time to time provided that the defaulting broker may be compelled to compulsorily buy-in by HKSCC the day after the date of settlement (T+3), or if it is not practicable to do so on T+3, at any time thereafter. HKSCC may also impose fines from T+2 onwards.

Conversion between Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong and ADSs

We have established a branch register of members in Hong Kong, or the Hong Kong share register, which are maintained by our Hong Kong share registrar, Computershare Hong Kong Investor Services Limited. Our principal register of members, or the Cayman share register, are maintained by our principal share registrar, Maples Fund Services (Cayman) Limited in the Cayman Islands.

All Class A ordinary shares offered in connection with our listing in Hong Kong are registered on the Hong Kong share register in order to be listed and traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. As described in further detail below, holders of Class A ordinary shares registered on the Hong Kong share register are able to exchange these Class A ordinary shares into ADSs, and vice versa.

In connection with our listing in Hong Kong, and to facilitate fungibility and conversion between ADSs and Class A ordinary shares and trading between the Nasdaq Global Select Market and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, we have moved a portion of our issued Class A ordinary shares from our register of members maintained in the Cayman Islands to our Hong Kong share register.

Converting Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong into ADSs

An investor who holds Class A ordinary shares registered in Hong Kong and who intends to convert them to ADSs to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market must deposit or have his or her broker deposit the Class A ordinary shares with the depositary’s Hong Kong custodian, Deutsche Bank AG, Hong Kong Branch, or the custodian, in exchange for ADSs.

A deposit of Class A ordinary shares trading in Hong Kong in exchange for ADSs involves the following procedures:

If Class A ordinary shares have been deposited with CCASS, the investor must transfer the Class A ordinary shares to the depositary’s account with the custodian within CCASS by following the CCASS procedures for transfer and submit and deliver a duly completed and signed letter of transmittal to the custodian via his or her broker.

155

If Class A ordinary shares are held outside CCASS, the investor must arrange to deposit his or her Class A ordinary shares into CCASS for delivery to the depositary’s account with the custodian within CCASS, and must submit and deliver a duly completed and signed letter of transmittal to the custodian via his or her broker.
Upon payment of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, if applicable, and subject in all case to the terms of the deposit agreement, the depositary will register the corresponding number of ADSs in the name(s) requested by an investor and will deliver the ADSs as instructed in the letter of transmittal.

For Class A ordinary shares deposited in CCASS, under normal circumstances, the above steps generally require two business days, provided that the investor has provided timely and complete instructions. For Class A ordinary shares held outside CCASS in physical form, the above steps may take 14 business days, or more, to complete. Temporary delays may arise. For example, the transfer books of the depositary may from time to time be closed to ADS issuances. The investor will be unable to trade the ADSs until the procedures are completed.

Surrender ADSs to Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong

An investor who holds ADSs and wishes to receive ordinary shares that trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange must surrender the ADSs the investor holds and withdraw ordinary shares from the ADS program and cause his or her broker or other financial institution to trade such ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

An investor that holds ADSs indirectly through a broker or other financial institution should follow the procedure of the broker or financial institution and instruct the broker to arrange for surrender of the ADSs, and transfer of the underlying Shares from the depositary’s account with the custodian within the CCASS system to the investor’s Hong Kong stock account.

For investors holding ADSs directly, the following steps must be taken:

To withdraw ordinary shares from our ADS program, an investor who holds ADSs may turn in such ADSs at the office of the depositary (and the applicable ADR(s) if the ADSs are held in certificated form), and send an instruction to cancel such ADSs to the depositary. Those instructions must have a Medallion signature guarantee.
Upon payment or net of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, if applicable, the depositary will instruct the custodian to deliver ordinary shares underlying the canceled ADSs to the CCASS account designated by an investor.
If an investor prefers to receive ordinary shares outside CCASS, he or she must so indicate in the instruction delivered to the depositary.

For the ordinary shares to be received in CCASS, under normal circumstances, the above steps generally require two business days, provided that the investor has provided timely and complete instructions. For the ordinary shares to be received outside CCASS in physical form, the above steps may take 14 business days, or more, to complete. The investor will be unable to trade the ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange until the procedures are completed.

Temporary delays may arise. For example, the transfer books of the depositary may from time to time be closed to ADS cancellations. In addition, completion of the above steps and procedures for delivery for ordinary shares in a CCASS account is subject to there being a sufficient number of ordinary shares on the Hong Kong share register to facilitate a withdrawal from the ADS program directly into the CCASS system. We are not under any obligation to maintain or increase the number of ordinary shares on the Hong Kong share register to facilitate such withdrawals.

Converting ADSs to Class A Ordinary Shares Trading in Hong Kong

An investor who holds ADSs and who intends to convert his/her ADSs into Class A ordinary shares that trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange must cancel the ADSs the investor holds and withdraw Class A ordinary shares from our ADS program and cause his or her broker or other financial institution to trade such Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

156

An investor that holds ADSs indirectly through a broker or other financial institution should follow the procedure of the broker or financial institution and instruct the broker to arrange for cancelation of the ADSs, and transfer of the underlying Class A ordinary shares from the depositary’s account with the custodian within the CCASS system to the investor’s Hong Kong stock account.

For investors holding ADSs directly, the following steps must be taken:

To withdraw Class A ordinary shares from our ADS program, an investor who holds ADSs may turn in such ADSs at the office of the depositary (and the applicable ADR(s) if the ADSs are held in certificated form), and send an instruction to cancel such ADSs to the depositary.
Upon payment or net of its fees and expenses and of any taxes or charges, such as stamp taxes or stock transfer taxes or fees, if applicable, and subject in all cases to the terms of the deposit agreement, the depositary will instruct the custodian to deliver Class A ordinary shares underlying the canceled ADSs to the CCASS account designated by an investor.
If an investor prefers to receive Class A ordinary shares outside CCASS, he or she must receive Class A ordinary shares in CCASS first and then arrange for the withdrawal from CCASS. Investors can then obtain a transfer form signed by HKSCC Nominees Limited (as the transferor) and register Class A ordinary shares in their own names with the Hong Kong share registrar. For Class A ordinary shares to be received in CCASS, under normal circumstances, the above steps generally require two business days, provided that the investor has provided timely and complete instructions.

For Class A ordinary shares to be received outside CCASS in physical form, the above steps may take 14 business days, or more, to complete. The investor will be unable to trade the Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange until the procedures are completed.

Temporary delays may arise. For example, the transfer books of the depositary may from time to time be closed to ADS cancelations. In addition, completion of the above steps and procedures for delivery for Class A ordinary shares in a CCASS account is subject to there being a sufficient number of Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong share register to facilitate a withdrawal from the ADS program directly into the CCASS system. We are not under any obligation to maintain or increase the number of Class A ordinary shares on the Hong Kong share register to facilitate such withdrawals.

Depositary Requirements

Before the depositary delivers ADSs or permits withdrawal of Class A ordinary shares, the depositary may require:

production of satisfactory proof of the identity and genuineness of any signature or other information it deems necessary; and
compliance with procedures it may establish, from time to time, consistent with the deposit agreement, including completion and presentation of transfer documents.

The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer, or register issuances, transfers, and cancellations of ADSs generally when the transfer books of the depositary or our Hong Kong share registrar or Cayman Islands share registrar are closed or at any time if the depositary or we determine it advisable to do so, subject to such refusal complying with U.S. federal securities laws.

All costs attributable to the transfer of Class A ordinary shares to effect a withdrawal from or deposit of Class A ordinary shares into our ADS program will be borne by the investor requesting the transfer. In particular, holders of Class A ordinary shares and ADSs should note that the Hong Kong share registrar will charge between HK$2.50 to HK$20, depending on the speed of service (or such higher fee as may from time to time be permitted under the Hong Kong Listing Rules), for each transfer of Class A ordinary shares from one registered owner to another, each share certificate canceled or issued by it and any applicable fee as stated in the share transfer forms used in Hong Kong. In addition, holders of Class A ordinary shares and ADSs must pay up to US$5.00 per 100 ADSs (or portion thereof) for each issuance of ADSs and each cancelation of ADSs, as the case may be, in connection with the deposit of Class A ordinary shares into, or withdrawal of Class A ordinary shares from, our ADS program.

157

PART II.

ITEM 13.DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES

None.

ITEM 14.MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS

Material Modifications to the Rights of Security Holders

See “Item 10. Additional Information” for a description of the rights of securities holders, which remain unchanged.

Use of Proceeds

Initial Public Offering

The following “Use of Proceeds” information relates to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File Number: 333-239812) relating to our initial public offering of 95,000,000 ADSs representing 190,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, and the underwriters’ full exercise of their option to purchase from us 14,250,000 additional ADSs representing 28,500,000 Class A ordinary shares, at an initial offering price of US$11.50 per ADS. The registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on July 29, 2020. Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C., Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, UBS Securities LLC, and China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited were the representatives of the underwriters.

We raised approximately US$1.2 billion in net proceeds from our initial public offering, after deducting underwriting commissions and the offering expenses payable by us, including the net proceeds we received from the underwriters’ full exercise of their option to purchase from us additional ADSs. None of the transaction expenses included payments to directors or officers of our company or their associates, persons owning more than 10% or more of our equity securities, or our affiliates. None of the net proceeds from the initial public offering were paid, directly or indirectly, to any of our directors or officers or their associates, persons owning 10% or more of our equity securities, or our affiliates.

For the period from July 29, 2020 to December 31, 2022, we have used 100% of the net proceeds from our initial public offering for capital expenditures, research and development of new products, and general corporate purposes and working capital. There is no material change in the use of proceeds as described in our registration statement on Form F-1. We still intend to use the remainder of the proceeds from our initial public offering for purposes as disclosed in our registration statement on Form F-1.

Follow-on Offering

The following “Use of Proceeds” information relates to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File Number: 333-251066) relating to the public offering of 47,000,000 ADSs representing 94,000,000 Class A ordinary shares, and the underwriters’ full exercise of their option to purchase from us 7,050,000 additional ADSs representing 14,100,000 Class A ordinary shares, at an initial offering price of US$29.00 per ADS. The registration statement was declared effective by the SEC on December 3, 2020. Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C., UBS Securities LLC, and China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited were the representatives of the underwriters.

We raised approximately US$1.5 billion in net proceeds from our public offering in December 2020, after deducting underwriting commissions and the offering expenses payable by us, including the net proceeds we received from the underwriters’ full exercise of their option to purchase from us additional ADSs.

For the period from December 3, 2020 to December 31, 2022, we have used approximately 51% of the net proceeds from our public offering in December 2020. We still intend to use the net proceeds received from our public offering in December 2020 for research and development and general corporate purposes as disclosed in our registration statements on Form F-1.

158

Global Offering

The following “Use of Proceeds” information relates to the shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File Number: 333-258378) filed on August 2, 2021 and prospectus supplements filed on August 2 and August 6, 2021, respectively, relating to our global offering in connection with the Hong Kong listing in 2021. We offered and sold 113,869,700 Class A ordinary shares at an initial offering price of HK$118.00 per Class A ordinary share, including the partial exercise of the over-allotment option by the joint global coordinators, on behalf of the international underwriters, of 13,869,700 Class A ordinary shares. Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C., China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited, and UBS AG Hong Kong Branch (and UBS Securities LLC in relation to the international offering only) were the representatives of the international underwriters of the global offering.

We raised approximately US$1.7 billion in net proceeds from the global offering, after deducting underwriting commissions and the offering expenses payable by us, including the net proceeds we received from the partial exercise of the over-allotment option by the international underwriters. None of the transaction expenses included payments to directors or officers of our company or their associates, persons owning more than 10% or more of our equity securities, or our affiliates. None of the net proceeds from the initial public offering were paid, directly or indirectly, to any of our directors or officers or their associates, persons owning 10% or more of our equity securities, or our affiliates.

For the period from August 2, 2021 to December 31, 2022, we have used approximately 62% of the net proceeds from the global offering. There is no material change in the use of proceeds as described in the prospectus supplements. We still intend to use the remainder of the proceeds from the global offering for purposes as disclosed in the prospectus supplements.

At-the-market Offering

The following “Use of Proceeds” information relates to the shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (File Number: 333-258378) filed on August 2, 2021 and prospectus supplement filed on June 28, 2022. We offered to sell up to an aggregate of US$2,000,000,000 of ADSs, each representing two Class A ordinary shares of the Company, through an at-the-market equity offering program (the “ATM Offering”) on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The ADSs were offered through Goldman Sachs (Asia) L.L.C., UBS Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., and China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Limited as sales agents. We entered into an equity distribution agreement with the sales agents relating to the ATM Offering. Some of the sales agents are expected to make offers and sales both to investors inside the United States and to qualified investors outside the United States through their respective selling agents.

As of December 31, 2022, we had sold 9,431,282 ADSs representing 18,862,564 Class A ordinary shares under the US ATM Offering to the public in the United States, raising gross proceeds of US$366.5 million and net proceeds of approximately US$360.5 million, respectively, with the selling price ranging from US$38.00 per ADS to US$39.63 per ADS and average net selling price of US$38.86 per ADS.

For the period from June 28, 2022 to December 31, 2022, we have used approximately 45% of the net proceeds from the ATM offering. There is no material change in the use of proceeds as described in the prospectus supplement. We still intend to use the remainder of the proceeds from the ATM offering for purposes as disclosed in the prospectus supplement.

ITEM 15.CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, has performed an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Exchange Act) as of the end of the period covered by this report, as required by Rule 13a-15(b) under the Exchange Act. Based upon that evaluation, our management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2022, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective in ensuring that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

159

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Our internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) in the United States of America and includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of our company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures of our company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of our management and directors; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of the unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our company’s assets that could have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect all potential misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risks that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

As required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related rules as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission, our management including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer assessed the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022 using the criteria set forth in the report “Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013)” published by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, the management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2022.

Attestation Report of the Registered Public Accounting Firm

Our independent registered public accounting firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP, has audited the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, as stated in its report, which appears on page F-2 of this annual report on Form 20-F.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal controls over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this annual report on Form 20-F that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 16.[RESERVED]

ITEM 16A.AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT

Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Hongqiang Zhao, an independent director (under the standards set forth in Nasdaq Stock Market Rule 5605(a)(2) and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act) and member of our audit committee, is an audit committee financial expert.

ITEM 16B.CODE OF ETHICS

Our board of directors has adopted a code of ethics that applies to all of the directors, officers and employees of us and our subsidiaries, whether they work for us on a full-time, part-time, consultative, or temporary basis. In addition, we expect those who do business with us, such as consultants, suppliers and collaborators, to also adhere to the principles outlined in the code of ethics. Certain provisions of the code of ethics apply specifically to our chief executive officer, chief financial officer, senior finance officer, controller, vice presidents and any other persons who perform similar functions for us. We have filed our code of business conduct and ethics as an exhibit to our registration statement on Form F-1 (No. 333-239812) in connection with our initial public offering in July 2020, which was incorporated by reference thereto in this annual report.

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ITEM 16C.PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The following table sets forth the aggregate fees by categories specified below in connection with certain professional services rendered by PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP, our principal accountant, for the periods indicated. We did not pay any other fees to our principal accountant during the periods except as indicated below.

For the Year Ended December 31,

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

(in thousands)

Audit fees(1)

 

22,487

 

18,758

 

2,720

All other fees(2)

 

3,565

 

13

 

2

Notes:

(1)“Audit fees” represent the aggregate fees billed for each of the fiscal years listed for professional services rendered by our principal accountant for the audit of our annual consolidated financial statements and the review of quarterly financial information, including the audit fees relating to our global offering in connection with the Hong Kong listing in 2021 and our at-the-market equity offering program in 2022.
(2)“All other fees” represent the aggregate fees billed for professional services rendered by our principal external auditors other than services reported under “Audit fees.”

The policy of our audit committee is to pre-approve all audit and other service provided by PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP and its affiliates, including audit services, audit-related services, tax services and other services as described above, other than those for de minimis services which are approved by the Audit Committee prior to the completion of the audit.

ITEM 16D.EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES

Not applicable.

ITEM 16E.PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS

None.

ITEM 16F.CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT

Not applicable.

ITEM 16G.CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

As a Cayman Islands exempted company listed on Nasdaq Stock Market, we are subject to the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. However, Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from the Nasdaq corporate governance listing standards. As a result, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they would otherwise enjoy under the Nasdaq Stock Market corporate governance listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our ADSs—As an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the Nasdaq listing standards; these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq listing standards.”

In addition, as a “controlled company” as defined under the Nasdaq Stock Market Rules, we are permitted to elect to rely, and are currently relying, on certain exemptions from corporate governance rules. Currently, the majority of our board of directors are not independent directors. In addition, the compensation of our executive officers is not determined or recommended solely by independent directors, and our director nominees are not selected or recommended solely by independent directors. As a result, you do not have the same protection afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to these corporate governance requirements.

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ITEM 16H.MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

Not applicable.

ITEM 16I.DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS.

In May 2022, Li Auto Inc. was conclusively listed by the SEC as a Commission-Identified Issuer under the HFCAA following the filing of our annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021. Our auditor who issued the audit report for us for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 is a registered public accounting firm headquartered in mainland China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB determined that it was unable to inspect or investigate registered public accounting firms headquartered there until December 2022.

On December 15, 2022, the PCAOB issued a report that vacated its December 16, 2021 determination and removed mainland China and Hong Kong from the list of jurisdictions where it is unable to inspect or investigate completely registered public accounting firms. For this reason, we do not expect to be identified as a Commission-Identified Issuer under the HFCAA after we file this annual report on Form 20-F.

As of the date of this annual report, to our knowledge, (i) no Cayman Islands or PRC government entities owns any shares of Li Auto Inc., the VIEs, or the VIEs’ subsidiaries, (ii) the PRC government entities do not have a controlling financial interest in Li Auto Inc., the VIEs, or the VIEs’ subsidiaries, (iii) none of the members of the board of directors of Li Auto Inc. or its operating entities, including the VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries, is an official of the Communist Party of China, and (iv) none of the currently effective memorandum and articles of association (or equivalent organizing document) of Li Auto Inc., the VIEs, or the VIEs’ subsidiaries contains any charter of the Communist Party of China.

ITEM 16J. INSIDER TRADING POLICIES

Not applicable.

PART III.

ITEM 17.FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

We have elected to provide financial statements pursuant to Item 18.

ITEM 18.FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The consolidated financial statements of Li Auto Inc. are included at the end of this annual report.

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ITEM 19.EXHIBITS

Exhibit
Number

    

Document

1.1

Fifth Amended and Restated Memorandum and Articles of Association of the Registrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the current report on Form 6-K (File No. 001-39407), furnished with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 16, 2021)

2.1

Registrant’s Specimen American Depositary Receipt (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-251066), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 2, 2020)

2.2

Registrant’s Specimen Certificate for Ordinary Shares (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

2.3

Deposit Agreement, dated July 29, 2020, by and among the Registrant, the depositary, and the holders and beneficial owners of American Depositary Shares evidenced by American Depositary Receipts issued thereunder (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-251066), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 2, 2020)

2.4

Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement between the Registrant and other parties thereto, dated July 1, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

2.5

Amendment to Amended and Restated Shareholders Agreement between the Registrant and other parties thereto, dated July 22, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

2.6

Description of Securities (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 2.6 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.1

Amended and Restated 2019 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.2

Amended and Restated 2020 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.3

2021 Share Incentive Plan (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.22 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10, 2021)

4.4

Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant and its directors and executive officers (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

4.5

Form of Employment Agreement between the Registrant and its executive officers (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

4.6

English translation of executed form of Power of Attorney between a VIE of the Registrant, its shareholders and Wheels Technology as currently in effect, and a schedule of all executed Powers of Attorneys adopting the same form in respect of each of the VIEs of the Registrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.7

English translation of the executed form of Spousal Consent Letter by the spouse of an individual shareholder of a VIE of the Registrant, as currently in effect, and a schedule of all executed Spousal Consent Letters adopting the same form in respect of each shareholder of the VIEs of the Registrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.7 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.8

English translation of Equity Pledge Agreement between Beijing CHJ, its shareholders, and Wheels Technology, dated April 21, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.8 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.9

English translation of Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement between Beijing CHJ and Wheels Technology, dated April 21, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.9 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.10

English translation of Equity Option Agreement between Beijing CHJ, its shareholders, and Wheels Technology, dated April 21, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.10 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.11

English translation of Business Operation Agreement between Xindian Information, its shareholders, and Wheels Technology, dated April 21, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.11 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

163

Exhibit
Number

    

Document

4.12

English translation of Equity Pledge Agreement between Xindian Information, its shareholders, and Wheels Technology, dated April 21, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.12 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.13

English translation of Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement between Xindian Information and Wheels Technology, dated April 21, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.13 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.14

English translation of Equity Option Agreement between Xindian Information, its shareholders, and Wheels Technology, dated April 21, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.14 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.15

Series C Warrant and Preferred Share Purchase Agreement between the Registrant and other parties thereto, dated July 2, 2019 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

4.16

Series D Preferred Share Purchase Agreement between the Registrant, Inspired Elite Investments Limited, Kevin Sunny Holding Limited, and other parties thereto, dated July 1, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.15 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

4.17

Series D Preferred Share Purchase Agreement between the Registrant, Amp Lee Ltd., and other parties thereto, dated July 1, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

4.18

Share Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Inspired Elite Investments Limited, dated July 22, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.18 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

4.19

Share Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Bytedance (HK) Limited, dated July 22, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

4.20

Share Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Zijin Global Inc., dated July 22, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.20 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

4.21

Share Subscription Agreement between the Registrant and Kevin Sunny Holding Limited, dated July 22, 2020 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 10.21 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

4.22

Indenture between the Registrant and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, as trustee, constituting US$862,500,000 0.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2028 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.22 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

4.23

Form of 0.25% Convertible Senior Notes due 2028 (included in Exhibit 4.22)

4.24

Amended and Restated Investor Rights Agreement between the Registrant, Xiang Li, Amp Lee Ltd., and Inspired Elite Investments Limited, dated July 26, 2021 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 4.24 to the annual report on Form 20-F filed by the Registrant with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 19, 2022)

8.1*

List of Significant Subsidiaries and Consolidated Variable Interest Entities of the Registrant

11.1

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics of the Registrant (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit 99.1 to the registration statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-239812), as amended, initially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 10, 2020)

12.1*

CEO Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

12.2*

CFO Certification Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

13.1**

CEO Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

13.2**

CFO Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

15.1*

Consent of Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP

15.2*

Consent of Han Kun Law Offices

15.3*

Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP

101.INS*

Inline XBRL Instance Document

101.SCH*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Scheme Document

101.CAL*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document

101.DEF*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document

101.LAB*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document

101.PRE*

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document

164

Exhibit
Number

    

Document

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

Notes:

*

Filed with this annual report on Form 20-F.

**

Furnished with this annual report on Form 20-F.

165

SIGNATURES

The registrant hereby certifies that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form 20-F and that it has duly caused and authorized the undersigned to sign this annual report on its behalf.

    

Li Auto Inc.

By:

/s/ Xiang Li

Name:

Xiang Li

Title:

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Date: April 21, 2023

166

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Li Auto Inc. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive loss, of changes in shareholders’ equity and of cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2022 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Basis for Opinions

The Company’s management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 15. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

F-2

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that (i) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Accrual of product warranties

As described in Note 2 (q) to the consolidated financial statements, the Company provides product warranties on all new vehicles based on the contracts with its customers at the time of sale of such vehicles. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company accrued a provision for warranties of RMB 800.9 million. As of December 31, 2022, the accrued warranty liability balance was RMB1,594.3 million. A warranty provision is accrued for vehicles as sold, by considering the expected unit cost for warranty service, which includes the Company’s best estimate of the projected costs to repair or replace items under warranty. These estimates are based on the estimate of the nature, frequency and average costs of future claims.

The principal considerations for our determination that performing procedures relating to the accrual of product warranties is a critical audit matter are the significant judgment by management in determining the product warranties; this in turn led to significant auditor judgment, subjectivity, and effort in designing and performing procedures relating to evaluating the reasonableness of management’s estimate of the nature, frequency and average costs of future claims.

Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to management’s estimate of the product warranties, including controls over management’s estimate of the nature, frequency and average costs of future claims as well as the completeness and accuracy of actual claims incurred to date. These procedures also included, among others, testing management’s process for determining the product warranties by (a) evaluating the appropriateness of the model applied by management for the accrual of warranty liabilities; (b) evaluating the reasonableness of significant assumptions related to the nature and frequency of future claims and the related projected costs to repair or replace items under product warranties, considering current and past experience, including a lookback analysis comparing prior period forecasted claims to actual claims incurred; and (c) testing the completeness, accuracy and relevance of management’s data related to the actual claims incurred to date and that such data was appropriately considered by management in the estimation of future claims.

/s/PricewaterhouseCoopers Zhong Tian LLP

Beijing, the People’s Republic of China

April 21, 2023

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2019.

F-3

LI AUTO INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

    

2022

RMB

    

RMB

US$

Note 2(e)

ASSETS

 

  

 

  

 

  

Current assets:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Cash and cash equivalents

 

27,854,224

 

38,478,016

 

5,578,788

Restricted cash

 

2,638,840

 

1,940,142

 

281,294

Time deposits and short‑term investments

 

19,668,239

 

18,031,395

 

2,614,307

Trade receivable, net of allowance for credit losses of RMB467, and RMB327 as of December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively

 

120,541

 

48,381

 

7,015

Inventories

 

1,617,890

 

6,804,693

 

986,588

Prepayments and other current assets, net of allowance for credit losses of RMB2,192, and RMB4,427 as of December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively

 

480,680

 

1,689,860

 

245,007

Total current assets

 

52,380,414

 

66,992,487

 

9,712,999

Non‑current assets:

 

 

 

Long‑term investments

 

156,306

 

1,484,491

 

215,231

Property, plant and equipment, net

 

4,498,269

 

11,187,898

 

1,622,093

Operating lease right‑of‑use assets, net

 

2,061,492

 

3,538,911

 

513,094

Intangible assets, net

 

751,460

 

832,620

 

120,719

Goodwill

5,484

795

Deferred tax assets

19,896

74,767

10,840

Other non‑current assets, net of allowance for credit losses of RMB3,757, and RMB4,572 as of December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively

 

1,981,076

 

2,421,293

 

351,054

Total noncurrent assets

 

9,468,499

 

19,545,464

 

2,833,826

Total assets

 

61,848,913

 

86,537,951

 

12,546,825

LIABILITIES

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

Short‑term borrowings

 

37,042

 

390,750

 

56,653

Trade and notes payable

 

9,376,050

 

20,024,329

 

2,903,255

Amounts due to related parties

 

37,455

 

7,190

 

1,042

Deferred revenue, current

 

305,092

 

569,234

 

82,531

Operating lease liabilities, current

 

473,245

 

696,454

 

100,976

Accruals and other current liabilities

 

1,879,368

 

5,684,644

 

824,198

Total current liabilities

 

12,108,252

 

27,372,601

 

3,968,655

Non‑current liabilities:

 

 

 

Long-term borrowings

5,960,899

9,230,807

1,338,341

Deferred revenue, non‑current

 

389,653

 

581,598

 

84,324

Operating lease liabilities, non‑current

 

1,369,825

 

1,946,367

 

282,197

Deferred tax liabilities

153,723

77,809

11,281

Other non‑current liabilities

 

802,259

 

2,142,462

 

310,628

Total noncurrent liabilities

 

8,676,359

 

13,979,043

 

2,026,771

Total liabilities

 

20,784,611

 

41,351,644

 

5,995,426

Commitments and contingencies (Note 27)

 

 

  

 

  

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-4

LI AUTO INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

    

As of December 31, 

2021

2022

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

Note 2(e)

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

  

 

  

 

  

Class A ordinary shares

 

  

 

  

 

  

(US$0.0001 par value; 4,500,000,000 shares authorized, 1,709,903,330 shares issued and 1,573,750,346 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 4,500,000,000 shares authorized, 1,728,765,894 shares issued and 1,598,541,812 shares outstanding as of December 31, 2022)

 

1,176

 

1,188

 

172

Class B ordinary shares

 

 

 

(US$0.0001 par value; 500,000,000 shares authorized, 355,812,080 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2021 and 2022)

 

235

 

235

34

Treasury shares

(89)

(84)

(12)

Additional paid‑in capital

 

49,390,486

 

53,869,322

 

7,810,318

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(1,521,871)

 

(194,110)

 

(28,143)

Accumulated deficit

(6,805,635)

(8,817,850)

(1,278,468)

Total Li Auto Inc. shareholders’ equity

41,064,302

44,858,701

6,503,901

Noncontrolling interests

 

 

327,606

 

47,498

Total shareholders’ equity

 

41,064,302

 

45,186,307

 

6,551,399

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

 

61,848,913

 

86,537,951

 

12,546,825

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-5

LI AUTO INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

    

2022

RMB

RMB

RMB

 

US$

Note 2(e)

Revenues:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Vehicle sales

 

9,282,703

 

26,128,469

 

44,106,434

6,394,832

Other sales and services

 

173,906

 

881,310

 

1,180,382

171,139

Total revenues

 

9,456,609

 

27,009,779

 

45,286,816

6,565,971

Cost of sales:

 

 

 

Vehicle sales

 

(7,763,628)

 

(20,755,578)

 

(35,688,343)

(5,174,323)

Other sales and services

 

(143,642)

 

(492,747)

 

(808,017)

(117,151)

Total cost of sales

 

(7,907,270)

 

(21,248,325)

 

(36,496,360)

(5,291,474)

Gross profit

 

1,549,339

 

5,761,454

 

8,790,456

1,274,497

Operating expenses:

 

 

 

Research and development

 

(1,099,857)

 

(3,286,389)

 

(6,780,032)

(983,012)

Selling, general and administrative

 

(1,118,819)

 

(3,492,385)

 

(5,665,301)

(821,391)

Total operating expenses

 

(2,218,676)

 

(6,778,774)

 

(12,445,333)

(1,804,403)

Loss from operations

 

(669,337)

 

(1,017,320)

 

(3,654,877)

(529,906)

Other (expense)/income

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

(66,916)

 

(63,244)

 

(106,340)

(15,418)

Interest income and investment income, net

 

254,916

 

740,432

 

976,229

141,540

Changes in fair value of warrants and derivative liabilities

 

272,327

 

 

Others, net

 

20,133

 

187,320

 

625,633

90,708

Loss before income tax expense

 

(188,877)

 

(152,812)

 

(2,159,355)

(313,076)

Income tax benefit/(expense)

 

22,847

 

(168,643)

 

127,007

18,414

Net loss from continuing operations

 

(166,030)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,032,348)

(294,662)

Net income from discontinued operations, net of tax

 

14,373

 

 

Net loss

 

(151,657)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,032,348)

(294,662)

Accretion on convertible redeemable preferred shares to redemption value

 

(651,190)

 

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on convertible redeemable preferred shares

 

10,862

 

 

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

 

 

(20,133)

(2,919)

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

 

(791,985)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,012,215)

(291,743)

Including: Net loss from continuing operations attributable to ordinary shareholders

 

(806,358)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,012,215)

(291,743)

Net income from discontinued operations attributable to ordinary shareholders

 

14,373

 

 

Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing net loss per share

 

 

 

Basic and diluted

 

870,003,278

 

1,853,320,448

 

1,941,230,998

1,941,230,998

Net (loss)/income per share attributable to ordinary shareholders

 

 

 

Basic and diluted

 

 

 

Continuing operations

 

(0.93)

 

(0.17)

 

(1.04)

(0.15)

Discontinued operations

 

0.02

 

 

Net loss per share

(0.91)

(0.17)

(1.04)

(0.15)

 

 

 

Net loss

 

(151,657)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,032,348)

(294,662)

Other comprehensive (loss)/income

 

 

 

Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax

 

(1,020,728)

 

(516,687)

 

1,327,761

192,507

Total other comprehensive (loss)/income

 

(1,020,728)

 

(516,687)

 

1,327,761

192,507

Total comprehensive loss

 

(1,172,385)

 

(838,142)

 

(704,587)

(102,155)

Accretion on convertible redeemable preferred shares to redemption value

 

(651,190)

 

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on convertible redeemable preferred shares

 

10,862

 

 

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

 

 

 

(20,133)

(2,919)

Comprehensive loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

(1,812,713)

(838,142)

(684,454)

(99,236)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-6

LI AUTO INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

Accumulated

    

Class A Ordinary Shares

    

Class B Ordinary Shares

    

Treasury Shares

    

Additional

    

Other

    

    

Total

Number

Number

Paidin

Comprehensive

Accumulated

Shareholders’

of Shares

Amount

of Shares

Amount

Shares

    

Amount

Capital

Income/(Loss)

Deficit

Equity

    

    

RMB

    

    

RMB

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

Balance as of January 1, 2020

 

15,000,000

 

10

 

240,000,000

 

155

 

 

15,544

 

(5,690,240)

 

(5,674,531)

Accretion on convertible redeemable preferred shares to redemption value

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(651,190)

 

(651,190)

Effect of exchange rate changes on convertible redeemable preferred shares

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10,862

 

10,862

Share issuance upon the initial public offering (“US IPO”) and concurrent private placements, net of issuance costs

284,586,955

199

11,023,348

11,023,547

Share issuance upon the conversion and re-designation of preferred shares into Class A and Class B ordinary shares

1,045,789,275

730

115,812,080

80

14,723,086

14,723,896

Exercise of conversion features of preferred shares upon the consummation of US IPO

1,400,670

1,400,670

Share issuance upon the follow-on offering, net of issuance costs

108,100,000

71

9,999,862

9,999,933

Share-based compensation

 

 

 

 

 

142,795

 

 

 

142,795

Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax

(1,020,728)

(1,020,728)

Net loss

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(151,657)

 

(151,657)

Balance as of December 31, 2020

 

1,453,476,230

 

1,010

 

355,812,080

 

235

 

37,289,761

 

(1,005,184)

 

(6,482,225)

 

29,803,597

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-7

LI AUTO INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

Accumulated

    

Class A Ordinary Shares

    

Class B Ordinary Shares

    

Treasury Shares

    

Additional

    

Other

    

    

Total

Number

Number

Paidin

Comprehensive

Accumulated

Shareholders’

of Shares

Amount

of Shares

Amount

Shares

    

Amount

Capital

Loss

Deficit

Equity

    

    

RMB

    

    

RMB

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

Balance as of January 1, 2021

1,453,476,230

1,010

355,812,080

235

37,289,761

 

(1,005,184)

(6,482,225)

 

29,803,597

Cumulative effect of adoption of credit loss guidance (Note 2(h))

(1,955)

(1,955)

Issuance of ordinary shares as treasury shares

34,000,000

22

(34,000,000)

(22)

Issuance of ordinary shares for granting Award Shares to CEO

108,557,400

70

(108,557,400)

(70)

70

70

Share issuance upon the Hong Kong public offering (“HK IPO”), net of issuance costs

113,869,700

74

10,995,213

10,995,287

Exercise of share options

6,404,416

3

4,086

4,089

Share-based compensation

1,101,356

1,101,356

Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax

(516,687)

(516,687)

Net loss

(321,455)

(321,455)

Balance as of December 31, 2021

1,709,903,330

1,176

355,812,080

235

(136,152,984)

(89)

49,390,486

(1,521,871)

(6,805,635)

41,064,302

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-8

LI AUTO INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

Accumulated

    

Class A Ordinary Shares

    

Class B Ordinary Shares

    

Treasury Shares

    

Additional

    

Other

    

    

    

Total

Number

Number

Paidin

Comprehensive

Accumulated

Noncontrolling

Shareholders’

of Shares

Amount

of Shares

Amount

Shares

    

Amount

Capital

Loss

Deficit

Interests

Equity

    

    

RMB

    

    

RMB

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

Balance as of January 1, 2022

 

1,709,903,330

 

1,176

355,812,080

 

235

(136,152,984)

(89)

49,390,486

(1,521,871)

(6,805,635)

 

41,064,302

Exercise of share options and vesting of RSUs

 

 

 

5,928,902

5

3,972

 

3,977

Share-based compensation

2,053,165

2,053,165

Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax

1,327,761

1,327,761

Capital injection by noncontrolling interests

347,739

347,739

Share issuance upon the at-the-market equity offering program (the “ATM Offering”)

18,862,564

12

2,421,699

2,421,711

Net loss

 

 

 

(2,012,215)

(20,133)

 

(2,032,348)

Balance as of December 31, 2022

 

1,728,765,894

 

1,188

355,812,080

 

235

(130,224,082)

(84)

53,869,322

(194,110)

(8,817,850)

327,606

 

45,186,307

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-9

LI AUTO INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

For the Years Ended December 31, 

2020

2021

2022

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

Note 2(e)

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

 

  

 

  

 

  

Net loss

 

(151,657)

(321,455)

(2,032,348)

(294,662)

Net loss from discontinued operations, net of tax

 

(14,373)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

320,996

590,397

1,213,855

175,992

Share-based compensation expenses

142,795

1,101,356

2,053,165

297,681

Foreign exchange loss

 

3,710

46,593

2,887

419

Unrealized investment (income)/loss

 

(33,008)

13,797

9,438

1,367

Interest expense

 

65,249

60,628

29,627

4,296

Share of loss of equity method investees

 

2,520

83

10,449

1,515

Impairment loss related to property, plant and equipment

 

30,381

27,388

Inventory write-downs and losses on purchase commitments relating to inventory and loss on inventory obsolescence

62,031

1,127,332

163,448

Allowance for credit losses

6,415

2,910

422

Changes in fair value of warrants and derivative liabilities

 

(272,327)

Deferred income tax, net

(22,847)

168,643

(128,338)

(18,607)

Loss on disposal of property, plant and equipment

 

379

19,843

55,880

8,102

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

 

Prepayments and other current assets

 

459,301

(99,421)

(1,172,064)

(169,933)

Inventories

 

(516,867)

(611,557)

(5,920,182)

(858,346)

Operating lease right‑of‑use assets

 

(766,779)

(675,322)

(766,681)

(111,158)

Operating lease liabilities

 

817,149

695,940

799,750

115,953

Other non-current assets

 

1,656

(633,307)

(745,320)

(108,061)

Trade receivable

 

(107,246)

(5,459)

72,211

10,470

Deferred revenue

 

344,530

287,577

5,020

728

Trade and notes payable

 

2,530,350

6,162,009

10,593,584

1,535,925

Amounts due to related parties

 

9,442

(11,751)

(30,266)

(4,388)

Accruals and other current liabilities

 

131,111

932,119

1,166,947

169,191

Other non‑current liabilities

 

165,191

523,838

1,032,410

149,684

Net cash provided by continuing operating activities

 

3,139,656

8,340,385

7,380,266

1,070,038

Net cash provided by discontinued operating activities

 

148

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

3,139,804

8,340,385

7,380,266

1,070,038

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

 

  

 

  

 

  

Purchase of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

 

(675,187)

(3,444,573)

(5,127,899)

(743,475)

Disposal of property, plant and equipment

 

535

38

4,528

656

Purchase of long‑term investments

 

(65,000)

(713,775)

(103,488)

Placement of time deposits

 

(1,038,017)

(1,308,296)

(679,486)

(98,516)

Redemption of time deposits

 

601,968

1,630,773

514,242

74,558

Placement of short‑term investments

 

(105,279,461)

(220,850,351)

(58,268,079)

(8,448,077)

Redemption of short‑term investments

 

87,699,180

220,345,863

59,953,714

8,692,471

Placement of long-term financial instruments

 

(50,000)

(7,249)

Loan to a supplier

 

(6,000)

Cash paid related to purchase Changzhou Manufacturing Base Phase I and Phase II through acquisition of Changzhou Chehejin Standard Factory Construction Co., Ltd. (“Changzhou Chehejin”), net of cash acquired (Note 10)

(563,118)

Cash paid related to the acquisition of Chongqing Zhizao Automobile Co., Ltd. (“Chongqing Zhizao”), net of cash acquired (Note 5)

(35,448)

(67,580)

Acquisition of Changzhou Huixiang New Energy Auto Parts Co., Ltd. (“Changzhou Huixiang”, net of cash acquired (Note 5)

 

2,094

304

Net cash used in continuing investing activities

 

(18,797,430)

(4,257,244)

(4,364,661)

(632,816)

Net cash provided by discontinued investing activities

 

59,705

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(18,737,725)

(4,257,244)

(4,364,661)

(632,816)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-10

LI AUTO INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

For the Years Ended December 31, 

2020

2021

2022

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

US$

Note 2(e)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

  

  

  

Proceeds from share issuance through an at-the-market equity offering program (the “ATM Offering”), net of issuance cost

2,462,300

357,000

Proceeds from exercise of stock options, share options and vesting of RSUs

1,139

6,728

975

Proceeds from borrowings

600,000

3,741,482

542,464

Repayment of borrowings

(144,700)

(661,118)

(95,853)

Repayment of unsecured corporate loan

(429,692)

Proceeds from issuance of Series D convertible redeemable preferred shares

3,829,757

Proceeds from issuance of convertible debt

5,533,238

Capital injection from noncontrolling interest

90,000

13,049

Proceeds from US IPO and concurrent private placements, net of issuance cost

11,034,685

Proceeds from HK IPO, net of issuance cost

11,004,778

Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares

70

Proceeds from follow-on offering, net of issuance cost

9,990,955

Net cash provided by continuing financing activities

24,710,697

16,709,533

5,639,392

817,635

Net cash provided by financing activities

24,710,697

16,709,533

5,639,392

817,635

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash

(376,646)

(472,129)

1,270,097

184,146

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

8,736,130

20,320,545

9,925,094

1,439,003

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the year

1,436,389

10,172,519

30,493,064

4,421,079

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the year

10,172,519

30,493,064

40,418,158

5,860,082

Supplemental schedule of noncash investing and financing activities

  

  

Payable related to acquisition of Chongqing Zhizao

(79,552)

(2,000)

Payable related to purchase of property, plant and equipment

(118,181)

(456,395)

(2,629,834)

(381,290)

Property, plant and equipment and other assets related to capital injection by noncontrolling interest shareholders

228,668

33,154

Supplemental Disclosures

Cash paid for interest, net of amounts capitalized

(613)

(10,173)

(87,935)

(12,749)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

F-11

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1.Organization and Nature of Operations

(a)Principal activities

Li Auto Inc. (“Li Auto”, or the “Company”) was incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands in April 2017 as an exempted company with limited liability. The Company, through its consolidated subsidiaries and the consolidated variable interest entities (the “VIEs”) and the VIEs’ subsidiaries (collectively, the “Group”), is primarily engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and sales of new energy vehicles and providing other sales and services in the People’s Republic of China (the “PRC”).

(b)History of the Group and basis of presentation

In preparation for the Listing on the main board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (“HKEx”), the Group underwent reorganization of its corporate structure (the “2021 Reorganization”) in the second quarter of 2021. The major reorganization steps were as follows:

In accordance with the requirements under the Listing Decision LD43-3 of HKEx to the extent practicable, the Company underwent reorganization of the holding structure of its onshore subsidiaries and the VIEs. The 2021 Reorganization mainly involved changing certain VIEs to wholly owned or partly-owned subsidiaries of the Company, to the extent permitted under the relevant PRC laws and regulations. Please refer to Note 1 (b) (i) and (ii).
In April, 2021, certain new contractual arrangements were entered into to replace the original contractual arrangements in place before the completion of 2021 Reorganization. Upon the completion of 2021 Reorganization, Beijing CHJ Information Technology Co., Ltd. (or “Beijing CHJ”) and Leading Ideal HK Limited’s (“Leading Ideal HK’s”) subsidiary each held 50% of equity interest of Chongqing Lixiang Automobile which was previously a wholly owned subsidiary of Beijng CHJ.

The transactions relating to the 2021 Reorganization were accounted for as common control transactions within the Group. Accordingly, the Group’s consolidated financial information was not impacted as a result of these transactions.

In March 2022, Beijing CHJ transferred its equity interest of Chongqing Lixiang Automobile to Leading Ideal HK’s subsidiary. Consequently, Chongqing Lixiang Automobile became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. The transaction was accounted for a common control transaction within the Group; accordingly, there was no impact to the Group’s consolidated financial information.

The Group’s consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Company, its subsidiaries, the consolidated VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries.

F-12

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1. Organization and Nature of Operations (Continued)

As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s principal subsidiaries, the consolidated VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries are as follows:

    

Equity Interest
Held

    

Date of Incorporation
or Date of Acquisition

    

Place of
Incorporation

    

Principal Activities

    

Notes

Subsidiaries

Leading Ideal HK Limited (“Leading Ideal HK”)

100

%

May 15, 2017

Hong Kong, China

Investment holding

Beijing Co Wheels Technology Co., Ltd. (“Wheels Technology”)

100

%

December 19, 2017

Beijing, PRC

Technology development and corporate management

Beijing Leading Automobile Sales Co., Ltd.(“Beijing Leading”)

100

%

August 6, 2019

Beijing, PRC

Sales and after sales management

Jiangsu Xindian Interactive Sales and Services Co., Ltd. (“Jiangsu XD”)

100

%

May 8, 2017

Changzhou, PRC

Sales and after sales management

(i)

Chongqing Lixiang Automobile Co., Ltd. (“Chongqing Lixiang Automobile”)

100

%

October 11, 2019

Chongqing, PRC

Manufacturing of automobile and purchase of manufacturing equipment

(ii)

Date of Incorporation

Place of
Incorporation

Principal Activities

Notes

The VIEs

Beijing CHJ Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing CHJ”)

 

April 10, 2015

Beijing, PRC

Technology development

Beijing Xindian Transport Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“Xindian Information”)

 

March 27, 2017

Beijing, PRC

Technology development

Notes:

(i)Jiangsu XD was Beijing CHJ’s subsidiary before the 2021 Reorganization.
(ii)Upon the completion of 2021 Reorganization, Beijing CHJ and Leading Ideal HK’s subsidiary each held a 50% equity interest in Chongqing Lixiang Automobile which was previously a wholly owned subsidiary of Beijing CHJ. In March 2022, Beijing CHJ transferred its equity interest of Chongqing Lixiang Automobile to Leading Ideal HK’s subsidiary. Consequently, Chongqing Lixiang Automobile became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.

F-13

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1. Organization and Nature of Operations (Continued)

(c)Variable interest entity

The Company’s subsidiary Wheels Technology has entered into contractual arrangements with Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information (collectively the “VIEs”) and their respective shareholders. Through these arrangements the Company has a controlling financial interest (and is the primary beneficiary) in each of the VIEs (as defined under ASC 810) and, accordingly, consolidates each VIE under US GAAP.

The following is a summary of the contractual arrangements by and among Wheels Technology, the VIEs, and their respective shareholders.

Powers of Attorney and Business Operation Agreement.

Each shareholder of Beijing CHJ signed a power of attorney to irrevocably authorize Wheels Technology to act as his or her attorney in-fact to exercise all of his or her rights as a shareholder of Beijing CHJ, including the right to convene shareholder meetings, the right to vote and sign any resolution as a shareholder, the right to appoint directors, supervisors, and officers, and the right to sell, transfer, pledge, and dispose of all or a portion of the equity interest held by such shareholder. These powers of attorney will remain in force for 10 years. Upon request by Wheels Technology, each shareholder of Beijing CHJ shall extend the term of its authorization prior to its expiration.

Pursuant to the Business Operation Agreements entered into in April 2021 by and among Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information, Xindian Information will not take any action that may have a material adverse effect on its assets, businesses, human resources, rights, obligations, or business operations without prior written consent of Wheels Technology. Xindian Information and its shareholders further agreed to accept and strictly follow Wheels Technology’s instructions relating to Xindian Information’s daily operations, financial management, and election of directors appointed by Wheels Technology. The shareholders of Xindian Information agree to transfer any dividends or any other income or interests they receive as the shareholders of Xindian Information immediately and unconditionally to Wheels Technology. Unless Wheels Technology terminates this agreement in advance, this agreement will remain effective for 10 years and can be renewed upon request by Wheels Technology prior to its expiration. Xindian Information and its shareholders have no right to terminate this agreement unilaterally. Pursuant to the Business Operation Agreement, each shareholder of Xindian Information has executed a power of attorney to irrevocably authorize Wheels Technology to act as his or her attorney-in-fact to exercise all of his or her rights as a shareholder of Xindian Information. The terms of these powers of attorney are substantially similar to the powers of attorney executed by the shareholders of Beijing CHJ described above.

Spousal Consent Letters.

Spouses of nine shareholders of Beijing CHJ, who collectively hold 100% of equity interests in Beijing CHJ, have each signed a spousal consent letter. Each signing spouse of the relevant shareholder acknowledges that the equity interests in Beijing CHJ held by the relevant shareholder of Beijing CHJ are the personal assets of that shareholder and not jointly owned by the married couple. Each signing spouse also has unconditionally and irrevocably disclaimed his or her rights to the relevant equity interests and any associated economic rights or interests to which he or she may be entitled pursuant to applicable laws, and has undertaken not to make any assertion of rights to such equity interests and the underlying assets. Each signing spouse has agreed and undertaken that he or she will not carry out in any circumstances any conducts that are contradictory to the contractual arrangements and the spousal consent letter.

Spouses of nine shareholders of Xindian Information, who collectively hold 98.1% equity interests in Xindian Information, have each signed a spousal consent letter, which includes terms substantially similar to the spousal consent letter relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

F-14

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1. Organization and Nature of Operations (Continued)

Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreements.

Pursuant to the Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement entered into in April 2021 by and between Wheels Technology and Beijing CHJ, Wheels Technology has the exclusive right to provide Beijing CHJ with software technology development, technology consulting, and technical services required by Beijing CHJ’s business. Without Wheels Technology’s prior written consent, Beijing CHJ cannot accept any same or similar services subject to this agreement from any third party. Beijing CHJ agrees to pay Wheels Technology an annual service fee at an amount that is equal to 100% of its quarterly net income, after making up losses from previous years, or an amount that is adjusted in accordance with Wheels Technology’s sole discretion for the relevant quarter and also the mutually agreed amount for certain other technical services, both of which should be paid within 10 days after Wheels Technology sends invoice within 30 days after the end of the relevant calendar quarter. Wheels Technology has exclusive ownership of all the intellectual property rights created as a result of the performance of the Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement, to the extent permitted by applicable PRC laws. To guarantee Beijing CHJ’s performance of its obligations thereunder, the shareholders have agreed to pledge their equity interests in Beijing CHJ to Wheels Technology pursuant to the Equity Pledge Agreement. The Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement will remain effective for 10 years, unless otherwise terminated by Wheels Technology. Upon request by Wheels Technology, the term of this agreement can be renewed prior to its expiration.

In April 2021, Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information entered into an exclusive consultation and service agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

Equity Option Agreements.

Pursuant to the Equity Option Agreement entered into in April 2021 by and among Wheels Technology, Beijing CHJ, and each of the shareholders of Beijing CHJ, the shareholders of Beijing CHJ have irrevocably granted Wheels Technology an exclusive option to purchase all or part of their equity interests in Beijing CHJ, and Beijing CHJ has irrevocably granted Wheels Technology an exclusive option to purchase all or part of its assets. Wheels Technology or its designated person may exercise such options to purchase equity interests at the lower of the amount of their respective paid-in capital in Beijing CHJ and the lowest price permitted under applicable PRC laws. Wheels Technology or its designated person may exercise the options to purchase assets at the lowest price permitted under applicable PRC laws. The shareholders of Beijing CHJ have undertaken that, without Wheels Technology’s prior written consent, they will not, among other things, (i) transfer or otherwise dispose of their equity interests in Beijing CHJ, (ii) create any pledge or encumbrance on their equity interests in Beijing CHJ, (iii) change Beijing CHJ’s registered capital, (iv) merge Beijing CHJ with any other entity, (v) dispose of Beijing CHJ’s material assets (except in the ordinary course of business), or (vi) amend Beijing CHJ’s articles of association. The Exclusive Option Agreement will remain effective for 10 years and can be renewed upon request by Wheels Technology.

In April 2021, Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information entered into an equity option agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the equity option agreement relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

Equity Pledge Agreements.

Pursuant to the Equity Pledge Agreement entered into in April 2021 by and between Wheels Technology and the shareholders of Beijing CHJ, the shareholders of Beijing CHJ have agreed to pledge 100% of equity interests in Beijing CHJ to Wheels Technology to guarantee the performance by the shareholders of their obligations under the Exclusive Option Agreement and the Powers of Attorney, as well as the performance by Beijing CHJ of its obligations under the Exclusive Option Agreement, the Powers of Attorney, and payment of services fees to Wheels Technology under the Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement. In the event of a breach by Beijing CHJ or any shareholder of contractual obligations under the Equity Pledge Agreement, Wheels Technology, as pledgee, will have the right to dispose of the pledged equity interests in Beijing CHJ and will have priority in receiving the proceeds from such disposal. The shareholders of Beijing CHJ also have undertaken that, without prior written consent of Wheels Technology, they will not dispose of, create, or allow any encumbrance on the pledged equity interests.

F-15

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1. Organization and Nature of Operations (Continued)

In April 2021, Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information entered into an Equity Pledge Agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the Equity Pledge Agreement relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

The registration of the equity pledge relating to Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information with the competent office of the SAMR in accordance with the PRC Property Law has been completed.

(d)Risks in relations to the VIE structure

According to the Guidance Catalogue of Industries for Foreign Investment promulgated in 2017, or the Catalogue, foreign ownership of certain areas of businesses are subject to restrictions under current PRC laws and regulations. Pursuant to the 2021 Negative List, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunication service provider (excluding e-commerce, domestic multiparty communications, store-and-forward, and call centers). In addition, foreign investors are prohibited from investing in companies engaging in internet culture businesses (except for music) and radio and television program production businesses.

Part of the Group’s business is conducted through the VIEs of the Group, of which the Company is the ultimate primary beneficiary. In the opinion of the management, the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and the nominee shareholders are in compliance with PRC laws and regulations and are legally binding and enforceable. The nominee shareholders indicate they will not act contrary to the contractual arrangements. However, there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of the PRC laws and regulations including those that govern the contractual arrangements, which could limit the Group’s ability to enforce these contractual arrangements and if the nominee shareholders of the VIEs were to reduce their interests in the Group, their interest may diverge from that of the Group and that may potentially increase the risk that they would seek to act contrary to the contractual arrangements.

It is possible that the Group’s operations of certain of its businesses through the VIEs could be found by the PRC authorities to be in violation of the PRC laws and regulations prohibiting or restricting foreign ownership of companies that engage in such operations and businesses. While the Group’s management considers the possibility of such a finding by PRC regulatory authorities under current PRC law and regulations to be remote, on March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress adopted the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC, which came into effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law, and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law of the PRC embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since it is relatively new, uncertainties still exist in relation to its interpretation and implementation. For example, the Foreign Investment Law of the PRC adds a catch-all clause to the definition of “foreign investment” so that foreign investment, by its definition, includes “investments made by foreign investors in China through other means defined by other laws or administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the State Council” without further elaboration on the meaning of “other means”. It leaves leeway for the future legislations promulgated by the State Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment. It is therefore uncertain whether the Group’s corporate structure will be seen as violating the foreign investment rules as the Group are currently leveraging the contractual arrangements to operate certain businesses in which foreign investors are prohibited from or restricted to investing. Furthermore, if future legislations prescribed by the State Council mandate further actions to be taken by companies with respect to existing contractual arrangement, the Group may face substantial uncertainties as to whether the Group can complete such actions in a timely manner, or at all. If the Group fail to take appropriate and timely measures to comply with any of these or similar regulatory compliance requirements, the Group’s current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations could be materially and adversely affected.

F-16

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1. Organization and Nature of Operations (Continued)

If the Company’s ownership structure, contractual arrangements, and businesses of the Company’s PRC subsidiaries or VIEs are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or PRC subsidiaries or VIEs fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures, including:

revoke the business licenses and/or operating licenses of such entities;
shut down our servers or blocking the website or mobile application, or discontinue or place restrictions or onerous conditions on the Group’s operation through any transactions between the PRC subsidiaries and the VIEs;
impose fines, confiscate the income from the PRC subsidiaries or the VIEs, or imposing other requirements with which the VIEs may not be able to comply;
require the Group to restructure the ownership structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements with the VIEs and deregistering the equity pledges of the VIEs, which in turn would affect the Group’s ability to consolidate, derive economic interests from, or exert effective control over the VIEs;
restrict or prohibit the Group’s use of the proceeds of this offering to finance the Group’s business and operations in China; or
take other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to the Group’s business.

The imposition of any of these penalties may result in a material and adverse effect on the Group’s ability to conduct the Group’s businesses. In addition, if the imposition of any of these penalties causes the Group to lose the right to direct the activities of any of the VIEs (through its equity interests in its subsidiaries) or the right to receive their economic benefits, the Group will no longer be able to consolidate the relevant VIEs and its subsidiaries, if any. In the opinion of management, the likelihood of loss in respect of the Group’s current ownership structure or the contractual arrangements with its VIEs is remote. The Group’s operations depend on the VIEs and their nominee shareholders to honor their contractual arrangements with the Group. These contractual arrangements are governed by PRC law and disputes arising out of these agreements are expected to be decided by arbitration in the PRC. The management believes that each of the contractual arrangements constitutes valid and legally binding obligations of each party to such contractual arrangements under the PRC laws. However, the interpretation and implementation of the laws and regulations in the PRC and their application on the legality, binding effect and enforceability of contracts are subject to the discretion of competent PRC authorities, and therefore there is no assurance that relevant PRC authorities will take the same position as the Group herein in respect of the legality, binding effect and enforceability of each of the contractual arrangements. Meanwhile, since the PRC legal system continues to evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involve uncertainties, which may limit legal protections available to the Group to enforce the contractual arrangements should the VIEs or the nominee shareholders of the VIEs fail to perform their obligations under those arrangements. The enforceability, and therefore the benefits, of the contractual agreements between the Company and the VIE depend on nominee shareholders enforcing the contracts. There is a risk that nominee shareholders of the VIEs, who in some cases are also shareholders of the Company, may have conflicts of interest with the Company in the future or fails to perform their contractual obligations. Given the significance and importance of the VIEs, there would be a significant negative impact to the Company if these contracts were not enforced.

The Group’s operations depend on the VIEs to honour their contractual agreements with the Group and the Company’s ability to control the VIEs also depends on the authorization by the shareholders of the VIEs to exercise voting rights on all matters requiring shareholder approval in the VIEs. The Company believes that the agreements on authorization to exercise shareholder’s voting power are legally enforceable and the possibility that it will no longer be able to control and consolidate the VIEs as a result of the aforementioned risks and uncertainties is remote.

F-17

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1. Organization and Nature of Operations (Continued)

The following consolidated financial information of the Group’s VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries as of December 31, 2021 and 2022 and for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022 were included in the accompanying Group’s consolidated financial statements as follows:

As of December 31, 

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

Current assets:

 

  

 

  

Cash and cash equivalents

 

5,311,800

 

18,529,655

Restricted cash

 

2,415,941

 

977,346

Time deposits and short-term investments

 

8,326,541

 

8,344,332

Trade receivable

 

103,056

 

Amounts due from the Group companies(1)

 

23,402,104

 

37,885,882

Inventories

 

1,396,992

 

254

Prepayments and other current assets

 

220,402

 

168,160

Total current assets

41,176,836

65,905,629

Noncurrent assets:

 

 

Long‑term investments

 

97,854

 

142,539

Property, plant and equipment, net(2)

 

2,329,507

 

101,577

Operating lease right‑of‑use assets, net

 

731,874

 

693,111

Intangible assets, net

 

703,274

 

740,570

Other non‑current assets

 

1,107,674

 

583,967

Total non-current assets

4,970,183

2,261,764

Total assets

 

46,147,019

 

68,167,393

Current liabilities:

 

 

Short‑term borrowings

 

31,547

 

Trade and notes payable(2)

 

8,547,181

 

1,323,196

Amounts due to the Group companies(1)

 

31,999,140

 

60,539,514

Amounts due to related parties

 

1,277

 

23

Operating lease liabilities, current

 

80,606

 

40,707

Accruals and other current liabilities

 

515,036

 

334,333

Total current liabilities

41,174,787

62,237,773

Noncurrent liabilities:

 

 

Long-term borrowings

479,453

500,000

Deferred revenue, non‑current

 

8,704

 

Operating lease liabilities, non‑current

 

719,628

 

738,673

Deferred tax liabilities, non-current

 

153,723

 

2,979

Other non‑current liabilities

 

14,333

 

7,720

Total non-current liabilities

1,375,841

1,249,372

Total liabilities

 

42,550,628

 

63,487,145

Total shareholders’ equity

3,596,391

4,680,248

Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity

46,147,019

68,167,393

These balances have been reflected in the Group’s consolidated financial statements with intercompany transactions eliminated.

F-18

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1. Organization and Nature of Operations (Continued)

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Third-party revenues(3)

8,001,067

6,294,675

Inter-company revenues(4)

8,553,798

22,287,788

7,211,082

Third-party cost

(7,790,586)

(20,171,861)

(4,534,351)

Inter-company cost(4)

(7,877,944)

(5,891,611)

(8,290)

Third-party expenses

(1,358,507)

(2,401,187)

(1,638,834)

Inter-company expenses

(25,858)

(65,750)

(302)

Share of loss from subsidiaries

(1,179)

(13)

Other income / (expense)

40,309

2,610,121

(358,394)

(Loss)/Income before income tax expense

(458,900)

2,662,162

670,911

Income tax (expense) / benefit

(36,309)

(117,413)

8,701

Net (loss)/income from continuing operations

 

(495,209)

 

2,544,749

 

679,612

Net income from discontinued operations

 

14,373

 

 

Net (loss)/income

(480,836)

2,544,749

679,612

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

(5,075)

Net (loss)/income attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

(475,761)

2,544,749

679,612

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Net cash provided by inter-company transactions(5)

2,194,342

7,341,282

2,834,408

Net cash provided by/(used in) other transactions

1,346,069

(8,693,141)

(10,922,189)

Net cash provided by/(used in) operating activities

 

3,540,411

 

(1,351,859)

 

(8,087,781)

Other investing activities with external entities

(1,665,982)

(8,641,045)

(2,149,494)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(1,665,982)

 

(8,641,045)

 

(2,149,494)

Inter-company loan financing from Group companies

795,295

14,858,966

20,417,626

Other financing activities with external entities

(144,700)

81,308

1,598,877

Net cash provided by financing activities

 

650,595

 

14,940,274

 

22,016,503

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

(188)

 

 

32

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

2,524,836

 

4,947,370

 

11,779,260

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of the year

 

255,535

 

2,780,371

 

7,727,741

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of the year

 

2,780,371

 

7,727,741

 

19,507,001

The Company’s involvement with the VIEs is through the contractual arrangements disclosed in Note 1(c). All recognized assets held by the VIEs are disclosed in the table above.

Notes:

(1)

The amounts due from Group companies represent the funds provided by the consolidated VIEs to the WFOEs, and the operating receivables resulting from the provision of goods and services to WFOEs;

The amounts due to Group companies represent the funds provided by Group companies to the consolidated VIEs, and the operating payables resulting from the technical service fees charged by WFOEs.

F-19

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1. Organization and Nature of Operations (Continued)

(2)

The decrease in property, plant and equipment, net and trade and notes payable relates primarily to the transfer of Chongqing Lixiang Automobile’s equity interest from a VIE to Leading Ideal HK’s subsidiary as described in Note 1(b).

(3)

Third-party revenues were solely generated from sales of vehicles to customers by certain of the VIE subsidiaries before the 2021 Reorganization as described in Note 1(b). No third-party revenues were generated by the VIEs in 2022 as these same VIE subsidiaries have become equity owned/controlled subsidiaries after the 2021 Reorganization.

(4)

Represents the inter-group revenues for technical service fees, inter-company sales of vehicles and transfer of intangible assets and inter-group costs recognized by the consolidated VIEs related to the sales of vehicles and transfer of intangible assets between the consolidated VIEs and subsidiaries of the Group. There were no management fees paid by VIEs to WOFEs as the VIEs were in each in an accumulated deficit position as of December 31, 2022.

(5)

For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021, and 2022, cash paid by subsidiaries to VIEs for technical service fees, inter-company sales of vehicles and inter-company transfer of intangible assets were RMB2,194,342, RMB7,341,282 and RMB2,834,408, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, no management fees were paid by VIEs to Wheels Technology as each of the VIEs was in an accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2022 (pursuant to each management fee arrangement with the VIEs).

As a result of the contractual arrangements between Wheels Technology, the VIEs and the VIEs’ shareholders, Wheels Technology has a controlling financial interest and is the primary beneficiary (pursuant to ASC 810) in the Group’s consolidated VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries and can have assets transferred out of the such VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries without restriction. Therefore, it is considered that there is no asset in the Group’s VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries that can be used only to settle their obligations except for registered capitals and PRC statutory reserves of the Group’s consolidated VIEs amounting to RMB7,103,472 and RMB5,230,100 as of December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively. As the Group’s consolidated VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries are incorporated as limited liability companies under the PRC Company Law, the creditors do not have recourse to the general credit of Wheels Technology for all the liabilities of the Group’s consolidated VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries. The accumulated deficit of the Group’s consolidated VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries was RMB1,229,463 and RMB549,853 as of December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, no management fees were paid by VIEs to the WOFEs as each of the VIEs was in accumulated deficit as of December 31, 2022 (pursuant to each management fee arrangement with the VIEs).

Currently there is no contractual arrangement that could require the Company, Wheels Technology or other subsidiaries of the Company to provide additional financial support to the Group’s consolidated VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries. As the Company is conducting certain businesses in the PRC through the consolidated VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries, the Company may provide additional financial support on a discretionary basis in the future, which could expose the Group to a loss. The amount due to/from the Company and its subsidiaries represents the balances arising from inter-company sales of vehicles and intangible assets and inter-company loan financings.

(e)Impact of the COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related nationwide precautionary and control measures that were adopted in China starting in January 2020, the Company postponed the production in its Changzhou manufacturing facility after the Chinese New Year holiday in February 2020, and also experienced short term delays in the suppliers’ delivery of certain raw materials needed for production. As a result of varying levels of travel and other restrictions for public health concerns in various regions of China, the Group also temporarily postponed the delivery of Li ONE to customers. Following this temporary closure in February 2020, the Group reopened the retail stores and delivery and servicing centers and have resumed vehicle delivery to customers. Subsequent to March 31, 2020, the Group continuously increased their production capacity and delivery to normal level as the Group had recovered from the adverse impact of COVID-19 across China through the third quarter of 2021.

Since October 2021, the supply of semiconductor chips used for automotive manufacturing has experienced a global shortage following the disruption to semiconductor manufacturers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in global demand for personal computers for work-from-home economies. For example, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia, the production of chips dedicated for the Group’s millimeter-wave radar supplier had been severely hampered, and the production and deliveries for the third quarter of 2021 had been adversely affected. Subsequent to December 2021, the Group gradually resumed normal vehicle production by continuing to obtain the chips or other semiconductor components at a reasonable cost from multiple sources.

F-20

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

1. Organization and Nature of Operations (Continued)

In late March and April 2022, the COVID-19 resurgence in the Yangtze Delta region of China caused renewed and severe industry-wide disruptions in supply chain, logistics and production. The Group’s Changzhou manufacturing base is located in the center of the Yangtze Delta region, which is home to over 80% of the Group’s parts suppliers, especially in Shanghai and Kunshan. Certain suppliers in Shanghai and Kunshan temporarily terminated the production or delivery of their products completely, resulting in the Group unable to maintain adequate inventory for production demand. This had a material adverse impact on production in April 2022, resulting in delayed deliveries for customers. The Group has been working with vendors to restore production capacity with the objective to shorten the delivery waiting time for Li ONE customers. Despite the significant ongoing industry-wide parts supply chain challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Group’s production and delivery of vehicles gradually began to resume and sustain pre-pandemic levels beginning in May 2022.

With the COVID-19 resurgence gradually under control and the Zero-COVID policy being modified by the Chinese government, most of the travel restrictions and quarantine requirements were lifted in December 2022. Following this change, the Group continued to expand its sales networks to meet the increasing demands from customers. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 resurgence, the Group reported a year-over-year revenue growth for the year ended December 31, 2022. In light of the uncertainties in the global market and economic conditions attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Group will continue to evaluate the nature and extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to its financial condition and liquidity.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

(a)Basis of presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“US GAAP”).

Significant accounting policies followed by the Group in the preparation of its accompanying consolidated financial statements are summarized below.

(b)Principles of consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the financial statements of the Company, its subsidiaries, the VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries for which the Company is the ultimate primary beneficiary.

A subsidiary is an entity in which the Company, directly or indirectly, controls more than one half of the voting power; has the power to appoint or remove the majority of the members of the board of directors (the “Board”); to cast majority of votes at the meeting of the Board or to govern the financial and operating policies of the investee under a statute or agreement among the shareholders or equity holders.

A VIE is an entity in which the Company, or its subsidiary, through contractual arrangements, has established a controlling financial interest (as defined in ASC 810) and is able to direct the activities and derive the economic benefits of the entity. Accordingly, the Company is considered the primary beneficiary of each VIE and consolidates each entity in accordance with US GAAP.

All significant transactions and balances between the Company, its subsidiaries, the VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries have been eliminated upon consolidation.

(c)Use of estimates

The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with US GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, related disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the balance sheet date, and the reported revenue and expenses during the reported period in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.

F-21

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Significant accounting estimates reflected in the Group’s consolidated financial statements, to the extent applicable, mainly include, but are not limited to, standalone selling price of each distinct performance obligation in revenue recognition and determination of the amortization period of these obligations, the determination of share-based compensation expenses, fair value of investments and derivative instruments, useful lives and assessment for impairment of long-lived assets and intangible assets, the provision for credit losses of financial assets, inventory valuation for excess and obsolete inventories, lower of cost and net realizable value of inventories, losses on purchase commitments relating to inventory, product warranties, and valuation allowance for deferred tax assets. Actual results could differ from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions.

(d)Functional currency and foreign currency translation

The Group’s reporting currency is the Renminbi (“RMB”). The functional currencies of the Company and its subsidiary which are incorporated in Hong Kong and Singapore are United States dollars (“US$”). The functional currencies of the other subsidiaries, the VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries are their respective local currencies (“RMB”). The determination of the respective functional currency is based on the criteria set out by ASC 830, Foreign Currency Matters.

Transactions denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are translated into the functional currency using the exchange rates prevailing at the transaction dates. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into functional currency using the applicable exchange rates at the balance sheet date. Non-monetary items that are measured in terms of historical cost in foreign currency are measured using the exchange rates at the dates of the initial transactions. Exchange gains or losses arising from foreign currency transactions are included in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss).

The financial statements of the Group’s entities of which the functional currency is not RMB are translated from their respective functional currency into RMB. Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translated into RMB at the exchange rates at the balance sheet date. Equity accounts other than earnings generated in current period are translated into RMB at the appropriate historical rates. Income and expense items are translated into RMB using the periodic average exchange rates. The resulting foreign currency translation adjustments are recorded in other comprehensive income/(loss) in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss), and the accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments are presented as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss) in the consolidated statements of shareholders’ equity. Total foreign currency translation adjustment loss were RMB1,020,728 and RMB516,687 for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively, and foreign currency translation adjustment income was RMB1,327,761 for the year ended December 31, 2022.

(e)Convenience translation

Translations of balances in the consolidated balance sheets, consolidated statements of comprehensive loss and consolidated statements of cash flows from RMB into US$ as of and for the year ended December 31, 2022 are solely for the convenience of the reader and were calculated at the rate of US$1.00 = RMB6.8972, representing the noon buying rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the U.S. Federal Reserve Board on December 30, 2022. No representation is made that the RMB amounts represent or could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate on December 31, 2022, or at any other rate.

(f)Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

Cash and cash equivalents represent cash on hand, time deposits and highly liquid investments placed with banks or other financial institutions, which are unrestricted as to withdrawal and use, and which have original maturities of three months or less. As of December 31, 2021 and 2022, the Group had cash held in accounts managed by online payment platforms such as China Union Pay in connection with the collection of vehicle sales for a total amount of RMB33,540 and RMB68,824, respectively, which have been classified as cash and cash equivalents on the consolidated balance sheets.

Cash that is restricted as to withdrawal for use or pledged as security is reported separately on the face of the consolidated balance sheets and is not included in the total cash and cash equivalents in the consolidated statements of cash flows. The Group’s restricted cash mainly represents (a) the secured deposits held in designated bank accounts for issuance of letter of credit, bank guarantee and bank acceptance bill; (b) the deposits held in designated bank accounts for security of the repayment of the notes payable (Note 14).

F-22

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as reported in the consolidated statements of cash flows are presented separately on our consolidated balance sheets as follows:

    

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Cash and cash equivalents

 

27,854,224

 

38,478,016

Restricted cash

 

2,638,840

 

1,940,142

Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

 

30,493,064

 

40,418,158

(g)Time deposits and short-term investments

Time deposits are those balances placed with the banks. These deposits that have original maturities longer than three months but less than one year are classified as short-term time deposits which are reflected in the consolidated balance sheets as “Time deposits and short‑term investments”, while the balances with original maturities longer than one year are classified as long-term time deposits which are reflected in the consolidated statements of balance sheets as “Long‑term investments”.

Short-term investments are investments in financial instruments with variable interest rates. These financial instruments which have maturity dates within one year are classified as short-term investments and are reflected in the consolidated statements of balance sheets as “Time deposits and short‑term investments”, while those financial instruments which have maturity dates longer than one year are classified as long-term investments in the consolidated statements of balance sheets. The Group elected the fair value method at the date of initial recognition and carried these investments subsequently at fair value. Fair value is estimated based on quoted prices of similar financial products provided by financial institutions at the end of each period. Changes in the fair value are reflected in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss) as “Interest income and investment income, net”.

(h)Trade receivables and current expected credit losses

Trade receivables primarily includes commission service fee receivables derived from insurance companies and banks (the company earns such fees in facilitating customer use of services offered by these entities), and vehicle sale receivables related to government subsidies to be collected from the government on behalf of customers. The Group provides an allowance against trade receivables based on the expected credit loss approach (see below) and writes off trade receivables when they are deemed uncollectible. No material allowance for credit loss on trade receivables was recognized for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses, which introduces an approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments, including, but not limited to, trade and other receivables and net investments in leases. The Group assessed that trade receivables, other current assets, and other non-current assets are within the scope of ASC 326. The Group has identified the relevant risk characteristics of trade receivables, other current assets, and other non-current assets which include size, type of the services or the products the Group provides, or a combination of these characteristics, the historical credit loss experience, current economic conditions, supportable forecasts of future economic conditions, and any recoveries in assessing the lifetime expected credit losses, etc. Other key factors that influence the expected credit loss analysis include industry-specific factors that could impact the credit quality of the Group’s receivables. This is assessed at each quarter based on the Group’s specific facts and circumstances. All forward looking statements are, by their nature, subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Group’s control. Considering the macroeconomic and market turmoil caused by COVID-19, the Group is continuously monitoring data and trends and took the latest available information into consideration.

F-23

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

The Group adopted ASC 326 and several associated ASUs on January 1, 2021 using a modified retrospective approach with a cumulative effect recorded as an increase of accumulated deficit in the amount of RMB1,955. As of January 1, 2021, upon the adoption, the expected credit loss provisions for the current assets and non-current assets were RMB972 and RMB983, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, the Group recorded RMB6,415 and RMB2,910 in expected credit losses in selling, general and administrative expenses, respectively. As of December 31, 2021 and 2022, the expected credit loss reserves recorded in current assets were RMB2,659 and RMB4,754, and recorded in non-current assets were RMB3,757 and RMB4,572, respectively.

The Group typically does not carry significant trade receivables related to vehicle sales and related sales as customer payments are due prior to vehicle delivery, except for amounts of vehicle sales in relation to government subsidies to be collected from the government on behalf of customers. Other current assets and other non-current assets primarily consist of other receivables and deposits. The following table summarizes the activity in the allowance for credit losses related to trade receivables, other current assets and other non-current assets for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022:

    

For the Years Ended December 31, 

2021

    

2022

Balance as of the beginning of the year

 

1,955

6,416

Provisions

 

6,415

24,163

Reversals

 

(1,954)

(21,253)

Balance as of the end of the year

 

6,416

9,326

(i)Derivative instruments

Derivative instruments are measured at fair value and recognized as either assets or liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets in either other current or non-current assets or other current liabilities or non-current liabilities depending upon maturity and commitment. Changes in the fair value of derivatives are either recognized periodically in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss) or in other comprehensive income/(loss) depending on the use of the derivatives and whether they qualify for hedge accounting.

The Group selectively uses financial instruments to manage market risk associated with exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency rates with foreign exchange forwards and option contracts. These financial exposures are monitored and managed by the Group as an integral part of its risk management program. The Group does not engage in derivative instruments for speculative or trading purposes. The Group’s derivative instruments are not qualified for hedge accounting, thus changes in fair value are recognized in “Interest income and investment income, net” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss). The cash flows of derivative financial instruments are classified in the same category as the cash flows from the items subject to the economic hedging relationships. The estimated fair value of the derivatives is determined based on relevant market information. These estimates are calculated with reference to the market rates using industry standard valuation techniques.

Derivative instruments are presented as net if rights of setoff exist, with all of the following conditions met: (a) each of two parties owes the other determinable amounts; (b) the reporting party has the right to set off the amount owed with the amount owed by the other party; (c) the reporting party intends to set off; and (d) the right of setoff is enforceable at law.

The Group did not have any outstanding derivative account balances instruments as of December 31, 2021 and 2022 due to related maturities prior to December 31, 2021. The Group recorded a fair value gain of RMB73,824 and nil in Interest income and investment income, net on the consolidated statement of comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

F-24

Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

(j)Inventories

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost is calculated on the weighted average basis and includes all costs to acquire and other costs to bring the inventories to their present location and condition. The Group records inventory write-downs for excess or obsolete inventories based upon assumptions on current and future demand forecasts. If the inventory on hand is in excess of future demand forecast, the excess amounts are written off. The Group also reviews inventory to determine whether its carrying value exceeds the net amount realizable upon the ultimate sale of the inventory. This requires the determination of the estimated selling price of the vehicles less the estimated cost to convert inventory on hand into a finished product. Once inventory is written-down, a new, lower-cost basis for that inventory is established and subsequent changes in facts and circumstances do not result in the restoration or increase in that newly established cost basis. The Company recognized nil, RMB51,256 and RMB1,112,015 in write-downs of inventories to net realizable value and losses on inventory purchase commitments in cost of sales for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively (Note 7).

(k)Property, plant and equipment, net

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and impairment loss, if any. Property, plant and equipment are depreciated at rates sufficient to write off their costs less impairment and residual value, if any, over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis. Leasehold improvements are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful lives of the related assets. Direct costs that are related to the construction of property, equipment and software and incurred in connection with bringing the assets to their intended use are capitalized as construction in progress. Interest expense on specific outstanding debt is capitalized during the period of significant capital asset construction. Capitalized interest expense on construction-in-progress is included within property, plant and equipment and is amortized over the life of the related assets. Motor vehicles represent vehicles used for the Group’s daily operation, including driving testing purpose. Construction in progress is transferred to specific property, equipment and the depreciation of these assets commences when the assets are ready for their intended use.

The estimated useful lives are as follows:

    

Useful Lives

 

Buildings

20 years

Buildings improvements

5 to 10 years

Production machineries and facilities

3 to 10 years

Equipment

3 to 5 years

Motor vehicles

2 to 4 years

Mold and tooling

Unit-of-production

Leasehold improvements

Shorter of the estimated useful life or lease term

The cost of maintenance and repairs is expensed as incurred, whereas the cost of renewals and betterment that extends the useful lives of property, plant and equipment is capitalized as additions to the related assets. When assets are retired or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation and amortization are removed from their respective accounts, and any gain or loss on such sale or disposal is reflected in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss).

The Company reviews the estimated useful lives of its Property, plant and equipment on an ongoing basis. In evaluating useful lives, the Company considers how long assets will remain functionally efficient and effective, given levels of production, competitive factors, and the economic environment. If the assessment indicates that the assets will continue to be used for a shorter or longer period than previously anticipated, the useful life of the assets is revised, resulting in a change in estimate. Changes in estimates are accounted for on a prospective basis by depreciating the assets’ current carrying values over their revised remaining useful lives.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

As of December 31, 2022, the Company completed an assessment of the estimated units of production of certain mold and tooling and the useful lives of certain production facilities, all of which can only be used for Li ONE vehicle production. The Company’s assessment in the third quarter of 2022, which reflects the planned cessation of Li ONE production by the end of October 2022, indicated that certain production facilities directly used for Li ONE vehicle production will not be used for the period of time originally estimated. As a result, the Company changed its estimates of useful lives for the certain production facilities from 10 years to 3 years, after considering the Company’s planned model succession from 2021 Li ONE to Li L8. In addition, depreciation of certain mold and tooling that are directly used in Li ONE production was also accelerated based on management’s revised best estimate for 2021 Li ONE’s production volume using the unit-of-production depreciation method. As a result of these changes in estimates, which are treated prospectively, the Company recorded an increase in depreciation expense of RMB357,500, for the year ended December 31, 2022.

(l)Intangible assets, net

Definite lived intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortization and impairment, if any. Definite lived intangible assets are amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives as below:

    

Useful Lives

Software and Patents

5 to 10 years

The Company estimates the useful life of the software and patents to be 5 to 10 years based on the contract terms, expected technical obsolescence and innovations and industry experience of such intangible assets.

Intangible assets that have indefinite useful life represent the automotive manufacturing permission and the insurance agent license. The automotive manufacturing permission is necessary to produce the passenger vehicles. No useful life was determined in the contract terms when the Company acquired the automotive manufacturing permission and the insurance agent license. The Company expects that the permission and the license are unlikely to be terminated based on industry experience and will continue to contribute revenue in the future. Therefore, the Company considers the useful life of these intangible assets to be indefinite.

The newly acquired insurance agent license in 2022 is considered to be an indefinite lived intangible asset and is carried at cost less any subsequent impairment loss. The Group believes, based upon regulatory precedent, that ongoing required license renewals (as approved by government authorities) is a normal activity, those providing the basis for the indefinite life assumption.

(m)Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the identifiable assets and liabilities acquired as a result of the Group’s acquisitions of interests in its subsidiaries and consolidated VIEs. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment on an annual basis, as of December 31, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it might be impaired.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

The Group first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. In the qualitative assessment, the Group considers primary factors such as industry and market considerations, overall financial performance of the reporting unit, and other specific information related to the operations. If the Group decides, as a result of its qualitative assessment, that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the quantitative impairment test is mandatory. Otherwise, no further testing is required. The quantitative impairment test consists of a comparison of the fair value of each reporting unit with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss equal to the difference will be recorded. Application of a goodwill impairment test requires significant management judgment, including the identification of reporting units, assigning assets and liabilities to reporting units, assigning goodwill to reporting units, and determining the fair value of each reporting unit. The judgment in estimating the fair value of reporting units includes estimating future cash flows, determining appropriate discount rates and making other assumptions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could materially affect the determination of fair value for each reporting unit. The Group performs goodwill impairment testing at the reporting unit level on December 31 annually and more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. No impairment loss of goodwill was recognized for the year ended December 31, 2022.

(n)Impairment of long-lived assets and intangible assets

Long-lived assets include property, plant and equipment and intangible assets with definite lives. Long-lived assets are assessed for impairment, whenever events or changes in circumstances (such as a significant adverse change to market conditions that will impact the future use of the assets) indicate the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable in accordance with ASC 360. The Company measures the carrying amount of long-lived assets against the estimated undiscounted future cash flows associated with it. The impairment exists when the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset being evaluated. Impairment loss is calculated as the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value. RMB30,381, RMB27,388 and nil impairment of long-lived assets were recognized for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Intangible assets with indefinite lives are tested for impairment at least annually and more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the asset is impaired in accordance with ASC 350. The Company first performs a qualitative assessment to assess all relevant events and circumstances that could affect the significant inputs used to determine the fair value of the indefinite-lived intangible asset. If after performing the qualitative assessment, the Company determines that it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, the Company calculates the fair value of the intangible asset and perform the quantitative impairment test by comparing the fair value of the asset with its carrying amount. If the carrying amount of an indefinite-lived intangible asset exceeds its fair value, the Company recognizes an impairment loss in an amount equal to that excess. In consideration of the growing electric vehicle industry in China, the Group’s improving financial performance, and the Group’s future manufacturing and sales plans, the Company determined that it is not likely that the indefinite-lived intangible assets was impaired as of December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

(o)Long-term investments

Long-term investments are comprised of investments in publicly traded companies and privately-held companies, as well as long-term time deposits and long-term financial instruments.

Equity Investments with Readily Determinable Fair Values

Equity investments with readily determinable fair values are measured and recorded at fair value using the market approach based on the quoted prices in active markets at the reporting date. The Group classifies the valuation techniques that use these inputs as Level I of fair value measurements.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Equity Investments without Readily Determinable Fair Values

The Group adopted ASU 2016-01 on January 1, 2018. The Group measures equity investments other than equity method investments at fair value through earnings. For those equity investments without readily determinable fair values, the Group elects to record these investments at cost, less impairment, and plus or minus subsequent adjustments for observable price changes. Under this measurement alternative, changes in the carrying value of the equity investment are required to be made whenever there are observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer. The implementation guidance notes that an entity should make a “reasonable efforts” to identify price changes that are known or that can reasonably be known.

Pursuant to ASC 321, for equity investments measured at fair value with changes in fair value recorded in earnings, the Group does not assess whether those securities are impaired. For those equity investments that the Group elects to use the measurement alternative, the Group makes a qualitative assessment of whether the investment is impaired at each reporting date. If a qualitative assessment indicates that the investment is impaired, the Group estimates the investment’s fair value in accordance with the principles of ASC 820. If the fair value is less than the investment’s carrying value, the Group recognizes an impairment loss equal to the difference between the carrying value and fair value.

Equity investments accounted for using the equity method

Investments in entities over which the Group can exercise significant influence and hold an investment in common shares or in-substance common shares (or both) of the investee but do not own a majority equity interest or control are accounted for using the equity method of accounting in accordance with ASC topic 323, Investment—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (“ASC 323”). Under the equity method, the Group initially records its investments at cost and the difference between the cost of the equity investee and the fair value of the underlying equity in the net assets of the equity investee is recognized as equity method goodwill, which is included in the equity method investment on our consolidated balance sheets. The Group subsequently adjusts the carrying amount of the investments to recognize our proportionate share of each equity investee’s net income or loss into earnings after the date of investment. The Group evaluates the equity method investments for impairment under ASC 323. An impairment loss on the equity method investments is recognized in earnings when the decline in value is determined to be other-than-temporary. The Group performs an impairment assessment of its equity method investments whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the investment may not be fully recoverable. No impairment of equity method investments was recognized for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The Group assesses its investments in privately-held companies for impairment by considering factors including, but not limited to, current economic and market conditions, operating performance of the companies, including current earnings trends and undiscounted cash flows, and other company-specific information, such as recent financing rounds. The fair value determination, particularly for investments in privately-held companies whose revenue model is still unclear, requires significant judgment to determine appropriate estimates and assumptions. Changes in these estimates and assumptions could affect the calculation of the fair value of the investments. If this assessment indicates that an impairment exists, the Group estimates the fair value of the investment and writes down the investment to its fair value, taking the corresponding charge to the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss).

Long-term time deposits

Long-term time deposits are those balances placed with the banks with original maturities longer than one year.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Long-term financial instruments

Long-term financial instruments are investments in financial instruments with variable interest rates and maturity dates greater than one year. The Group elected the fair value method at the date of initial recognition and carried these investments subsequently at fair value. Fair value is estimated based on quoted prices of similar financial products provided by financial institutions at the end of each period. Changes in the fair value are reflected in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss) as “Interest income and investment income, net.”

(p)Employee benefits

Full time employees of the Group in the PRC participate in a government mandated defined contribution plan, pursuant to which certain pension benefits, medical care, employee housing fund and other welfare benefits are provided to the employees. Chinese labor regulations require that the PRC subsidiaries and VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries of the Group make contributions to the government for these benefits based on certain percentages of the employees’ salaries, up to a maximum amount specified by the local government. The Group has no legal obligation for the benefits beyond the contributions made. During the reporting period, there are no forfeited contribution that may be used by the Group as the employer to reduce the existing level of contributions. Total amounts of such employee benefit expenses, which were expensed as incurred, were approximately RMB133,162, RMB482,536 and RMB1,092,499 for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

(q)Product warranties

The Group provides product warranties on all new vehicles based on the contracts with its customers at the time of sale of vehicles. The Group accrues a warranty reserve for the vehicles sold by multiplying the expected unit costs for warranty services by the sales volume, which includes the best estimate of projected costs to repair or replace items under warranties and recalls when identified. These estimates are made primarily based on actual claims incurred to date and the estimates of the nature, frequency and average costs of future claims. These estimates are inherently uncertain given the Group’s relatively short history of sales, and changes to the historical or projected warranty experience may cause material changes to the warranty reserve in the future. The portion of the warranty reserve expected to be incurred within the next 12 months is included within the accruals and other current liabilities while the remaining balance is included within other non-current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Warranty cost is recorded as a component of cost of sales in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss). The Group reevaluates the adequacy of the warranty accrual on a regular basis.

The Group recognizes the benefit from a recovery of the costs associated with the warranty when specifics of the recovery have been agreed with the Group’s suppliers and the amount of the recovery is virtually certain.

The Group does not consider standard warranty as being a separate performance obligation as it is intended to provide greater quality assurance to customers and is not viewed as a distinct obligation. Accordingly, standard warranty is accounted for in accordance with ASC 460, Guarantees. The Group also provides extended lifetime warranty for certain vehicle models which is sold separately through a vehicle sales contract. The extended lifetime warranty is an incremental service offered to customers and is considered a separate performance obligation distinct from other promises and should be accounted for in accordance with ASC 606.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

The accrued warranty activity consists of the following:

    

For the Years Ended December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Accrued warranty at beginning of the year

 

233,366

 

842,345

Warranty cost incurred

 

(22,558)

 

(48,963)

Provision for warranty

 

631,537

 

800,930

Accrued warranty at end of the year

842,345

1,594,312

Including: Accrued warranty, current

 

154,276

 

141,832

Accrued warranty, non-current

688,069

1,452,480

(r)Revenue recognition

The Group launched the first volume manufactured extended-range electric vehicle, Li ONE, to the public in October 2018 and started making deliveries to customers in the fourth quarter of 2019. The Group released the 2021 Li ONE in May 2021, which is upgraded version of Li ONE and terminated the production of the first model Li ONE in May 2021. From June 2022, the Company launched extended-range electric vehicle L-Series to the public and started making deliveries to customers from August 2022. Revenues of the Group are primarily derived from sales of vehicles, along with multiple distinct performance obligations within each sale of vehicle, as well as the sales of Li Plus Membership.

The Group adopted ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, on January 1, 2018 by applying the full retrospective method.

Revenue is recognized when or as the control of the goods or services is transferred to a customer. Depending on the terms of the contract and the laws that apply to the contract, control of the goods and services may be transferred over time or at a point in time. Control of the goods and services is transferred over time if the Group’s performance:

provides all of the benefits received and consumed simultaneously by the customer;
creates and enhances an asset that the customer controls as the Group performs; or
does not create an asset with an alternative use to the Group and the Group has an enforceable right to payment for performance completed to date.

If control of the goods and services transfers over time, revenue is recognized over the period of the contract by reference to the progress towards complete satisfaction of that performance obligation. Otherwise, revenue is recognized at a point in time when the customer obtains control of the goods and services.

Contracts with customers may include multiple performance obligations. For such arrangements, the Group allocates revenue to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The Group generally determines standalone selling prices based on the prices charged to customers. If the standalone selling price is not directly observable, it is estimated using expected cost plus a margin, depending on the availability of observable information. Assumptions and estimations have been made in estimating the relative selling price of each distinct performance obligation, and changes in judgments on these assumptions and estimates may impact the revenue recognition.

When either party to a contract has performed, the Group presents the contract in the statement of financial position as a contract asset or a contract liability, depending on the relationship between the entity’s performance and the customer’s payment.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

A contract asset is the Group’s right to consideration in exchange for goods and services that the Group has transferred to a customer. A receivable is recorded when the Group has an unconditional right to consideration. A right to consideration is unconditional if only the passage of time is required before payment of that consideration is due.

If a customer pays consideration or the Group has a right to an amount of consideration that is unconditional, before the Group transfers a good or service to the customer, the Group presents the contract liability when the payment is made, or a receivable is recorded (whichever is earlier). A contract liability is the Group’s obligation to transfer goods or services to a customer for which the Group has received consideration (or an amount of consideration is due) from the customer.

Vehicle sales

The Group generates revenue from sales of vehicles, currently the L-Series and Li ONE, together with a number of embedded products and services through a contract. There are multiple distinct performance obligations explicitly stated in the sales contracts including sales of L-Series and Li ONE, charging stalls, vehicle internet connection services, firmware over-the-air upgrades (or “FOTA upgrades”) and initial owner extended warranty subject to certain conditions, which are accounted for in accordance with ASC 606. The standard warranty provided by the Group is accounted for in accordance with ASC 460, Guarantees, and the estimated costs are recorded as a liability when the Group transfers the control of L-Series or Li ONE to a customer.

Customers only pay the amount after deducting the government subsidies to which they are entitled for the purchase of new energy vehicles, which is applied on their behalf and collected by the Group from the government according to the applicable government policy. The Group has concluded that government subsidies should be considered as a part of the transaction price it charges the customers for the new energy vehicles, as the subsidy is granted to the purchaser of the new energy vehicles and the purchaser remains liable for such amount in the event the subsidies were not received by the Group due to his fault such as refusal or delay of providing application information. Since July 2020, the Group was no longer eligible for the government subsidies as the Group’s selling price of vehicles is higher than threshold in the circular issued by the certain PRC authorities.

The overall contract price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation based on the relative estimated standalone selling price in accordance with ASC 606. The revenue for sales of the L-Series and Li ONE and charging stalls are recognized at a point in time when the control of the product is transferred to the customer. For the vehicle internet connection service and FOTA upgrades, the Group recognizes the revenue using a straight-line method over the service period. As for the initial owner extended warranty, given the limited operating history and lack of historical data, the Group recognizes the revenue over time based on a straight-line method over the extended warranty period initially, and will continue monitoring the cost pattern periodically and adjust the revenue recognition pattern to reflect the actual cost pattern as it becomes available.

As the contract price for the vehicle and all embedded products and services must be paid in advance, which means the payments are received prior to the transfer of goods or services by the Group, the Group records a contract liability (deferred revenue) for the allocated amount regarding those unperformed obligations.

Sales of Li Plus Membership

The Group also sells the Li Plus Membership to enrich the ownership experience of customers. Total Li Plus Membership fee is allocated to each performance obligation based on the relative estimated standalone selling price. And the revenue for each performance obligation is recognized either over the service period or at a point in time when the relevant goods or service is delivered or when the membership expired, whichever is earlier.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Customer loyalty points

Beginning in January 2020, the Group offers customer loyalty points, which can be used in the Group’s online store to redeem the

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

Group’s merchandise or services. The Group determines the value of each customer loyalty point based on cost of the Group’s merchandise or service that can be obtained through redemption of customer loyalty points.

The Group concludes the customer loyalty points offered to customers in connection with the purchase of the L-Series and Li ONE is a material right and is considered as a separate performance obligation according to ASC 606, and should be taken into consideration when allocating the transaction price of the sales of vehicle. The amount allocated to the customer loyalty points as separate performance obligation is recorded as contract liability (deferred revenue) and revenue should be recognized when the customer loyalty points are used or expired.

Customers or users of the mobile application can also obtain customer loyalty points through other ways, such as referring new customers to purchase the vehicles via the mobile application. The Group offers these customer loyalty points to encourage user engagement and generate market awareness. As a result, the Group accounts for such points as selling and marketing expenses with a corresponding liability recorded under accruals and other current liabilities upon the points offering.

Sales of Automotive Regulatory Credits

Pursuant to the measurements and policies promulgated by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (“MIIT”), each of the vehicle manufacturers or importers above a certain scale is able to earn Automotive Regulatory Credits by manufacturing or importing New Energy Vehicle (“NEV”). The Automotive Regulatory Credits are tradable and sold to other companies through a credit management system established by MIIT. The Group earns the tradable new energy vehicle credits from the production of the Group’s electric vehicles. The Group sells these credits at agreed price to other regulated entities who can use the credits to comply with the regulatory requirements. The Group recognized revenue on the sale of Automotive Regulatory Credits at the time control of the Automotive Regulatory Credits were transferred to the purchasing party in September 2021 as MIIT has completed the review and approved the sale of Automotive Regulatory Credits, the related NEV Credits have been transferred to purchasing party. The full consideration for sale of Automotive Regulatory Credits was collected by the Group in the fourth quarter of 2021. There was no revenue from the sale of automotive regulatory credits for the years ended December 31, 2022.

Practical expedients and exemptions

The Group elects to expense the costs to obtain a contract as incurred given the majority of the contract considerations for vehicle sales are allocated to the sales of L-Series and Li ONE and recognized as revenue upon transfer of control of the vehicles, which is within one year after entering the sales contracts.

(s)Cost of sales

Vehicle sales

Cost of vehicle sales consists of direct production and material costs, labor costs, manufacturing overhead (including depreciation of assets associated with the production), shipping and logistic costs and reserves for estimated warranty costs. The cost of sales also includes adjustments to warranty costs and charges to write-down the carrying value of the inventory when it exceeds its estimated net realizable value and to provide for on-hand inventory that is either obsolete or in excess of forecasted demand, loss on inventory purchase commitment as well as impairment charges of certain property, plant and equipment.

2.Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Other sales and services

Cost of other sales and services generally includes cost of accessories, installation costs of charging stalls, vehicle internet connection costs, costs associated with providing non-warranty after-sales services and shipping and logistic costs related to sale of accessories.

(t)Research and development expenses

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

Research and development (“R&D”) expenses are primarily comprised of salaries, bonuses, benefits and share-based compensation for those employees engaged in research, design and development activities; design and development expenses, primarily includes consultation fees, validation and testing fees; depreciation and amortization expenses of equipment and software of R&D activities and other expenses. R&D costs are expensed as incurred.

(u)Sales and marketing expenses

Sales and marketing expenses consist primarily of salaries and other compensation related expenses for sales and marketing personnel, marketing and promotional expenses, rental and related expenses for retail stores and delivery and servicing centers and other expenses.

(v)General and administrative expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of salaries, bonuses, benefits and share-based compensation for employees involved in general corporate functions, including finance, legal and human resources, depreciation and amortization expenses primarily relating to leasehold improvements, rental and other general corporate related expenses.

(w)Government grants

The Group’s PRC based subsidiaries receive government subsidies from certain local governments. The Group’s government subsidies consist of specific subsidies and other subsidies. Specific subsidies are subsidies that the local government has provided for a specific purpose, such as research and development purpose, construction of production plants and facilities and capacity subsidies related to the Chongqing Manufacturing Base. Other subsidies are the subsidies that the local government has not specified its purpose for and are not tied to future trends or performance of the Group, receipt of such subsidy income is not contingent upon any further actions or performance of the Group and the amounts do not have to be refunded under any circumstances. The Group recorded specific purpose subsidies as a non-current liability if the amount is received in advance. For specific subsidies, upon government acceptance of the related project construction or asset acquisition, the specific purpose subsidies are recognized to reduce the cost of asset acquisition. Other subsidies are recognized as Others, net upon receipt as further performance by the Group is not required.

As of December 31, 2021 and 2022, other non-current liabilities included nil and RMB431,735 in deferred government grants relating to specific government subsidies for construction production plants and facilities and product development, respectively. These government grants are expected to be amortized using the straight-line method as a deduction of the depreciation expense of these assets over their useful lives upon construction and when placed in use.

(x)Fair value

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received from selling an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. When determining the fair value measurement for assets and liabilities required or permitted to be either recorded or disclosed at fair value, the Group considers the principal or most advantageous market in which it would transact, and it also considers assumptions that market participants would use when pricing the asset or liability.

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

Accounting guidance establishes a fair value hierarchy that requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. A financial instrument’s categorization within the fair value hierarchy is based upon the lowest level of input that is significant to the fair value measurement. Accounting guidance establishes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

Level 1—Quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2—Observable, market-based inputs, other than quoted prices, in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

Level 3—Unobservable inputs to the valuation methodology that are significant to the measurement of the fair value of the assets or liabilities.

When available, the Group uses quoted market prices to determine the fair value of an asset or liability. If quoted market prices are not available, the Group will measure fair value using valuation techniques that use, when possible, current market-based or independently sourced market parameters, such as interest rates and currency rates.

(y)Share-based compensation

The Company grants share options and RSUs to eligible employees, directors and consultants and accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation.

Employees’ share-based compensation awards granted with service conditions and the occurrence of a qualified IPO as performance condition, are measured at the grant date fair value. Cumulative share-based compensation expenses for the options that have satisfied the service condition should be recorded upon the completion of the US IPO, using the graded-vesting method. This performance condition was met upon the completion of the Company’ US IPO in August 2020 and the associated share-based compensation expense for awards vested as of that date were recognized. Employees’ share-based compensation awards granted with only service conditions are recognized as expenses over the vesting period, using the graded vesting method, net of estimated forfeitures.

The binomial option-pricing model is used to measure the value of share options. The determination of the fair value is affected by the fair value of the ordinary shares as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables, including the expected share price volatility, risk-free interest rates and expected dividends. The fair value of these awards was determined taking into account these factors.

The assumptions used in share-based compensation expense recognition represent management’s best estimates, but these estimates involve inherent uncertainties and application of management judgment. If factors change or different assumptions are used, the share-based compensation expenses could be materially different for any period. Moreover, the estimates of fair value of the awards are not intended to predict actual future events or the value that ultimately will be realized by grantees who receive share-based awards, and subsequent events are not indicative of the reasonableness of the original estimates of fair value made by the Company for accounting purposes.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

(z)Taxation

Current income taxes are recorded in accordance with the regulations of the relevant tax jurisdiction. The Group accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method in accordance with ASC 740, Income Tax. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the tax consequences attributable to differences between carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities in the financial statements and their respective tax basis, and operating loss carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred taxes of a change in tax rates is recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss in the period of change. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce the amount of deferred tax assets if it is considered more likely than not that amount of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.

The Group records liabilities related to uncertain tax positions when, despite the Group’s belief that the Group’s tax return positions are supportable, the Group believes that it is more likely than not that those positions may not be fully sustained upon review by tax authorities. Accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits are classified as income tax expense. The Group did not recognize uncertain tax positions as of December 31, 2021 and 2022.

(aa)Discontinued operations

Discontinued operations are reported when a component of the Group comprising operations and cash flows that can be clearly distinguished, operationally and for financial reporting purposes, from the rest of the Group is classified as held for disposal or has been disposed of, if the disposal of the component (1) represents a strategic shift and (2) have a major impact on the Group’s financial results. In the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss, results from discontinued operations is reported separately from the income and expenses from continuing operations and prior periods are presented on a comparative basis. Cash flows for discontinuing operations are presented separately in the consolidated statements of cash flow and Note 20. In order to present the financial effects of the continuing operations and discontinued operations, revenues and expenses arising from intra-group transactions are eliminated except for those revenues and expenses that are considered to continue after the disposal of the discontinued operations.

(ab)Leases

The Group accounts for leases in accordance with ASC 842, Leases (“ASC 842”), which requires lessees to recognize leases on the balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. The Group adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2018, along with all subsequent ASU clarifications and improvements that are applicable to the Group, to each lease that existed in the periods presented in the financial statements, using the modified retrospective transition method and used the commencement date of the leases as the date of initial application. Consequently, financial information and the disclosures required under ASC 842 are provided for dates and periods presented in the financial statements. The Company elected not to apply the recognition requirements of ASC 842 to short-term leases. The Company also elected not to separate non-lease components from lease components, therefore, it will account for lease component and the non-lease components as a single lease component when there is only one vendor in the lease contract. The adoption of ASC 842 resulted in recognition of right of use (“ROU”) assets of RMB158,770, current operating lease liabilities of RMB14,575 and non-current operating lease liabilities of RMB142,751 upon the adoption date.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

The Group determines if a contract contains a lease based on whether it has the right to obtain substantially all of the economic benefits from the use of an identified asset which the Group does not own and whether it has the right to direct the use of an identified asset in exchange for consideration. ROU assets represent the Group’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Group’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets are recognized as the amount of the lease liability, adjusted for lease incentives received. Lease liabilities are recognized at the present value of the future lease payments at the lease commencement date. The interest rate used to determine the present value of the future lease payments is the Group’s incremental borrowing rate (“IBR”), because the interest rate implicit in most of the Group’s leases is not readily determinable. The IBR is a hypothetical rate based on the Group’s understanding of what its credit rating would be to borrow and resulting interest the Group would pay to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments in a similar economic environment over the lease term on a collateralized basis. Lease payments may be fixed or variable, however, only fixed payments or in-substance fixed payments are included in the Group’s lease liability calculation. Variable lease payments are recognized in operating expenses in the period in which the obligation for those payments are incurred.

The land use rights are operating leases with terms of about 50 years. Other than the land use rights, the lease terms of operating and finance leases vary from more than a year to 20 years. Operating leases are included in operating lease right of use assets, current and non-current operating lease liabilities on the Group’s consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2022, all of the Group’s ROU assets were generated from leased assets in the PRC.

In a sale and leaseback transaction, one party (the seller-lessee) sells an asset it owns to another party (the buyer-lessor) and simultaneously leases back all or a portion of the same asset for all, or part of, the asset’s remaining economic life. The seller-lessee transfers legal ownership of the asset to the buyer-lessor in exchange for consideration, and then makes periodic rental payments to the buyer-lessor to retain the use of the asset. The Company applies requirements in Topic 606 on revenue from contracts with customers when determining whether the transfer of an asset shall be accounted for as a sale of the asset.

An option for the seller-lessee to repurchase the asset would preclude accounting for the transfer of the asset as a sale of the asset unless both of the following criteria are met:

a.The exercise price of the option is the fair value of the asset at the time the option is exercised.
b.There are alternative assets, substantially the same as the transferred asset, readily available in the marketplace.

(ac)Loss per share

Basic net loss per share is computed using the weighted average number of ordinary shares outstanding during the period using the two-class method. Under the two-class method, net loss is not allocated to other participating securities if based on their contractual terms they are not obligated to share in the loss. Diluted net loss per share is computed using the weighted average number of ordinary shares and potential ordinary shares outstanding during the period. Potential ordinary shares include ordinary shares issuable upon the exercise of outstanding share options using the treasury stock method and ordinary shares issuable upon the conversion of convertible debt using the if-converted method. Potential ordinary shares are not included in the denominator of the diluted loss per share calculation when inclusion of such shares would be anti-dilutive.

(ad)Comprehensive loss

Comprehensive loss is defined to include all changes in equity/(deficit) of the Group during a period arising from transactions and other events and circumstances excluding transactions resulting from investments by shareholders and distributions to shareholders. Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss), as presented in the consolidated balance sheets, consists of accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Continued)

(ae)Segment reporting

ASC 280, Segment Reporting, establishes standards for companies to report in their financial statements information about operating segments, products, services, geographic areas, and major customers.

Based on the criteria established by ASC 280, the Group’s chief operating decision maker (“CODM”) has been identified as the Chief Executive Officer, who reviews consolidated results when making decisions about allocating resources and assessing performance of the Group as a whole, and hence, the Group has only one reportable segment. The Group does not distinguish between markets or segments for the purpose of internal reporting. As the Group’s long-lived assets are substantially located in the PRC, no geographical segment information is presented.

3. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recently adopted accounting pronouncements

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06, Debt—Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging—Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40). For convertible instruments, the accounting update reduces the number of accounting models for convertible debt instruments and convertible preferred stock. Limiting the accounting models results in fewer embedded conversion features being separately recognized from the host contract as compared with current U.S. GAAP. The accounting update amends the guidance for the derivatives scope exception for contracts in an entity’s own equity to reduce form-over-substance-based accounting conclusions. The accounting update also simplifies the diluted earnings per share calculation in certain areas. For public business entities, the update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those fiscal years. Entities are allowed to apply this update on either a full or modified retrospective basis. The Company has early adopted this new accounting update on a modified retrospective basis from January 1, 2021 and reported the convertible debt as one single unit of account of long-term borrowings on the balance sheet (Note 13(1)).

In November 2021, the FASB issued ASU No. 2021-10, Government Assistance (Topic 832). This ASU requires business entities to disclose information about government assistance they receive if the transactions were accounted for by analogy to either a grant or a contribution accounting model. The disclosure requirements include the nature of the transaction and the related accounting policy used, the line items on the balance sheets and statements of operations that are affected and the amounts applicable to each financial statement line item and the significant terms and conditions of the transactions. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2021. The disclosure requirements can be applied either retrospectively or prospectively to all transactions in the scope of the amendments that are reflected in the financial statements at the date of initial application and new transactions that are entered into after the date of initial application. We adopted the ASU prospectively on January 1, 2022. Adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

4. Concentration and Risks

(a)Concentration of credit risk

Assets that potentially subject the Group to significant concentrations of credit risk primarily consist of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, time deposits and short-term investments, long-term deposits and long-term financial instruments. The maximum exposure of such assets to credit risk is their carrying amounts as of the balance sheet dates. As of December 31, 2021 and 2022, most of the Group’s cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash and time deposits and short-term investments, long-term deposits and long-term financial instruments were held by major financial institutions located in the PRC and Hong Kong which management believes are of high credit quality. On May 1, 2015, China’s new Deposit Insurance Regulation came into effect, pursuant to which banking financial institutions, such as commercial banks, established in the PRC are required to purchase deposit insurance for deposits in RMB and in foreign currency placed with them. This Deposit Insurance Regulation would not be effective in providing complete protection for the Group’s accounts, as its aggregate deposits are much higher than the compensation limit. However, the Group believes that the risk of failure of any of these PRC banks is remote. The Group expects that there is no significant credit risk associated with cash and cash equivalents, time deposits and short-term investments, long-term deposits and long-term financial instruments which are held by reputable financial institutions in the jurisdictions where the Company, its subsidiaries and the VIEs are located. The Group believes that it is not exposed to unusual risks as these financial institutions have high credit quality. The Group has no significant concentrations of credit risk with respect to the assets mentioned above.

The Group relies on a limited number of third parties to provide payment processing services (“payment service providers”) to collect amounts due from customers. Payment service providers are financial institutions, credit card companies and mobile payment platforms such as Alipay and WeChat Pay, which the Group believes are of high credit quality.

(b)Currency convertibility risk

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of RMB into foreign currencies. The Group’s cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, time deposits and short-term investments and long-term financial instruments denominated in RMB that are subject to such government controls amounted to RMB24,509,656 and RMB55,065,266 as of December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively. The value of RMB is subject to changes in the central government policies and to international economic and political developments affecting supply and demand in the PRC foreign exchange trading system market. In the PRC, certain foreign exchange transactions are required by law to be transacted only by authorized financial institutions at exchange rates set by the People’s Bank of China (the “PBOC”). Remittances in currencies other than RMB by the Group in the PRC must be processed through PBOC or other Chinese foreign exchange regulatory bodies which require certain supporting documentation in order to process the remittance.

(c)Foreign currency exchange rate risk

The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, is based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China. The Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. The value of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies is affected by changes in China’s political and economic conditions and by China’s foreign exchange policies, among other things. The appreciation of the RMB against the US$ was approximately 6.5% and 2.3% in 2020 and 2021, respectively. The depreciation of the RMB against the US$ was approximately 8.2% in 2022. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between the RMB and the US$ in the future.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

5. Acquisition of Chongqing Zhizao and Changzhou Huixiang

Acquisition of Chongqing Zhizao

On December 28, 2018, the Company, through a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beijing CHJ, Chongqing Xinfan Machinery Co., Ltd. (the “Buyer” or “Xinfan”), entered into an acquisition agreement (the “Lifan Acquisition Agreement”) with Lifan Industry (Group) Co., Ltd. (“Lifan Industry” or the “Seller”) and its two wholly-owned subsidiaries Chongqing Zhizao (the “Target”) and Chongqing Lifan Passenger Vehicle Co., Ltd. (“Lifan Passenger Vehicle” or the “Divestiture Recipient”), to acquire an 100% equity interest in Chongqing Zhizao (the “Acquisition”). Chongqing Zhizao was formerly known as Chongqing Lifan Automobile Co., Ltd.

Prior to the completion of the Acquisition, Chongqing Zhizao transferred most of its assets and liabilities and the related rights and obligations to Lifan Passenger Vehicle in November 2018 (the “Divestiture”). After the Divestiture, Chongqing Zhizao still retained its Automotive Manufacturing Permission, working capital and certain lease contracts, and other financial assets or liabilities (hereinafter referred to as “Retained Assets and Liabilities”).

Key operating assets including plants, equipment, vehicle design and development technologies and raw materials had been transferred out from Chongqing Zhizao to Lifan Industry or Lifan Passenger Vehicle prior to the Acquisition. All employee contracts, operational systems and processes have also been transferred to Lifan Passenger Vehicle. No system, standard, protocol, convention, or rule that can create or has the ability to contribute to the creation of outputs were obtained by Xinfan. This Acquisition is determined to be an asset acquisition as no sufficient inputs and processes were acquired to produce outputs.

The Acquisition was completed on December 29, 2018 (the “Acquisition Date”) when the legal procedures were completed. Total consideration for the Acquisition was RMB650,000 in cash. As of December 31, 2021, the Group settled the aggregate amount of RMB648,000, of which RMB8,000 was settled with the outstanding loan receivable from Chongqing Lifan Holdings Ltd. (“Lifan Holdings”).

On December 19, 2019, Xinfan entered into a share transfer agreement (the “Lifan Disposal Agreement”) to dispose of its 100% equity interest in Chongqing Zhizao, with cash consideration of RMB0.001. The Retained Assets and Liabilities of Chongqing Zhizao not related to the manufacturing of Li ONE were transferred out to Lifan Industry and Lifan Passenger Vehicle upon the completion of the disposal of Chongqing Zhizao. A disposal loss of RMB4,503 was recognized on December 26, 2019, the disposal date of the transaction.

Acquisition of Changzhou Huixiang

In July 2021, Beijing CHJ Information Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing CHJ”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Group, and Suzhou Huichuan United Power System Co., LTD (“Suzhou Huichuan”), an independent third party, signed a shareholders’ agreement (the “Agreement”) to establish Changzhou Huixiang New Energy Auto Parts Co., LTD (“Changzhou Huixiang”), which engaged in producing auto parts for NEVs.

The registered capital of Changzhou Huixiang was RMB150,000, and Beijing CHJ will contribute RMB73,500 to acquire a 49% ownership share. In January 2022, both Beijing CHJ and Suzhou Huixiang have injected RMB30,000 in Changzhou Huixiang.

In September 2022, Beijing CHJ and Suzhou Huichuan entered into another agreement regarding the investment in Changzhou Huixiang. Both parties agreed that Beijing CHJ would contribute RMB87,040 to acquire 87.34% shares, with Suzhou Huichuan making no further capital contribution. Beijing CHJ has 4 out of 5 seats on the Changzhou Huixiang Board of Directors and Suzhou Huichuan has one seat. Upon the completion of the transaction, the Goup has voting interest control over Changzhou Huixiang and consolidates the entity in the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

6. Trade receivables

An aging analysis of the trade receivables as of December 31, 2021 and 2022, based on the recognition date and net of credit loss provisions, is as follows:

    

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Within 3 months

 

16,462

 

35,065

Between 3 months and 6 months

 

890

 

41

Between 6 months and 1 year

 

 

1

More than 1 year

 

103,189

 

13,274

Total

 

120,541

 

48,381

The Company received government subsidies on behalf of customers for purchases of new energy vehicles of RMB89,840 in 2022, whose aging was more than 1 year as of December 2021.

7. Inventories

Inventories consist of the following:

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Finished products

 

149,089

 

3,477,457

Raw materials, work in process and supplies

 

1,468,801

 

3,327,236

Total

 

1,617,890

 

6,804,693

Raw materials, work in process and supplies as of December 31, 2021 and 2022 primarily consist of materials for volume production which will be transferred into production cost when incurred as well as spare parts used for after sales services.

Finished products include vehicles ready for transit at production plants, vehicles in transit to fulfil customers’ orders, new vehicles available for immediate sales at the Group’s sales and servicing center locations.

The Company recognized inventory write-downs and losses on inventory purchase commitments which were recorded in cost of sales of nil and RMB51,256 for the years ended December 31, 2021, and RMB592,545 and RMB 519,470 for the years ended December 31, 2022, respectively. The amount recognized for the year ended December 31, 2022 was related primarily to the Company’s phase out plan of the Li ONE vehicle which considers a related forecasted decline in future sales and resulting excess inventory levels.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

8. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net

Property, plant and equipment and related accumulated depreciation were as follows:

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Production machineries and facilities(i)

 

804,281

 

3,226,785

Construction in process (ii)

 

1,942,953

 

2,748,697

Mold and tooling

 

1,098,392

 

2,721,990

Buildings

 

409,123

 

2,046,472

Leasehold improvements

 

660,902

 

1,070,995

Equipment

 

266,745

 

626,502

Motor vehicles

 

59,702

 

615,231

Buildings improvements

 

297,163

 

314,987

Total

 

5,539,261

 

13,371,659

Less: Accumulated depreciation(iii)

 

(983,222)

 

(2,156,225)

Less: Accumulated impairment loss (iv)

 

(57,770)

 

(27,536)

Total property, plant and equipment, net

 

4,498,269

 

11,187,898

The Group recorded depreciation expense of RMB312,011, RMB579,097 and RMB1,194,781 for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

(i)On August 27, 2021, Beijing CHJ entered into an investment agreement with Mianyang Xinchen(“Xinchen”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Xinchen China Power Holdings Limited, relating to the formation of Sichuan Li Xinchen Technology Co., Ltd (“Sichuan Li Xinchen”) in Mianyang, Sichuan Province, China. According to the investment agreement, Bejing CHJ has a 51% equity interest in Sichuan Li Xinchen and has the right to nominate three board members (out of five), therefore, providing Beijing CHJ with a controlling interest over Sichuan Li Xinchen. In June 2022, Sichuan Li Xinchen received a capital contribution of long-lived assets amounting to RMB228,668 from Xinchen and completed the necessary legal procedures as required in the investment agreement (pursuant to which Bejing CHJ will maintain a 51% equity interest).
(ii)Construction in process is primarily comprised of production plants, facilities, equipment and mold and tooling related to manufacturing of the extended-range electric SUV vehicles and BEV models in Changzhou Manufacturing Base construction and Beijing Manufacturing Base construction

In July 2021, the Group signed a memorandum and a series of agreements (collectively “Beijing Manufacturing Base Agreements”) for collaboration on a construction and expansion project of an automobile manufacturing plant, for the Group’s specific use, in Shunyi District, Beijing, with an enterprise affiliated with the Beijing local government (“the Developer Enterprise”). Since May, 2022, the Group was entitled to lease the plant facility from the Developer Enterprise (responsible for the construction of the plant) with exemption of rental expenses to September 2028, and agreed to acquire the plant in September 2028. In October 2021, construction commenced on the Beijing Manufacturing Base, which is scheduled to be put into use in 2023. As of December 31, 2022, RMB469,317 of construction in process and along with RMB214,092 of other non-current liabilities were recognized in the consolidated balance sheet.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

8. Property, Plant and Equipment, Net (Continued)

(iii)As of December 31, 2022, the Company completed a necessary assessment of the estimated units of production of certain mold and tooling and the useful lives of certain production facilities directly used for Li ONE vehicle production. The assessment was determined to be necessary as a result of the Company’s decision during the third quarter, 2022 to cease Li ONE production by the end of October 2022 (as a result of the Company’s planned migration to the Li L8 model). As a result of this assessment, the Company changed the estimated useful lives relating to dedicated Li ONE production facilities from 10 years to 3 years. In addition, depreciation of certain mold and tooling that are directly used in Li ONE production was also accelerated based on management’s best estimate for 2021 Li ONE’s production volume when using the unit-of-production depreciation method. As a result, the effect of these changes in estimates, accounted for on a prospective basis, was an increase in depreciation expense of RMB357,500 for the year ended December 31, 2022.
(iv)The Group launched 2021 Li ONE in May 2021, which subsequently led to a reduction in production and sales volume relating to the first model Li ONE. As of December 31, 2021, the Group recorded an impairment loss of RMB27,388 on its production facilities and mold and tooling used in the production of the first model Li ONE as a significant portion of the carrying value of these assets are not expected to be recovered in the foreseeable future. The Group recorded an impairment loss of RMB30,381, RMB27,388 and nil for property, plant and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

9. Intangible Assets, Net

Intangible assets and related accumulated amortization were as follows:

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Automotive Manufacturing Permission (Note 5)

 

647,174

 

647,174

Insurance Agent License

35,000

Indefinitelived intangible assets, net

 

647,174

 

682,174

Software

 

137,576

 

202,848

Patents

 

694

 

694

Definitelived intangible assets

 

138,270

 

203,542

Less: Accumulated amortization

 

 

Software

(33,290)

(52,402)

Patents

(694)

(694)

Accumulated amortization

(33,984)

(53,096)

Definitelived intangible assets, net

 

104,286

 

150,446

Total intangible assets, net

 

751,460

 

832,620

The newly acquired Insurance Agent License is considered to be an indefinite lived intangible asset and is carried at cost less any subsequent impairment loss. The Group believes, based upon regulatory precedent, that ongoing required license renewals (as approved by government authorities) is a normal activity, those providing the basis for the indefinite life assumption.

The Group recorded amortization expense of RMB8,985, RMB11,300 and RMB19,074 for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

As of December 31, 2022, amortization expenses related to intangible assets for future periods are estimated to be as follows:

As of December 31, 

2023

 

21,310

2024

 

18,558

2025

 

16,500

2026

 

15,674

2027 and thereafter

 

78,404

Total

 

150,446

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

10. Leases

Operating leases of the Group mainly include land use rights and leases of offices, retail stores and delivery and servicing centers and the finance lease was the lease of Changzhou manufacturing base production plants (Note 8(ii)).

The components of lease expenses were as follows:

For the Year Ended December 31,

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Lease cost

Finance lease cost:

Amortization of assets

 

15,346

 

12,122

 

Interest of lease liabilities

 

21,851

 

19,322

 

Operating lease cost

 

176,788

 

367,375

 

698,280

Short‑term lease cost

 

4,937

 

15,559

 

54,683

Total

 

218,922

 

414,378

 

752,963

Operating lease cost is recognized as rental expenses in consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

Short-term lease cost is recognized as rental expenses in consolidated statements of comprehensive loss on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Operating cash flows payments for operating leases

 

126,418

 

346,757

 

610,490

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease liabilities:

 

 

 

Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities

 

896,804

 

1,120,392

 

2,071,200

Supplemental balance sheet information related to leases was as follows (in thousands, except lease terms and discount rate):

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Operating Leases

 

  

 

  

Land use rights, net

 

289,810

 

1,010,640

Operating lease right-of-use assets, net (excluding land use rights)

 

1,771,682

 

2,528,271

Total operating lease assets

 

2,061,492

 

3,538,911

Operating lease liabilities, current

 

473,245

 

696,454

Operating lease liabilities, non-current

 

1,369,825

 

1,946,367

Total operating lease liabilities

 

1,843,070

 

2,642,821

As of December 31, 

 

    

2021

    

2022

 

Weighted-average remaining lease term

 

  

 

  

Land use rights

 

47 years

49 years

Operating leases

 

8 years

7 years

Weighted-average discount rate

 

 

Land use rights

 

Operating leases

 

5.8

%  

5.8

%

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

10. Leases (Continued)

Maturities of lease liabilities were as follows:

As of December 31, 2022

Operating leases

2023

 

824,247

2024

 

584,377

2025

 

377,332

2026

263,142

2027

 

195,680

Thereafter

 

965,491

Total undiscounted lease payments

 

3,210,269

Less: imputed interest

(567,448)

Total lease liabilities

 

2,642,821

Acquisition of Changzhou Manufacturing Base Phase I and Phase II and termination of lease agreements

In November 2021, Jiangsu CHJ, as a subsidiary of the Group, entered into an equity transfer agreement to acquire an 100% equity interest in Changzhou Chehejin which owns the legal title of Changzhou Manufacturing Base Phase I and Phase II Land use rights and Plants. According to the equity transfer agreement, the total consideration for this transaction was RMB567,118 in cash, of which RMB537,009 was paid as of December 31, 2022. Upon the completion of the transaction, the legal titles of Changzhou Manufacturing Base Phase I and II, including Land use rights and Plants, were transferred to the Group, and the original lease agreements were terminated accordingly.

There were no inputs and substantive processes acquired to significantly contribute to the ability to create outputs (no workforce or revenue supporting processes were acquired in connection with this transaction). Accordingly, this transaction was accounted for as an asset acquisition.

According to ASC 842-20-40-2, the termination of a lease that results from the purchase of an underlying asset by the lessee is not the type of termination of a lease contemplated but, rather, is an integral part of the purchase of the underlying asset. Upon the Group’s purchase of the Changzhou Manufacturing Base Phase I and II Land use right and Plants, the difference between the total consideration of this transaction and the carrying amount of the lease liabilities arising from Phase I assets and short-term borrowings arising from Phase II assets immediately prior to the transaction was recorded as an adjustment of the carrying amount of the asset, with an amount of RMB47,876 on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2021.

Acquisition of land use rights in Changzhou and Chongqing

For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Group acquired land use rights to construct production plants and facilities for manufacturing vehicles of the Group in Changzhou and Chongqing, the PRC. The total consideration of land use rights was RMB766,662 that was fully paid as of December 31, 2022.

Land use rights are classified as an operating lease and are recorded at cost, as a right of use asset less accumulated amortization. Amortization is provided on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives which are 50 years that represent the terms of land use rights certificate. The Group recorded amortization of land use rights in Changzhou and Chongqing of RMB12,807 for the year ended December 31, 2022.

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NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

11. Other Non-current Assets

Other non-current assets consist of the following:

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Long-term deposits paid to vendors

 

653,030

 

1,319,816

Prepayments for purchase of property, plant and equipment (i)

 

1,051,415

 

641,748

Deductible VAT input, non-current

 

263,390

 

454,359

Others

16,998

9,942

Less: Allowance for credit losses

 

(3,757)

 

(4,572)

Total

 

1,981,076

 

2,421,293

(i)Prepayments for purchase of property, plants and equipment primarily consists of production facilities, leasehold improvements, equipment and mold and tooling related to manufacturing of the extended-range electric SUV vehicles and BEV models, a portion of Beijing, Chongqing and Changzhou Manufacturing Bases construction and production facilities and equipment relating to manufacturing of engines and parts of Sichuan Li Xinchen.

12. Long-term Investments

The Group’s long-term investments on the consolidated balance sheets consisted of the following:

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Equity investments:

 

 

Equity Securities Without Readily Determinable Fair Values

 

93,150

 

558,004

Equity investments accounted for using the equity method

34,704

155,053

Equity Security With Readily Determinable Fair Values

28,452

12,966

Long-term held-to-maturity investments:

 

 

Long-term time deposits

 

 

707,853

Long-term financial instruments

 

 

50,615

Total Long-term Investments

 

156,306

 

1,484,491

Equity Security with Readily Determinable Fair Values

Equity security with readily determinable fair values are marketable equity securities which are publicly traded stocks measured at fair value.

The following table shows the carrying amount and fair value of equity securities with readily determinable fair values:

 

 

Foreign Currency

Cango Inc.

    

Cost Basis

    

Unrealized Loss

    

Translation

    

Fair Value

As of December 31, 2021

 

100,303

 

(73,535)

 

1,684

 

28,452

As of December 31, 2022

 

100,303

 

(91,063)

 

3,726

 

12,966

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

12. Long-term Investments (Continued)

The Company purchased 2,633,644 shares of Series C preferred shares issued by Cango Inc. (“Cango”), with a total cash consideration of US$15,634 (RMB100,303) in 2018. This investment was initially recorded as an equity holding without a readily determinable fair value given Cango was still a privately held company at that time. In July 2018, Cango completed its listing on the New York Stock Exchange (“Cango IPO”) and the Series C preferred shares held by the Company were converted to Class A ordinary shares of Cango.

Upon the completion of Cango IPO, the Company reclassified this investment from equity securities without readily determinable fair value to equity securities with readily determinable fair value. These securities are valued using the market approach based on the quoted prices in active markets at the reporting date. The Company classifies the valuation techniques that use these inputs as Level 1 of fair value measurements.

Any unrealized gain or loss is recognized in Interest income and investment income, net in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss.

Equity Securities without Readily Determinable Fair Values

Equity securities without determinable fair value represent investments in privately held companies with no readily determinable fair value. The Group’s investments are preferred shares, which are not considered as common stock or in substance common stock. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-01 on January 1, 2018, the Group elected the measurement alternative and recorded these investments at cost, less impairment (if any), adjusted for subsequent observable price changes.

In March 2022, one of the Group’s subsidiaries—Chongqing Chezhiyuan, entered into an agreement with Xin Wang Da Electronics Limited (“Xin Wang Da Electronics”), an A-share listed company engaging in design, production and sale of lithium battery cells and modules to purchase certain Series Pre-A preferred shares of Xin Wang Da Electric Vehicle and Battery Limited (“the investee”), a subsidiary of Xin Wang Da Electronics. This transaction, with a total consideration of RMB400,000, resulted in the Group’s 3.2% equity ownership in the investee at the acquisition date, which was diluted to 2.4% as a result of a financing transaction completed by the investee in Ocotober 2022. As of December 31,2022, Chongqing Chezhiyuan has fully paid the investment consideration of RMB400,000.

Impairment charges of nil, nil and RMB7,200 were recorded in Interest income and investment income, net in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

13. Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Borrowings

Borrowings consist of the following:

Interest Rate

As of December 31, 

    

Maturity Date

    

Classification

    

Principal Amount

    

Per Annum

    

2021

    

2022

Convertible debt(1)

May 1, 2028

Non-current

US$

862,500

 

0.25

%  

5,397,941

 

5,913,715

Secured borrowing(2)

February 15, 2027

Current and Non-current

RMB

900,000

5-year LPR - 0.40

%  

900,000

Secured borrowing(3)

June 21, 2034

Non-current

RMB

625,383

5-year LPR - 0.80

%  

625,383

Secured borrowing(4)

September 28, 2029

Current and Non-current

RMB

600,000

5-year LPR - 0.31

%  

600,000

600,000

Credit guaranteed borrowing(5)

June 29, 2024

Current and Non-current

US$

50,000

SOFR

348,230

Credit guaranteed borrowing(6)

July 26, 2025

Current and Non-current

RMB

300,000

1-year LPR

300,000

Unsecured borrowing(7)

March 8, 2024

Non-current

RMB

260,000

1-year LPR - 0.70

%  

260,000

Unsecured borrowing(8)

June 15, 2024

Non-current

RMB

240,000

1-year LPR - 0.70

%  

240,000

Secured borrowing(9)

March 25, 2025

Current and Non-current

RMB

224,329

5-year LPR - 0.60

%  

224,329

Credit guaranteed borrowing(10)

December 26, 2025

Non-current

RMB

209,900

 

1-year LPR - 0.90

%  

 

209,900

Total borrowings

 

 

  

 

5,997,941

 

9,621,557

The total borrowings are classified as short-term borrowings and long-term borrowings:

    

As of December 31, 

2021

2022

Short-term borrowings:

 

  

 

  

Current portion of secured borrowing

 

37,042

 

283,785

Current portion of credit guaranteed borrowing

106,965

Total short-term borrowings

 

37,042

 

390,750

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Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

13. Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Borrowings (Continued)

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Long-term borrowings:

Convertible debt

5,397,941

5,913,715

Non-current portion of secured borrowing

562,958

1,440,544

Secured borrowing

625,383

Non-current portion of credit guaranteed borrowing

541,265

Unsecured borrowing

500,000

Credit guaranteed borrowing

209,900

Total long-term borrowings

 

5,960,899

 

9,230,807

Total borrowings

 

5,997,941

 

9,621,557

(1)In April 2021, the Company issued and sold convertible debt in an aggregate principal of US$862,500 through a private placement. The convertible debt will mature in 2028, bearing the interest at a rate of 0.25% per annum. The related interest is payable semiannually in arrears on May 1 and November 1 of each year, beginning on November 1, 2021. The net proceeds from this offering were approximately US$844,876, equivalent to RMB5,533,238.

The convertible debt may be converted, at an initial conversion rate of 35.2818 American depositary shares (the “ADSs”) per US$1,000 principal amount (which represents an initial conversion price of approximately US$28.34 per ADS) at each holder’s option at any time on or after November 1, 2027, until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding the maturity date of May 1, 2028. Upon conversion, the Company will pay or deliver to such converting holders, as the case may be, either cash, ADSs, or a combination of cash and ADSs, at its election.

The initial conversion price of US$28.34 per ADS, or US$14.17 per Class A Ordinary Share (the latter represents the effective cost per Class A Ordinary Share), represents a discount of approximately 26.56% to the maximum Public Offer Price of HK$150.00 per Class A Ordinary Share. The initial conversion rate may be adjusted in certain circumstances, including but not limited to when the Company effects a share split or share combination. As of December 31, 2022, no adjustment had been made to the initial conversion rate.

Holders of the convertible debt have the rights to require the Company to repurchase all or a portion for their convertible debt on May 1, 2024 and May 1, 2026 or in the event of certain fundamental changes, at a repurchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the convertible debt to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

13. Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Borrowings (Continued)

The Company assessed the convertible debt under ASC 815 and concluded that:

(i)Since the conversion option is considered indexed to the Company’s own stock and classified in shareholders’ equity, bifurcation of conversion option from the convertible debt is not required as the scope exception prescribed in ASC 815-10-15-74 is met;
(ii)The repurchase option is considered clearly and closely related to its debt host and does not meet the requirement for bifurcation.

In August 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-06 Debt – Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging – Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40)(the “ASU 2020-06”). The Company determined to early adopt ASU 2020-06 from January 1, 2021. Since the ASU 2020-06 amended the guidance on convertible debt instruments by removing accounting models for the instruments with beneficial conversion features and cash conversion features. Accordingly, there is no need to consider beneficial conversion feature or cash conversion features for the convertible debt.

Therefore, the Company accounted for the convertible debt as a single instrument measured at its amortized cost as long-term borrowings on the consolidated balance sheets. The issuance costs were recorded as an adjustment to the long-term borrowings and are amortized as interest expense using the effective interest method over the contractual life to the maturity date (i.e., May 1, 2028). For the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022, the convertible debt related interest expense was US$3,353 (RMB21,369) and US$4,506 (RMB31,076), respectively. As of December 31, 2021 and 2022, the principal amount of the convertible debt was RMB5,499,041 and RMB6,006,968, and the unamortized debt issuance cost was RMB101,100 and RMB93,253, respectively.

(2)In February, 2022, the Group entered into a 5-year pledged loan agreement with a commercial bank in the PRC, with total principal of RMB900,000. This loan was pledged by certain manufacturing facilities of the Group. As of December 31, 2022, the interest rate was 5-year Loan Prime Rate (“LPR”) published by the National Interbank Funding Center, minus 0.40% per annum. The outstanding loan principal of RMB110,000 is due within 12 months, which is classified as current portion of long-term borrowing and the remaining portion of principal of RMB790,000 is presented as a long-term borrowing.

The borrowing contains covenants which includes limitations on certain asset sales and a requirement to maintain current assets. The Group is in compliance with all of the loan covenants as of December 31, 2022.

(3)In June 2022, the Group entered into a credit agreement with a group of banks pursuant to which the Group is entitled to borrow from the group of banks from time to time up to an aggregate of RMB3,000,000 until April 2024. The related principle is payable semiannually in arrears in June and December of each year, from June 2025 to June 2034. The related interest is payable quarterly in arrears on the twentieth of the last month of every quarter, from September 2022 to June 2034. As of December 31, 2022, the Group made drawdown in the amount of RMB625,383. The loan is secured by the pledge of certain Group’s land use rights and property relating to the production of electric vehicles, when the certificates of land use rights and property are approved and provided by the local authorities. Interest accrues on the principal amounts of the loans outstanding at an annual rate equal to the 5-year LPR minus 0.80%. Borrowings under this credit agreement are classified as long-term borrowings.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

13. Short term Borrowings and Long-term Borrowings (Continued)

The borrowing contains covenants which includes a requirement to the quantities of electric vehicle deliveries in the foreseeable future and maintain financial assets on the specific account. The Group is in compliance with all of the applicable loan covenants as of December 31, 2022.

(4)In September 2021, the Group entered into a loan facility agreement with a commercial bank in the PRC, which allows the Group to draw borrowings up to RMB1,009,900 as of periods ended September 28, 2029. The borrowings bear annual interest rate of 5-year LPR minus 0.31% and were guaranteed by certain production facilities and tooling of the Group. As of December 31, 2022, the outstanding loan principal was RMB600,000, of which RMB74,083 will be due within 12 months, which is classified as current portion of long-term borrowing and the remaining balance of RMB525,917 will be due in January 1, 2024 and thereafter, which is classified as long-term borrowing. The unused credit limit under these facilities was RMB409,900 as of December 31, 2022.
(5)In June 2022, the Group entered into loan agreements with a commercial bank guaranteed by a subsidiary of the Group pursuant to which the Group is entitled to borrow from the group of banks from time to time until June 2024 up to an aggregate of US$200,000. In June 2022, the Group made the drawdown in the amount of US$100,000 (RMB696,460). Interest accrues on the principal amounts of the loans outstanding at an annual rate equal to the SOFR. The Group repaid a portion of the principal in the amount of US$50,000 (RMB348,230) in December 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the outstanding loan principal of RMB6,965 is due within 12 months, which is classified as current portion of long-term borrowing and the remaining portion of principal of RMB341,265 is presented as a long-term borrowing.

The borrowing contains covenants which includes limitations on liquidity ratios and requirements on stock price and vehicle deliveries. The Group is in compliance with all of the loan covenants as of December 31, 2022.

(6)In July 2022, the Group entered into a 3-year loan agreement with a commercial bank in the PRC guaranteed by a subsidiary of the Group, with total principal of RMB300,000. The related principal is payable semiannually in arrears in January and July of each year, beginning from January 2023, until July 2025. The related interest is payable quarterly in arrears on the twenty-first of the last month of every quarter, from September 2022 to July 2025. As of December 31, 2022, the interest rate was 1-year LPR per annum and an outstanding loan principal of RMB100,000 is due within 12 months, which is classified as current portion of long-term borrowing and the remaining portion of principal of RMB200,000 is presented as a long-term borrowing.
(7)In September 2022, the Group entered into a 18-month loan agreement with a commercial bank in the PRC, with total principal of RMB260,000. As of December 31, 2022, the annual interest rate was 1-year LPR minus 0.70% per annum and all outstanding loan principal of RMB260,000 was presented as a long-term borrowing.
(8)In December 2022, the Group entered into a 18-month loan agreement with a commercial bank in the PRC, with total principal of RMB240,000. As of December 31, 2022, the annual interest rate was 1-year LPR minus 0.70% per annum and all outstanding loan principal of RMB240,000 was presented as a long-term borrowing.
(9)In February 2022, the Group entered into an asset transfer agreement with a finance lease company to sell certain production facilities and equipment in Changzhou Production Base with a total consideration of RMB299,106. Immediately after the transfer, the Group entered into a lease agreement to lease back the production facilities and equipment for the period starting from March 25, 2022 to March 25, 2025, and further obtained an option to repurchase the production facilities and equipment with the notional amount of RMB0.001 on March 25, 2025.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

13. Short-term Borrowings and Long-term Borrowings (Continued)

As the repurchase option is not at the fair value of the assets when the option is exercised, and the assets repurchased are designed for the use of the Group, and no alternative assets that are substantially the same as the transferred assets are readily available in the market, as a result, the transaction did not qualify for the sales accounting, and was accounted for as a financing transaction and the Group recorded the sales proceeds as a borrowing in the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Group repaid a portion of the principal in the amount of RMB74,777 for the year ended December 31, 2022. As of December 31, 2022, outstanding loan principal of RMB99,702 is due within 12 months, which is classified as current portion of long-term borrowing and the remaining portion of principal of RMB124,627 is presented as a long-term borrowing.

(10)In December 2022, the Group entered into a 1-year loan agreement with a commercial bank in the PRC and was entitled to extend maturity date to December 26, 2025, with total principal of RMB209,900. The outstanding principal amount will be payable at maturity. The related interest is payable quarterly in arrears on the twenty-first of the last month of every quarter, from January 2023 to December 2025. As of December 31, 2022, the annual interest rate was 1-year LPR minus 0.90% per annum and all outstanding loan principal of RMB209,900 was presented as a long-term borrowing.

14. Trade and Notes Payable

Trade and notes payable consist of the following:

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Trade payable for raw materials

 

7,089,370

 

15,410,150

Notes payable

 

2,286,680

 

4,614,179

Total

 

9,376,050

 

20,024,329

An aging analysis of the trade and notes payable as at December 31, 2021 and 2022, based on the recognition date, is as follows:

    

As of December 31, 

2021

    

2022

Within 3 months

 

7,539,833

 

19,806,395

Between 3 months and 6 months

 

1,639,286

 

124,122

Between 6 months and 1 year

 

161,913

 

31,051

More than 1 year

 

35,018

 

62,761

Total

 

9,376,050

 

20,024,329

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

15. Accruals and Other Current Liabilities

Accruals and other current liabilities consist of the following:

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Payables for purchase of property, plant and equipment

 

456,395

 

2,335,084

Salaries and benefits payable

 

417,449

 

633,215

Payables for research and development expenses

 

94,517

 

525,667

Accrued costs of purchase commitments relating to inventory

 

 

498,060

Tax payable

 

277,233

 

445,853

Payables for logistics expenses

143,632

414,353

Payables for marketing and promotional expenses

 

96,945

 

150,706

Accrued warranty

 

154,276

 

141,832

Deposits from vendors

 

27,716

 

32,013

Advances from customers

 

10,262

 

10,500

Other payables

 

200,943

 

497,361

Total

 

1,879,368

 

5,684,644

16. Revenue Disaggregation

Revenues by source consist of the following:

For the Years Ended December 31

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Vehicle sales

 

9,282,703

 

26,128,469

 

44,106,434

Other sales and services

 

173,906

 

881,310

 

1,180,382

Total

 

9,456,609

 

27,009,779

 

45,286,816

Revenue by timing of recognition is analyzed as follows:

    

For the Years Ended December 31, 

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Revenue recognized at a point in time

 

9,436,095

 

26,917,836

 

45,150,485

Including: Vehicle sales

9,282,703

26,128,469

44,106,434

Other sales and services

153,392

789,367

1,044,051

Revenue recognized over time

 

20,514

 

91,943

 

136,331

Total

 

9,456,609

 

27,009,779

 

45,286,816

Revenues arising from vehicle sales are recognized at a point in time when the control of the products are transferred to the users. Revenues from other sales and services which are recognized at a point in time include (i) sales and installment of charging piles, (ii) sales of goods from online store, (iii) certain services under the Li Plus Membership, and (iv) sales of Automotive Regulatory Credits. In such instances, revenues are recognized at a point in time when the control of the products and services are transferred to the users.

Certain revenue arising from other sales and services is recognized over time, including vehicle internet connection services, FOTA upgrades and certain services under the Li Plus Membership.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

17. Deferred Revenue

The following table includes a rollforward of the deferred revenue balance for each year presented:

For the Years Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Deferred revenue—at beginning of the year

 

62,638

 

407,168

 

694,745

Additions

 

9,687,382

 

27,377,563

 

45,614,278

Recognition

 

(9,342,852)

 

(27,089,986)

 

(45,158,191)

Deferred revenue—at end of the year

 

407,168

 

694,745

 

1,150,832

Including: Deferred revenue, current

 

271,510

 

305,092

 

569,234

Deferred revenue, non‑current

 

135,658

 

389,653

 

581,598

Deferred revenue represents contract liabilities allocated to the performance obligations that are unsatisfied, or partially satisfied which primarily resulted from undelivered vehicles, uninstalled charging piles and other performance obligations identified in the vehicle sales contracts.

The Group expects that RMB569,234 of the transaction price allocated to unsatisfied performance obligation as of December 31, 2022 will be recognized as revenue during the period from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023. The remaining RMB581,598 will be recognized in January 1, 2024 and thereafter.

18. Research and Development Expenses

Research and development expenses consist of the following:

For the Years Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Employee compensation

 

580,157

 

2,079,948

 

3,801,960

Design and development expenses

 

431,996

 

1,003,567

 

2,566,567

Rental and related expenses

 

18,818

 

52,985

 

99,324

Depreciation and amortization expenses

 

44,977

 

54,110

 

94,134

Travel expenses

 

9,360

 

52,307

 

76,714

Others

 

14,549

 

43,472

 

141,333

Total

 

1,099,857

 

3,286,389

 

6,780,032

19. Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses consist of the following:

For the Years Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Employee compensation

 

449,109

 

1,414,177

 

2,873,397

Marketing and promotional expenses

 

264,814

 

1,100,769

 

1,010,227

Rental and related expenses

 

162,907

 

324,655

 

645,792

Depreciation and amortization expenses

 

37,923

 

82,777

 

228,790

Travel expenses

 

20,806

 

69,079

 

99,246

Expected credit losses

 

 

6,415

 

2,910

Others

183,260

 

494,513

804,939

Total

 

1,118,819

 

3,492,385

 

5,665,301

20. Discontinued Operations

Historically, the Group had a strategy of developing Low-Speed SEV and producing and selling its related battery packs.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

In the first quarter of 2018, the Group determined to dispose the SEV business due to the shift on the Group’s business and product strategy. As a result, the long-lived assets related to SEV production, including manufacturing facilities and IP, etc. have ceased to be used, and these assets were considered effectively abandoned.

Subsequent to the termination of the SEV business, the Group still sold the SEV battery packs to external customers, and in September 2019, the Group further decided to dispose the SEV battery packs business and located a potential buyer. Accordingly, the Company concluded that as of September 30, 2019, the SEV battery packs business met all of the held for sale criteria. In the first quarter of 2020, the Company completed the sale of the SEV battery packs business to an affiliate of the Company for a total cash consideration of RMB60,000.

The abandonment or the disposal of the SEV business and the related battery packs business represented strategic shifts of the Group and had a major impact on the Group’s financial results, and met the criteria for the discontinued operations. Therefore, the historical financial results of the SEV related business were classified as discontinued operation.

The following tables set forth the results of operations and cash flows of the discontinued operations, which were included in the Group’s consolidated financial statements.

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

Revenues

 

870

Cost of sales

 

(2,437)

Gross loss

 

(1,567)

Operating expenses

 

(1,423)

Loss from operations of discontinued operations

 

(2,990)

Loss from discontinued operations before income tax expense

 

(2,990)

Net loss from discontinued operations, net of tax

 

(2,990)

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

Net cash provided by discontinued operating activities

 

148

Net cash provided by discontinued investing activities

 

59,705

The following table presents the gain on disposal of discontinued operations related to the disposal of SEV battery packs business for the year ended December 31, 2020:

    

For the Year Ended

December 31, 2020

Cash consideration received for sale of SEV battery packs business

 

60,000

Carrying value of net assets transferred

 

(42,637)

Gain on disposal of discontinued operations

 

17,363

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

21. Ordinary Shares

In April 2017, the Company was incorporated as a limited liability company in the Cayman Islands. In July 2019, the Company became the holding company of the Group pursuant to the Reorganization described in Note 1. In connection with the Reorganization and issuance of Series C convertible redeemable preferred shares (“Series C Preferred Shares”), 3,830,157,186 authorized shares of the Company were designated as Class A Ordinary Shares, and 240,000,000 authorized shares were designated as Class B ordinary shares. Each Class A Ordinary Share is entitled to one vote, and is not convertible into Class B Ordinary Shares under any circumstances. Each Class B Ordinary Share is entitled to ten votes, subject to certain conditions, and is convertible into one Class A Ordinary Share at any time by the holder thereof. Upon the Reorganization, the Company issued ordinary shares and Series Pre-A, A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2 and B-3 convertible redeemable preferred shares (the “Series Pre-A, A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2 and B-3 Preferred Shares”) to shareholders of Beijing CHJ in exchange for respective equity interests that they held in Beijing CHJ immediately before the Reorganization. Series Pre-A, A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2 and B-3 Preferred Shares would be converted into Class A Ordinary Shares based on the then-effective conversion price.

On July 4, 2016, Beijing CHJ issued Series Pre-A shares (“Series Pre-A Ordinary Shares”) with cash consideration of RMB100,000. Series Pre-A Ordinary Shares were classified as equity as they were not redeemable. In July 2017, upon Series A-2 financing, certain rights were granted to holders of Series Pre-A Ordinary Shares, including contingent redemption rights. Series Pre-A Ordinary Shares were effectively re-designated to Series Pre-A Preferred Shares. Such re-designation was accounted for as a repurchase and cancellation of Series Pre-A Ordinary Shares and a separate issuance of Series Pre-A Preferred Shares. Accordingly, the excess of fair value of the Series Pre-A Preferred Shares over the fair value of the Series Pre-A Ordinary Shares repurchased from employee shareholders was recorded as an employee compensation. While for other non-employee Series Pre-A shareholders, such difference was recognized as a deemed dividend given to these shareholders. The excess of the fair value of all Series Pre-A Ordinary Shares over the carrying value of these shares was accounted for as a retirement of the Series Pre-A Ordinary Shares. The Company elected to charge the excess entirely to accumulated deficits.

In August 2020, the Company completed its US IPO and 190,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares were issued with proceeds of US$1,042,137, net of underwriter commissions and relevant offering expenses. Concurrently with completion of the IPO, 66,086,955 Class A Ordinary Shares were issued for a consideration of US$380,000. On August 7, 2020, the Company issued an additional 28,500,000 Class A Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of underwriters’ over-allotment option for a consideration of US$157,320.

All of the Preferred Shares (other than those beneficially owned by Mr. Li Xiang, the founder and the CEO of the Company) were automatically converted to 1,045,789,275 Class A Ordinary Shares immediately upon the completion of the IPO. Concurrently, all Preferred Shares beneficially owned by Mr. Li Xiang were automatically converted to 115,812,080 Class B Ordinary Shares.

In December 2020, the Company completed a follow-on offering of 108,100,000 Class A Ordinary Shares, which included 14,100,000 Class A Ordinary Shares issued in connection with the underwriters’ full exercise of their over-allotment option.

In February 2021, the Company issued 34,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares as treasury shares for future exercise of share options.

In May 2021, the Company issued 108,557,400 Class B Ordinary Shares as treasury shares to Mr. Li Xiang, the Company’s founder and chief executive officer, pursuant to the Company’s 2021 Share Incentive Plan.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

21. Ordinary Shares (Continued)

In August 2021, the Company completed its HK IPO and 100,000,000 Class A Ordinary Shares were issued with proceeds of HK$11,633,130, net of underwriter commissions and relevant offering expenses. In September 2021, the Company issued an additional 13,869,700 Class A Ordinary Shares upon the exercise of underwriters’ over-allotment option for a consideration of HK$1,634,462.

On June 28, 2022, the Company filed a prospectus supplement in the United States to sell up to an aggregate of US$ 2,000,000 of ADSs, each representing two Class A Ordinary Shares, through an at-the-market equity offering program (the “ATM Offering”) on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. As of December 31, 2022, 18,862,564 Class A Ordinary Shares were legally issued and the proceeds has been received by the Company.

As of December 31, 2022, 12,206,256 share options that fulfilled the vesting conditions were exercised and 127,062 RUSs that fulfilled the vesting conditions were vested.

As of December 31, 2021 and 2022, the Company had issued and outstanding ordinary shares of 1,929,562,426 and 1,954,353,892, respectively.

22. Convertible Redeemable Preferred Shares and Warrants

Prior to the US IPO in August 2020, the Company issued convertible redeemable preferred shares, which are summarized in the following table:

Series

    

Issuance Date

    

Shares Issued

    

Issue Price per Share

    

Proceeds from Issuance

RMB

RMB

Pre-A(1)

 

July 21, 2017

 

50,000,000

 

RMB2.00

 

100,000

A-1

 

July 4, 2016

 

129,409,092

 

RMB6.03

 

780,000

A-2

 

July 21, 2017

 

126,771,562

 

RMB7.89

 

1,000,000

A-3

 

September 5, 2017

 

65,498,640

 

RMB9.47

 

620,000

B-1

 

November 28, 2017

 

115,209,526

 

RMB13.11

 

1,510,000

B-2

 

June 6, 2018

 

55,804,773

 

RMB14.16

 

790,000

B-3(2)

 

January 7/July 2, 2019

 

119,950,686

 

RMB14.16

 

1,701,283

C(3)

 

July 2/December 2,2019/January 23, 2020

 

267,198,535

 

US$2.23/ US$1.89

 

3,626,924

D

July 1, 2020

231,758,541

US$2.64/ US$2.35

3,851,034

(1)Upon the issuance of Series A-2 Preferred Shares, Series Pre-A Ordinary Shares were re-designated to Series Pre-A Preferred Shares (see Note 21).
(2)Including 11,873,086 Series B-3 Preferred Shares converted from the convertible promissory notes issued by the Company in January 2019. The Series B-3 Preferred Shareholders and convertible promissory notes holders were granted:
a)the right to obtain additional shares to be issued in the next round of new financing for free to keep their shareholding percentage (or as converted shareholding percentage for convertible promissory notes holders) unchanged (the “Series B-3 Anti-Dilution Warrant”); and
b)the right to acquire additional shares to be issued in next two rounds of financing at a 15% discount of purchase price, up to the subscription amount equal to the investment amount in their Series B-3 Preferred Shares and convertible promissory notes (the “Series B-3 Additional Warrant”).

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Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

22. Convertible Redeemable Preferred Shares and Warrants (Continued)

(3)Including 78,334,557 shares of Series C Preferred Shares issued upon the exercise of the Series B-3 Additional Warrant by certain Series B-3 Shareholders and all convertible promissory notes holders at a cash exercise price of RMB1,022,045, or RMB13.02 per share. The leading investor of Series C Preferred Shareholders was granted the right to acquire additional shares to be issued in next round of financing at a 15% discount of purchase price, up to the subscription amount equal to the investment amount in Series C Preferred Shares (the “Series C Additional Warrant”). All non-refundable cash considerations for the issuance of Series C Preferred Shares, including 4,109,127 shares registered subsequently on January 3, 2020, were received in full as of December 31, 2019 and accordingly all shares are considered issued and outstanding from accounting perspective.

On January 23, 2020, 18,916,548 shares of Series C Preferred Shares were issued upon the exercise of the Series B-3 Anti-Dilution Warrant.

The Series B-3 Anti-Dilution Warrant, the Series B-3 Additional Warrant and the Series C Additional Warrant (collectively referred as “Warrants”) were determined to be freestanding liability instruments and recorded at fair value upon initial recognition. Proceeds received from issuance of Series B-3 Preferred Shares and convertible promissory notes, and Series C Preferred Shares were first allocated to the Warrants based on their initial fair values. The Warrants were marked to the market with the changes recorded in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss in the applicable subsequent reporting period. The Warrants shall terminate upon the earlier of the consummation of an IPO or the occurrence of a Deemed Liquidation Event. The balance of Warrants was reduced to zero as the Warrants terminated upon the issuance of Series D.

The Series Pre-A, A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, B-3, C and D Preferred Shares are collectively referred to as the “Preferred Shares”. All series of Preferred Shares have the same par value of US$0.0001 per share.

All of the Preferred Shares (other than those beneficially owned by Mr. Li Xiang, the founder and the chief executive officer of the Company) were automatically converted to 1,045,789,275 Class A Ordinary Shares immediately upon the completion of the US IPO in August 2020. Concurrently, all Preferred Shares beneficially owned by Mr. Li Xiang were automatically converted to 115,812,080 Class B Ordinary Shares.

The major rights, preferences and privileges of the Preferred Shares are as follows:

Conversion

Preferred Shares of the Company are convertible to Class A Ordinary Shares at any time at the option of the holders, and would automatically be converted into Class A Ordinary Shares 1) upon a Qualified IPO (“QIPO”); or 2) upon the written consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding Preferred Shares of each class with respect to conversion of each class.

The initial conversion ratio of Preferred Shares to ordinary shares shall be 1:1, and shall be subject to adjustment and readjustment from time to time for share splits and combinations, ordinary share (on an as converted basis) dividends and distributions, reorganizations, mergers, consolidations, reclassifications, exchanges, substitutions, and dilutive issuance.

Redemption

The Company shall redeem, at the option of any holder of outstanding Preferred Shares, all of the outstanding Preferred Shares (other than the unpaid shares) held by the requesting holder, at any time after the earliest to occur of (a) the Company fails to consummate a qualified IPO (“QIPO”) by June 30, 2023, or b) any occurrence of a material breach or any material change of the relevant laws or the occurrence of any other factors, which has resulted or is likely to result in the Company’s inability to control and consolidate the financial statements of any of the PRC subsidiaries or VIEs, each Preferred Share shall be redeemable at the option of such Preferred Shareholder, out of funds legally available therefor by the Company.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

22. Convertible Redeemable Preferred Shares and Warrants (Continued)

The redemption amount payable for each Preferred Share (other than the unpaid shares) will be an amount equal to 100% of the Preferred Shares’ original issue price, plus all accrued but unpaid dividends thereon up to the date of redemption and simple interest on the Preferred Shares’ original issue price at the rate of 8% per annum, proportionally adjusted for share subdivisions, share dividends, reorganizations, reclassifications, consolidations, mergers or similar transactions.

Upon the redemption, Series D Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series C Preferred Shares, Series C Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series B-3 Preferred Shares, Series B-3 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series B-2 Preferred Shares, Series B-2 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series B-1 Preferred Shares, Series B-1 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series A-3 Preferred Shares, Series A-3 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series A-2 Preferred Shares, Series A-2 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series A-1 Preferred Shares, Series A-1 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series Pre-A Preferred Shares.

Upon the 2019 Reorganization, QIPO definition of Series Pre-A, A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2 and B-3 Preferred Shares was revised to be the same as Series C Preferred Shares, and all Preferred Shareholders (including Series D issued on July 1, 2020) were given the option to, in the event that the funds of the Company legally available for redemption on the redemption date are insufficient to redeem the total number of redeeming shares required to be redeemed, 1) request the Company to issue a convertible promissory note (“Redemption Note”) for the unpaid portion of the redemption price or 2) allow the Company to carry forward and redeem the shares when legally funds are sufficient to do so. Such Redemption Note shall be due and payable no later than 24 months of the redemption date with a simple rate of 8% per annum. Each holder of such Redemption Note shall have the right, at its option, to convert the unpaid principal amount of the Redemption Note and the accrued but unpaid interest thereon, into the same class of Preferred Shares requested to be redeemed at a per share conversion price equal to the applicable original issue price.

Voting Rights

The holders of the Preferred Shares shall have the right to one vote for each ordinary share into which each outstanding Preferred Share held could then be converted. The holders of the Preferred Shares vote together with the Ordinary Shareholders, and not as a separate class or series, on all matters put before the shareholders.

Dividends

Each Preferred Shareholder and Ordinary Shareholder shall be entitled to receive dividends for each share held by such holder, payable out of funds or assets when and as such funds or assets become legally available therefor pari passu with each other on a pro rata basis. Such dividends shall be payable only when, as, and if declared by the Board of Directors and shall be non-cumulative.

No dividends on preferred and ordinary shares have been declared since the issuance date until December 31, 2022.

Liquidation

In the event of any liquidation, the holders of Preferred Shares (except for Series Pre-A Preferred Shares) have preference over holders of Series Pre-A Preferred Shares and ordinary shares with respect to payment of dividends and distribution of assets. Upon Liquidation, Series D Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series C Preferred Shares, Series C Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series B-3 Preferred Shares, Series B-3 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series B-2 Preferred Shares, Series B-2 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series B-1 Preferred Shares, Series B-1 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series A-3 Preferred Shares, Series A-3 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series A-2 Preferred Shares, Series A-2 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series A-1 Preferred Shares, Series A-1 Preferred Shares shall rank senior to Series Pre-A Preferred Shares and ordinary shares.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

22. Convertible Redeemable Preferred Shares and Warrants (Continued)

The holders of Preferred Shares (exclusive of unpaid shares and Series Pre-A Preferred Shares) shall be entitled to receive an amount per share equal to an amount equal to the higher of (1) 100% of the original issue price of such Preferred Shares, plus an aggregate interests calculated at a simple rate of 8% per annum and multiplied by a fraction and (2) the amount receivable by the Preferred Shareholders if all the assets of the Company available for distribution to shareholders is distributed ratably among all the Members on an as-converted basis. If there are still assets of the Company legally available for distribution, such remaining assets of the Company shall be distributed to the holders of issued and outstanding Series Pre-A Preferred Shares and ordinary shares.

Conversion upon US IPO

In August 2020, in connection with the completion of US IPO, all of the Preferred Shares were automatically converted to 1,045,789,275 Class A ordinary shares and 115,812,080 Class B ordinary shares based on the aforementioned conversion price.

Accounting for Preferred Shares

The Company classified the Preferred Shares as mezzanine equity in the consolidated balance sheets because they were redeemable at the holders’ option upon the occurrence of certain deemed liquidation events and certain event outside of the Company’s control. The Preferred Shares are recorded initially at fair value, net of issuance costs.

The Company recognized accretion to the respective redemption value of the Preferred Shares over the period starting from issuance date to July 4, 2022, the earliest redemption date. The Company recognized accretion of the Preferred Shares amounted to RMB651,190, nil and nil for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Prior to the 2019 Reorganization, the Company has determined that host contract of the Series Pre-A, A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2 and B-3 Preferred Shares were more akin to an equity host. The conversion feature embedded in the Preferred Shares is considered to meet the definition of derivative in accordance with ASC 815-15-25, due to the optional redemption settlement mechanism upon deemed liquidation could give rise to net settlement of the conversion provision in cash if the per share distribution amount is higher than the fixed redemption amount, instead of the settlement by delivery of the ordinary shares of the Company. This equity-like conversion feature was considered clearly and closely related to the equity host, therefore does not warrant bifurcation. The Company also assessed the redemption features and liquidation feature and determined that these features as a freestanding instrument, would not meet the definition of a derivative, and therefore need not be bifurcated and separately accounted for.

After the 2019 Reorganization, host contract of the Preferred Shares is more akin to a debt host, given the Preferred Shares holders have potential creditors’ right in the event of insufficient fund upon redemption, along with other debt-like features in the terms of the Preferred Shares, including the redemption rights. Company considered extinguishment accounting should be applied for all Preferred Shares issued prior to the 2019 Reorganization from a qualitative perspective, although from quantitative perspective, the changes of these preferred shares’ fair value before and after the modification was immaterial. Hence, accumulated deficit was increased by the difference between the fair value of Series Pre-A, A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2 and B-3 Preferred Shares after modification and the carrying amount of these Preferred Shares immediately before the modification.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

22. Convertible Redeemable Preferred Shares and Warrants (Continued)

The Company also reassessed the conversion feature, redemption feature and liquidation preference of all Preferred Shares after the 2019 Reorganization. The equity-like conversion feature is considered not clearly and closely related to the debt host, and therefore was bifurcated and separately accounted for using fair value. For redemption feature, as it would not result in any substantial premium or discount, nor would it accelerate the repayment of the contractual principal amount, it is clearly and closely related to the debt host, and therefore shall not be bifurcated and accounted for separately. The liquidation preference, on the other hand, may result in substantial premium and could accelerate repayment of the principal upon occurrence of contingent redemption events. Hence, the liquidation preference is considered not clearly and closely related to the debt host and should be bifurcated and accounted for separately. The Company determined the fair value of these derivative liabilities and concluded that the fair value of the bifurcated liquidation features was insignificant. The derivative liabilities of conversion features was bifurcated from the preferred shares initially at fair value, and subsequently was marked to market value with the fair value change recognized in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss in the applicable subsequent reporting period. Upon the consummation of US IPO and conversion of preferred shares, the conversion feature of preferred shares were automatically exercised, consequently, the derivative liabilities of conversion features were reduced to zero.

The movement of the warrants and conversion feature derivative liabilities are summarized below:

Warrants

Derivative

    

Liabilities

    

Liabilities

    

Total

Balance at January 1, 2020

 

351,750

 

1,296,940

 

1,648,690

Issuance

 

 

328,461

 

328,461

Fair value change

 

(46,812)

 

(225,515)

 

(272,327)

Exercise

(305,333)

(1,400,670)

(1,706,003)

Translation to reporting currency

395

784

1,179

Balance at December 31, 2020

The Company’s convertible redeemable preferred shares activities for the years ended December 31, 2020 are summarized below:

Series PreA

Series A1

Series A2

Series A3

Series B1

Series B2

Series B3

Series C

Series D

Total

Number

Amount

Number

Amount

Number

Amount

Number

Amount

Number

Amount

Number

Amount

Number

Amount

Number

Amount

Number

Amount

Number

Amount

of shares

(RMB)

of shares

(RMB)

of shares

(RMB)

of shares

(RMB)

of shares

(RMB)

of shares

(RMB)

of shares

(RMB)

of shares

(RMB)

of shares

(RMB)

of shares

(RMB)

Balances as of January 1, 2020

 

50,000,000

 

434,886

 

129,409,092

 

980,949

 

126,771,562

 

1,074,959

 

65,498,640

 

619,770

 

115,209,526

 

1,347,607

 

55,804,773

 

710,303

 

119,950,686

 

1,551,080

 

248,281,987

 

3,536,108

 

910,926,266

10,255,662

Exercise of Series B-3 Anti-Dilution Warrant

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

18,916,548

 

305,333

 

18,916,548

 

305,333

Bifurcation of conversion feature

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(81,082)

 

 

(81,082)

Issuance of preferred shares-Series D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

231,758,541

3,603,655

231,758,541

 

3,603,655

Accretion on convertible redeemable preferred shares to redemption value

 

 

 

 

34,229

 

 

63,363

 

 

46,738

 

 

136,567

 

 

64,859

 

 

80,635

 

 

178,007

 

46,792

 

651,190

Effect of exchange rate changes on preferred shares

(858)

(1,746)

(1,770)

(964)

(1,899)

(1,040)

(2,613)

28

(10,862)

Conversion of preferred shares to ordinary shares

(50,000,000)

(434,028)

(129,409,092)

(1,013,432)

(126,771,562)

(1,136,552)

(65,498,640)

(665,544)

(115,209,526)

(1,482,275)

(55,804,773)

(774,122)

(119,950,686)

(1,629,102)

(267,198,535)

(3,938,394)

(231,758,541)

(3,650,447)

(1,161,601,355)

(14,723,896)

Balances as of December 31, 2020

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

23. Loss Per Share

Basic loss per share and diluted loss per share have been calculated in accordance with ASC 260 for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022 as follows:

For the Years Ended December 31, 

   

2020

   

2021

   

2022

Numerator:

 

  

 

  

 

  

Net loss

(151,657)

(321,455)

(2,032,348)

Accretion on convertible redeemable preferred shares to redemption value

 

(651,190)

 

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on convertible redeemable preferred shares

 

10,862

 

 

Less: Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests

(20,133)

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

 

(791,985)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,012,215)

Including: Net loss from continuing operations attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

(806,358)

(321,455)

(2,012,215)

Net income from discontinued operations attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

14,373

Denominator:

 

 

 

Weighted average ordinary shares outstanding—basic and diluted

 

870,003,278

 

1,853,320,448

 

1,941,230,998

Basic and diluted net loss per share from continuing operations attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

 

(0.93)

 

(0.17)

 

(1.04)

Basic and diluted net income per share from discontinued operations attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

 

0.02

 

 

Basic and diluted net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

 

(0.91)

 

(0.17)

 

(1.04)

For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, the Company had ordinary equivalent shares, including preferred shares, options and RSUs granted, an unsecured convertible corporate loan issued in November 2017 and convertible debt (shares subject to conversion) issued in April 2021 (Note 13). As the Group incurred a loss for each of the periods ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, these ordinary equivalent shares were determined to be anti-dilutive and excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share of the Company. The weighted average numbers of preferred shares, options and RSUs granted, unsecured corporate loan and convertible debt (shares subject to conversion) excluded from the calculation of diluted loss per share of the Company were 669,666,355, 54,605,925, 22,639,154 and nil for the year ended December 31, 2020, nil, 72,791,430, nil and 44,853,801 for the year ended December 31, 2021, and nil, 91,499,552, nil, and 60,861,105 for the year ended December 31, 2022, respectively.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

24. Share-based Compensation

Compensation expenses recognized for share-based awards granted by the Company were as follows:

For the Year Ended December 31, 

2020

2021

2022

Research and development expenses

    

60,789

    

741,793

    

1,333,710

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

80,491

 

332,850

 

674,610

Cost of sales

 

1,515

 

26,713

 

44,845

Total

 

142,795

 

1,101,356

 

2,053,165

(i)2019 and 2020 Share Incentive Plan

In July 2019, the Group adopted the 2019 Share Incentive Plan (the “2019 Plan”), which allows the Company to grant options and RSUs of the Group to its employees, directors and consultants. As of December 31, 2022, the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued under the 2019 Plan is 141,083,452.

The Group began to grant share options to employees from 2015. In conjunction with the Company’s Reorganization in July 2019, the Group transferred share options from Beijing CHJ to the Company according to the 2019 Plan. The share options of the Group under the 2019 Plan have a contractual term of ten years from the grant date. The options granted have both service and performance condition. The options are generally scheduled to be vested over five years, one-fifth of the awards shall be vested after one service year from the vesting commencement date. Meanwhile, the options granted are only exercisable upon the occurrence of an IPO by the Group.

These awards have a service condition and a performance condition related to an IPO. For share options granted with performance condition, the share-based compensation expenses are recorded when the performance condition is considered probable. As a result, the cumulative share-based compensation expenses for these options that have satisfied the service condition were recorded upon the completion of the US IPO in the third quarter of 2020. The Group recognized the share options of the Company granted to the employees using graded-vesting method over the vesting term of the awards, net of estimated forfeitures.

In July 2020, the Group adopted the 2020 Share Incentive Plan (the “2020 Plan”), which allows the Company to grant options and RSUs of the Group to its employees, directors and consultants. As of December 31, 2022, the maximum number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued under the 2020 Plan is 165,696,625. The Company commenced to grant RSUs from July 1, 2021 under the 2020 plan. The contractual term is ten years from the grant date and the options and RSUs granted only have service conditions. The options and RSUs are generally scheduled to be vested over five years, one-fifth of the awards shall be vested after one service year from the vesting commencement date.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

24. Share-based Compensation (Continued)

(a)

The following table summarizes Company share option activity under the 2019 Plan and 2020 Plan for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022:

    

    

    

    

    

Weighted

    

Number of

Weighted

Average

Aggregate

Options

Average

Remaining

Intrinsic

and Shares

Exercise Price

Contractual Life

Value

US$

In Years

US$

Outstanding as of December 31, 2019

 

54,760,000

 

0.10

 

6.73

 

73,926

Granted

 

4,224,000

 

0.10

 

  

 

Forfeited

 

(2,070,000)

 

0.10

 

  

 

Outstanding as of December 31, 2020

 

56,914,000

 

0.10

 

5.95

 

814,724

Granted

 

36,987,700

 

0.10

 

  

 

Exercised

(6,404,416)

0.10

Forfeited

 

(4,106,000)

 

0.10

 

  

 

Outstanding as of December 31, 2021

 

83,391,284

 

0.10

 

6.70

 

1,330,091

Granted

579,600

0.10

Exercised

(5,801,840)

0.10

Forfeited

(3,832,800)

0.10

Outstanding as of December 31, 2022

74,336,244

0.10

5.56

750,796

Vested and expected to vest as of December 31, 2021

79,915,157

0.10

6.60

1,274,647

Exercisable as of December 31, 2021

40,251,584

0.10

4.55

642,013

Vested and expected to vest as of December 31, 2022

71,370,113

0.10

5.46

720,838

Exercisable as of December 31, 2022

46,292,444

0.10

4.06

467,554

The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the exercise price of the underlying awards and the estimated fair value of the underlying stock at each reporting date.

The weighted-average grant date fair value for options granted under the Company’s 2019 Plan and 2020 Plan was US$1.71, US$15.78 and US$16.05 for the year ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively, computed using the binomial option pricing model.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

24. Share-based Compensation (Continued)

The fair value of each option granted under the Company’s 2019 Plan and 2020 Plan for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022 was estimated on the date of each grant using the binomial option pricing model with the assumptions (or ranges thereof) in the following table:

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

For the Year Ended December 31, 

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Exercise price (US$)

0.10

 

0.10

0.10

Fair value of the ordinary shares on the date of option grant (US$)

1.35-1.90

 

14.42-17.35

16.05

Risk‑free interest rate

0.69%-1.92%

 

0.93%-1.48%

1.51%

Expected term (in years)

10.00

 

10.00

10.00

Expected dividend yield

0%

 

0%

0%

Expected volatility

45%-46%

 

47%-48%

48%

The risk-free interest rate is estimated based on the yield curve of US Sovereign Bond as of the option valuation date. The expected volatility at the grant date and each option valuation date is estimated based on annualized standard deviation of daily stock price return of comparable companies with a time horizon close to the expected expiry of the term of the options. The Group has never declared or paid any cash dividend on its capital stock, and the Group does not anticipate any dividend payments in the foreseeable future. Expected term is the contract life of the options.

As of December 31, 2022, there were US$76,430 of unrecognized compensation expenses related to the share options granted to the Group’s employees, which are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 3.32 years and may be adjusted for future changes in forfeitures.

(b)The following table summarizes Company’s RSU activity under the 2019 plan and 2020 Plan for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022:

Weighted Average

Weighted Average

Number of

Grant Date

Remaining

    

Shares

    

Fair Value

    

Contractual Life

US$

Unvested as of December 31, 2020

Granted

 

8,586

 

17.25

 

  

Unvested as of December 31, 2021

 

8,586

 

17.25

 

9.50

Granted

 

36,199,400

 

17.13

 

  

Vested

 

(127,062)

 

18.76

 

  

Forfeited

 

(5,087,800)

 

16.74

 

  

Unvested as of December 31, 2022

 

30,993,124

 

17.20

 

9.21

As of December 31, 2022, there was US$203,638 in unrecognized compensation expense related to RSUs granted to the Group’s employees, which are expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 4.21 years and may be adjusted for future changes in forfeitures.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

24. Share-based Compensation (Continued)

(ii)2021 Share Incentive Plan

In March 2021, the Group adopted the 2021 Share Incentive Plan (the “2021 Plan”), which granted options to purchase 108,557,400 Class B ordinary shares to Mr. Li Xiang, the Company’s founder and chief executive officer. The exercise price of the options is US$14.63 per share, or US$29.26 per ADS. The date of expiration for this grant is March 8, 2031. The granted options are subject to performance-based vesting conditions. The granted options are divided into six equal tranches, or 18,092,900 each. The first tranche will become vested when the aggregate number of the Group’s vehicle deliveries in any 12 consecutive months exceeds 500,000. The second to sixth tranches will become vested when the aggregate number of vehicle deliveries in any 12 consecutive months exceeds 1,000,000, 1,500,000, 2,000,000, 2,500,000 and 3,000,000, respectively.

On May 5, 2021, the board of directors of the Company approved to replace the options to purchase 108,557,400 Class B ordinary shares of the Company under the Company’s 2021 Share Incentive Plan previously granted to Mr. Li Xiang on March 8, 2021 with the same amount of restricted Class B ordinary shares (the ”Award Shares”) under the same plan, all of which will become legally vested upon grant on May 5, 2021. However, Mr. Li Xiang has also agreed, undertaken, and covenanted not to transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any interest in the Class B ordinary shares acquired upon vesting of the Award Shares, which are still subject to certain restrictions, terms and performance conditions substantially similar to the vesting conditions of the options being replaced. In addition to the performance conditions, Mr. Li Xiang is required to pay US$14.63 per share, which is equal to the exercise price of the options being replaced, to have the relevant tranche of the Award Shares released from the restrictions. Mr. Li Xiang also has agreed, undertaken, and covenanted not to cast any vote or claim any dividend paid on any Award Shares before such number of Award Shares are released from the restrictions. Any Award Shares that are not released from the restrictions by March 8, 2031 are subject to compulsory repurchase by the Company at their par value.

In July 2021, all such 108,557,400 Award Shares were converted from Class B Ordinary Shares (10 votes per share) to Class A Ordinary Shares (1 vote per share) on one-to-one basis with effect immediately upon the Company’s listing on the Main Board of HKEx in August 2021. The modification is solely subjected to satisfy HKEx’s requirement from legal perspective. Pursuant to the grant of the Award shares, Mr. Li Xiang has undertaken and covenanted that unless and until, in respect of any tranche of Award Shares, (a) the relevant performance condition has been met and (b) the relevant exercise price (US$14.63) has been paid, Mr. Li Xiang will not offer, pledge, sell any relating award shares and claim dividend or voting rights in respect of the Award Shares.

As of December 31, 2022, the Group did not recognize any compensation expense for shares granted to Mr. Li Xiang, because the Group considers it is not probable, December 31, 2022, that the performance-based vesting conditions will be satisfied. Therefore, there were US$538,445 of unrecognized compensation expenses related to the restricted shares granted under 2021 Plan as of December 31, 2022.

The following table summarizes activities of the Company’s performance-based restricted shares under the 2021 Plan for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022:

    

Number of 

    

Weighted 

    

Weighted Average 

Shares

Average Exercise 

Remaining 

Granted

Price

Contractual Life

US$

In Years

December 31, 2020

 

 

 

Granted

 

108,557,400

 

14.63

 

December 31, 2021

 

108,557,400

 

14.63

 

9.19

Granted

December 31, 2022

108,557,400

14.63

8.19

The weighted-average grant date fair value for restricted shares granted under the Company’s 2021 Plan for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022 were both US$4.96, computed using the binomial pricing model.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

24. Share-based Compensation (Continued)

The fair value of the restricted shares granted under the Company’s 2021 Plan was estimated on the date of grant using the binomial pricing model with the assumptions (or ranges thereof) in the following table (no new grants during the comparative December 31, 2022 period):

    

For the Year Ended December 31, 

 

2021

 

Exercise price (US$)

 

14.63

Fair value of the ordinary shares on the date of restricted shares grant (US$)

 

10.67

Risk-free interest rate

 

1.59

%

Expected term (in years)

 

10.00

Expected dividend yield

 

0

%

Expected volatility

 

47

%

Risk-free interest rate is estimated based on the yield curve of US Sovereign Bond as of the valuation date. The expected volatility at the grant date and each valuation date is estimated based on annualized standard deviation of daily stock price return of comparable companies with a time horizon close to the expected expiry of the term of the restricted shares. The Group has never declared or paid any cash dividend on its capital stock, and the Group does not anticipate any dividend payments in the foreseeable future. Expected term is the contract life of the restricted shares.

25. Taxation

(a)Value added tax

The Group is subject to statutory VAT rate of 13% for revenue from sales of vehicles and spare parts in the PRC.

Wheels Technology is subject to 13% VAT for software research and development and relevant services. Wheels Technology is entitled to a VAT refund in excess of 3% output VAT on the total VAT payable from April 2021, after completing the registration with relevant authorities and obtaining a refund approval from local tax bureau. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, nil, nil and RMB234,531 of VAT refunds were received and were recorded as Others, net.

(b)Income taxes

Cayman Islands

The Company is incorporated in the Cayman Islands and conducts most of its business through its subsidiaries located in Mainland China and Hong Kong. Under the current laws of the Cayman Islands, the Company is not subject to tax on either income or capital gain. Additionally, upon payments of dividends to the shareholders, no Cayman Islands withholding tax will be imposed.

PRC

Beijing CHJ and Wheels Technology are qualified as a “high and new technology enterprise” under the EIT Law and are eligible for a preferential enterprise income tax rate of 15%, respectively. The high and new technology enterprise certificate is effective for a period of three years. Other Chinese companies are subject to enterprise income tax (“EIT”) at a uniform rate of 25% as of December 31, 2022.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

25. Taxation (Continued)

Wheels Technology, which is our wholly-owned entity primarily engaged in the operations of technology, software research and development and relevant services, was awarded as a Software Enterprise and was thereby entitled to an income tax exemption for two years beginning from its first profitable calendar year since 2021, and a 50% reduction in the standard statutory rate for the subsequent three consecutive years.

Under the EIT Law enacted by the National People’s Congress of PRC on March 16, 2007 and its implementation rules which became effective on January 1, 2008, dividends generated after January 1, 2008 and payable by a foreign investment enterprise in the PRC to its foreign investors who are non-resident enterprises are subject to a 10% withholding tax, unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with the PRC that provides for a different withholding arrangement. Under the taxation arrangement between the PRC and Hong Kong, a qualified Hong Kong tax resident which is the “beneficial owner” and directly holds 25% or more of the equity interest in a PRC resident enterprise is entitled to a reduced withholding tax rate of 5%. The Cayman Islands, where the Company was incorporated, does not have a tax treaty with PRC.

The EIT Law also provides that an enterprise established under the laws of a foreign country or region but whose “de facto management body” is located in the PRC be treated as a resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes and consequently be subject to the PRC income tax at the rate of 25% for its global income. The Implementing Rules of the EIT Law merely define the location of the “de facto management body” as “the place where the exercising, in substance, of the overall management and control of the production and business operation, personnel, accounting, properties, etc., of a non-PRC company is located”. Based on a review of surrounding facts and circumstances, the Group does not believe that it is likely that its operations outside of the PRC will be considered a resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However, due to limited guidance and implementation history of the EIT Law, there is uncertainty as to the application of the EIT Law. Should the Company be treated as a resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes, the Company will be subject to PRC income tax on worldwide income at a uniform tax rate of 25%.

According to relevant laws and regulations promulgated by the State Administration of Tax of the PRC, enterprises engaging in research and development activities were entitled to claim 150% of their research and development expenses incurred as tax deductible expenses when determining their assessable profits for that year (the “R&D Deduction”). The State Taxation Administration of the PRC announced in September 2018 that enterprises engaging in research and development activities would be entitled to claim 175% of their research and development expenses as R&D Deduction from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2023.

Withholding tax on undistributed dividends

According to the current EIT Law and its implementation rules, foreign enterprises, which have no establishment or place in China but derive dividends, interest, rents, royalties and other income (including capital gains) from sources in China or which have an establishment or place in China but the aforementioned incomes are not connected with the establishment or place shall be subject to the PRC withholding tax (“WHT”) at 10% (a further reduced WHT rate may be available according to the applicable double tax treaty or arrangement provided that the foreign enterprise is the tax resident of the jurisdiction where it is located and it is the beneficial owner of the dividends, interest and royalties income).

Hong Kong

Under the current Hong Kong Inland Revenue Ordinance, the subsidiaries of the Group incorporated in Hong Kong are subject to 16.5% Hong Kong profit tax on their taxable income generated from operations in Hong Kong. Additionally, payments of dividends by the subsidiaries incorporated in Hong Kong to the Company are not subject to any Hong Kong withholding tax.

Singapore

Corporate taxpayers are subject to Singapore income tax on income accruing in or derived from Singapore and foreign-source income received or deemed to be received in Singapore from outside Singapore, unless specifically exempted from tax. The prevailing corporate income tax rate in Singapore is 17%. Additionally, payments of dividends by the subsidiaries incorporated in Singapore to the Company are not subject to any Singapore withholding tax.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

25. Taxation (Continued)

Composition of income tax expense and income tax benefit for the periods presented is as follows:

    

For the Years Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Current income tax expense

1,331

Deferred income tax expense/(benefit)

 

(22,847)

 

168,643

 

(128,338)

Income tax (benefit)/expense

 

(22,847)

 

168,643

 

(127,007)

Reconciliations of the income tax expense computed by applying the PRC statutory income tax rate of 25% to the Group’s income tax expense for each of the years presented are as follows:

For the Years Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Loss before income tax expense

 

(188,877)

 

(152,812)

 

(2,159,355)

Income tax credit computed at PRC statutory income tax rate of 25%

 

(47,219)

 

(38,203)

 

(539,839)

Tax effect of tax‑exempt entity and preferential tax rate

 

30,140

 

(89,928)

 

(321,507)

Tax effect of R&D Deduction and others

 

(144,503)

 

(314,141)

 

(648,317)

Non‑deductible expenses

 

21,511

 

318,185

 

566,597

Change in valuation allowance

 

117,224

 

292,730

 

816,059

Income tax (benefit)/expense

 

(22,847)

 

168,643

 

(127,007)

For the years ended December 31, 2022, the loss before income tax expenses have increased and resulted in a larger net operating loss, which need to be fully valuation allowanced.

(c)Deferred tax

The Group considers positive and negative evidence to determine whether some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be more-likely-than-not realized. This assessment considers, among other matters, the nature, frequency and severity of recent loss and forecasts of future profitability. These assumptions require significant judgment and the forecasts of future taxable income are consistent with the plans and estimates the Group is using to manage the underlying business. The statutory income tax rate of 25% or applicable preferential income tax rates were applied when calculating deferred tax assets.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

25. Taxation (Continued)

The Group’s deferred tax assets (liabilities) consist of the following components:

    

For the Years Ended December 31, 

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Deferred tax assets

Net operating loss carryforwards

 

1,144,397

 

1,119,659

 

1,522,412

Accrued expenses and others

 

66,773

 

228,734

 

416,517

Inventory write-downs and losses on inventory purchase commitments

219,518

Impairment of long-lived assets and allowance for credit losses

7,694

13,224

15,093

Acquisition of Changzhou Manufacturing Base Phase I and Phase II (Note 10) and Changzhou Huixiang (Note 5)

 

 

11,969

 

13,782

Depreciation and amortization

16,220

190

Unrealized financing cost and investment loss

 

13,125

 

 

900

Total deferred tax assets

 

1,248,209

 

1,373,776

 

2,188,222

Less: Valuation allowance

 

(1,004,665)

 

(1,297,395)

 

(2,113,455)

Deferred tax assets, net of valuation allowance

243,544

76,381

74,767

Deferred tax liabilities

Accelerated tax depreciation and others

(215,030)

(195,121)

(68,652)

Fair value change of certain investments

(5,667)

(15,087)

(9,157)

Total deferred tax liabilities

(220,697)

(210,208)

(77,809)

Deferred tax assets/(liabilities), net

 

22,847

 

(133,827)

 

(3,042)

A valuation allowance is provided against deferred tax assets when the Group determines that it is more-likely-than-not that the deferred tax assets will not be utilized in the future. Movement of valuation allowance is as follow:

    

For the Years Ended December 31, 

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Valuation allowance

 

  

 

  

Balance at beginning of the year

 

887,441

 

1,004,665

 

1,297,395

Additions

148,458

395,955

1,147,602

Reversals

 

(31,234)

 

(103,225)

 

(331,542)

Balance at ending of the year

 

1,004,665

 

1,297,395

 

2,113,455

For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Group forecasted Beijing CHJ Automobile Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing CHJ Technology”) is likely to achieve pre-tax profit in 2023 and will be likely to utilize part of accumulated net loss carryforwards from prior years. As a result, the Group made an assessment and determined that a portion of the gross deferred tax assets of Beijing CHJ Technology is more-likely-than-not to be utilized in the future, and therefore concluded that the valuation allowance relating to these gross deferred tax assets, amounting to RMB63,432 for this subsidiary should be reversed in the income statement as a credit to income tax expense. Except for deferred tax assets recognised for Beijing CHJ Technology, all other deferred tax assets are fully valuation allowanced.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

25. Taxation (Continued)

As of December 31, 2022, the Group had net operating loss carryforwards of approximately RMB6,993,136 which mainly arose from the Group’s certain subsidiaries, VIEs and the VIEs’ subsidiaries established in the PRC. These net operating losses can be carried forward to offset future taxable income and will expire during the period from 2023 to 2032. As of December 31, 2022, deferred tax assets which arose from the net operating loss carryforwards amounting to RMB1,458,980 were fully provided for a related valuation allowance, while the remaining RMB63,432 were expected to be utilized prior to expiration.

Uncertain Tax Positions

The Group did not identify any significant unrecognized tax benefits for each of the periods presented. The Group did not incur any interest related to unrecognized tax benefits, did not recognize any penalties as income tax expense and also does not anticipate any significant change in unrecognized tax benefits within 12 months from December 31, 2022.

(d)Consumption tax

Chongqing Lixiang Automobile Co Ltd (“Chongqing Lixiang Automobile”), as a subsidiary of the Company, is eligible for consumption tax rate of 3% and related surcharge. The consumption tax is calculated based on the sales price of its self-manufactured vehicles at 3% consumption tax rate from August 2021.

26. Fair Value Measurement

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis

Assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis include: short-term investments and investment in equity securities with readily determinable fair values.

The following table presents the major financial instruments measured at fair value, by level within the fair value hierarchy as of December 31, 2021 and 2022.

Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using

    

    

Quoted Prices

    

  

    

Fair Value as of

in Active Markets for

Significant Other

Significant

December 31, 

Identical Assets

Observable Inputs

Unobservable Inputs

2021

(Level 1)

(Level 2)

(Level 3)

Assets

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Short-term investments

 

19,157,428

 

 

19,157,428

 

Equity securities with readily determinable fair value

 

28,452

 

28,452

 

 

Total assets

 

19,185,880

 

28,452

 

19,157,428

 

Fair Value Measurement at Reporting Date Using

Quoted Prices

Fair Value as of

in Active Markets for

Significant Other

Significant

December 31, 

Identical Assets

Observable Inputs

Unobservable Inputs

2022

(Level 1)

(Level 2)

(Level 3)

Assets

    

  

    

  

    

  

    

  

Short-term investments

 

18,026,310

 

 

18,026,310

 

Long-term financial instruments

50,615

50,615

Equity securities with readily determinable fair value

 

12,966

 

12,966

 

 

Total assets

 

18,089,891

 

12,966

 

18,076,925

 

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

26. Fair Value Measurement (Continued)

Valuation Techniques

Short-term investments: Short-term investments are investments in financial instruments with variable interest rates and maturity dates within one year. Long-term financial instruments: Long-term financial instruments are investments in financial instruments with variable interest rates and maturity dates greater than one year. Fair value is estimated based on quoted prices of similar financial products provided by the banks at the end of each period (Level 2). The related gain/(loss) amounts are recognized in “interest income and investment income, net” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss).

Equity securities with readily determinable fair value: Equity securities with readily determinable fair values are marketable equity securities which are publicly traded stocks measured at fair value. These securities are valued using the market approach based on the quoted prices in active markets at the reporting date. The Group classifies the valuation techniques that use these inputs as Level 1 of fair value measurements. The related gain/(loss) amounts are recognized in “interest income and investment income, net” in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income/(loss).

Assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis

Assets measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis include: investments in equity securities without readily determinable fair value and equity method investments, as well as property, plant and equipment and inventory. For investments in equity securities without readily determinable fair value, no measurement event occurred during the periods presented. The equity securities without readily determinable fair value were RMB93,150 and RMB558,004 as of December 31, 2021 and 2022. Nil, nil and RMB7,200 impairment charges were recognized for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022. For equity method investments, no impairment loss was recognized for all periods presented. The Group recorded RMB30,381, RMB27,388 and nil impairment loss of property, plant and equipment, and nil, nil and RMB592,545 inventory write-downs for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022, respectively.

Assets and liabilities not measured at fair value but fair value disclosure is required

Financial assets and liabilities not measured at fair value include cash equivalents, time deposits, restricted cash, trade receivable, amounts due from related parties, prepayments and other current assets, short-term borrowings, trade and notes payable, amounts due to related parties, accruals and other current liabilities, other non-current assets, other non-current liabilities, and long-term borrowings.

The Group values its time deposits held in certain bank accounts using quoted prices for securities with similar characteristics and other observable inputs, and accordingly, the Group classifies the valuation techniques that use these inputs as Level 2. The Group classifies the valuation techniques that use the inputs as Level 2 for short-term borrowing as the rates of interest under the loan agreements with the lending banks were determined based on the prevailing interest rates in the market.

Trade receivable, amounts due from related parties, prepayments and other current assets, trade and notes payable, amounts due to related parties and accruals and other current liabilities are measured at amortized cost, their fair values approximate their carrying values given their short maturities.

Borrowings and convertible debt are measured at amortized cost. Their fair values were estimated by discounting the scheduled cash flows through to estimated maturity using estimated discount rates based on current offering rates of comparable institutions with similar services. The fair value of these borrowings obligations approximate their carrying value as the borrowing rates are similar to the market rates that are currently available to the Group for financing obligations with similar terms and credit risks and represent a level 2 measurement.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

27. Commitments and Contingencies

(a)Capital commitments

The Group’s capital commitments primarily relate to commitments on construction and purchase of production facilities, equipment and tooling. Total capital commitments contracted but not yet reflected in the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 were as follows:

    

Total

    

Less than One Year

    

13 Years

    

35 Years

    

Over 5 Years

Capital commitments

 

4,281,420

 

3,807,656

 

473,764

 

 

(b)Purchase obligations

The Group’s purchase obligations primarily relate to commitments on purchase of raw materials. Total purchase obligations contracted but not yet reflected in the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2022 were as follows:

    

Total

    

Less than One Year

    

13 Years

    

35 Years

    

Over 5 Years

Purchase obligations

 

10,238,626

 

10,238,626

 

 

 

(c)Legal proceedings

The Group records a liability when it is both probable that a liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. The Group reviews the need for any such liability on a regular basis.

Chongqing Zhizao was subject to ongoing legal proceedings arising from disputes of contracts entered into prior to the Group’s acquisition of Chongqing Zhizao in December 2018. Most of these legal proceedings were still at preliminary stages, and the Group was unable to predict the outcome of these cases, or reasonably estimate a range of the possible loss, if any, given the current status of the proceedings. Other than the unpaid contract amount that the Group assumed from Lifan Acquisition and included as the Retained Assets and Liabilities, the Group did not record any accrual for expected loss payments with respect to these cases as of December 26, 2019. The unpaid contract amounts were immaterial as of December 31, 2021 and 2022. In addition to the indemnification of the Retained Assets and Liabilities the Group obtained from Lifan Passenger Vehicle, Lifan Industry also agreed in the Lifan Acquisition Agreement that, it will indemnify any damages and loss arising from disputes of contracts entered into by Chongqing Zhizao prior to the Group’s acquisition of Chongqing Zhizao, including but not limited to above legal proceedings.

On December 26, 2019, the Group disposed 100% equity interest of Chongqing Zhizao, and the ongoing legal proceedings of Chongqing Zhizao were transferred out to Lifan Industry and Lifan Passenger Vehicle.

Other than the above legal proceedings, the Group does not have any material litigation, and has not recorded any material liabilities in this regard as of December 31, 2021 and 2022.

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

28. Related Party Balances and Transactions

The principal related parties with which the Group had transactions during the years presented are as follows:

Name of Entity or Individual

    

Relationship with the Company

 

Beijing Yihang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Yihang”)

Affiliate

Neolix Technologies Co., Ltd. (“Neolix Technologies”)

Affiliate

Airx (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (“Airx”)

Affiliate

Beijing Judianchuxing Technology Limited (“Beijing Judianchuxing”)

Affiliate

Suzhou Yihang Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (“Suzhou Yihang”)

Affiliate

Changzhou Huixiang New Energy Auto Parts Co., Ltd. (“Changzhou Huixiang”)

Affiliate before October 2022 (which became a subsidiary since then (Note 5))

Beijing Sankuai Online Technology Co., Ltd. (“Beijing Sankuai ”)

Controlled by Principal Shareholder

Hanhai Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (“Hanhai”)

Controlled by Principal Shareholder

The Group entered into the following related party transactions:

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

Purchase service from Beijing Sankuai

 

 

969

5,521

Purchase services from Hanhai

 

 

1,190

Purchase materials from Changzhou Huixiang

811

Purchase R&D service from Beijing Yihang

4,368

12,176

281

Purchase materials from Beijing Yihang

 

58,361

 

31,692

73

Purchase R&D service from Suzhou Yihang

3,772

The Group had the following related party balances:

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Due from Neolix Technologies

 

678

 

678

Due from Beijing Yihang

334

Total

1,012

678

As of December 31, 

    

2021

    

2022

Due to Beijing Yihang

7,102

5,921

Due to Beijing Sankuai

330

1,185

Due to Hanhai

 

 

61

Due to Airx

 

23

 

23

Due to Changzhou Huixiang

30,000

Total

 

37,455

 

7,190

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LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

29. Restricted Net Assets

The Group’s ability to pay dividends is primarily dependent on the Group receiving distributions of funds from its subsidiaries. Relevant PRC statutory laws and regulations permit payments of dividends by the Group’s subsidiaries, consolidated VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries incorporated in PRC only out of their retained earnings, if any, as determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. The results of operations reflected in the financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP differ from those reflected in the statutory financial statements of the Group’s subsidiaries.

In accordance with the PRC Regulations on Enterprises with Foreign Investment, a foreign invested enterprise established in the PRC is required to provide certain statutory reserve funds, namely general reserve fund, the enterprise expansion fund and staff welfare and bonus fund which are appropriated from net profits as reported in the enterprise’s PRC statutory financial statements. A foreign invested enterprise is required to allocate at least 10% of its annual after-tax profits to the general reserve fund until such reserve fund has reached 50% of its registered capital based on the enterprise’s PRC statutory financial statements. Appropriations to the enterprise expansion fund and staff welfare and bonus fund are at the discretion of the board of directors for all foreign invested enterprises. The aforementioned reserved funds can only be used for specific purposes and are not distributable as cash dividends.

Additionally, in accordance with the Company Law of the PRC, a domestic enterprise is required to provide statutory surplus fund at least 10% of its annual after-tax profits until such statutory surplus fund has reached 50% of its registered capital based on the enterprise’s PRC statutory financial statements. A domestic enterprise is also required to provide discretionary surplus fund, at the discretion of the board of directors, from the net profits reported in the enterprise’s PRC statutory financial statements. The aforementioned reserve funds can only be used for specific purposes and are not distributable as cash dividends.

As a result of these PRC laws and regulations that require annual appropriations of 10% of net after-tax profits to be set aside prior to payment of dividends as general reserve fund or statutory surplus fund, the Group’s PRC subsidiaries, consolidated VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries are restricted in their ability to transfer a portion of their net assets to the Company.

Amounts restricted include paid-in capital and statutory reserve funds, less accumulate deficit if as determined pursuant to PRC GAAP, totaling approximately RMB11,417,468 and RMB 9,492,844 as of December 31, 2021 and 2022, respectively; therefore in accordance with Rules 4-08 (e) (3) of Regulation S-X, the condensed parent company only financial statements as of December 31, 2021 and 2022 and for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2021 and 2022 are disclosed in Note 30.

30. Parent Company Only Condensed Financial Information

The Company performed a test on the restricted net assets of its consolidated subsidiaries and VIEs in accordance with Securities and Exchange Commission Regulation S-X Rule 4-08 (e) (3), General Notes to Financial Statements and concluded that it was applicable for the Company to disclose the financial information for the Company only.

The subsidiaries did not pay any dividend to the Company for the years presented. Certain information and footnote disclosures generally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with US GAAP have been condensed and omitted. The footnote disclosures contain supplemental information relating to the operations of the Company, as such, these statements are not the general-purpose financial statements of the reporting entity and should be read in conjunction with the notes to the consolidated financial statements of the Company.

The Company did not have significant capital and other commitments, or guarantees as of December 31, 2021 and 2022.

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Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

30. Parent Company Only Condensed Financial Information (Continued)

Condensed balance sheets

As of December 31, 

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

ASSETS

 

  

 

  

Current assets:

 

  

 

  

Cash and cash equivalents

 

14,762,875

 

974,224

Time deposits and short-term investments

 

7,020,662

 

2,195,952

Amounts due from subsidiaries of the Group

 

23,763,053

 

47,993,884

Prepayments and other current assets

 

10,211

 

3,132

Total current assets

 

45,556,801

 

51,167,192

Non-current assets:

 

 

Investments in subsidiaries, VIEs and VIEs' subsidiaries

 

890,788

 

Long-term investments

 

28,452

 

12,968

Property, plant and equipment, net

18

Total non-current assets

 

919,240

 

12,986

Total assets

 

46,476,041

 

51,180,178

LIABILITIES

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

Short-term borrowings

6,965

Accruals and other current liabilities

 

13,798

 

59,533

Total current liabilities

 

13,798

 

66,498

Non-current liabilities:

 

 

Long-term borrowings

 

5,397,941

 

6,254,979

Total non-current liabilities

 

5,397,941

 

6,254,979

Total liabilities

 

5,411,739

 

6,321,477

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

Class A Ordinary Shares

 

1,176

 

1,188

Class B Ordinary Shares

 

235

 

235

Treasury shares

(89)

(84)

Additional paid-in capital

 

49,390,486

 

53,869,322

Accumulated other comprehensive loss

 

(1,521,871)

 

(194,110)

Accumulated deficit

 

(6,805,635)

 

(8,817,850)

Total shareholders' equity

 

41,064,302

 

44,858,701

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

46,476,041

51,180,178

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Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

30. Parent Company Only Condensed Financial Information (Continued)

Condensed statements of comprehensive loss

For the Year Ended December 31, 

    

2020

    

2021

    

2022

RMB

RMB

RMB

Operating expenses:

 

  

 

  

Selling, general and administrative

 

(9,424)

 

(27,288)

 

(35,642)

Research and development

(852)

(629)

Total operating expenses

 

(9,424)

 

(28,140)

 

(36,271)

Loss from operations

 

(9,424)

 

(28,140)

 

(36,271)

Other income/(expense)

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

 

(21,369)

 

(43,096)

Interest income and investment income, net

 

111,290

 

283,737

 

190,528

Equity in loss of subsidiaries, VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries

 

(520,093)

 

(563,106)

 

(2,300,538)

Change in fair value of warrants and derivative liabilities

272,327

Others, net

 

(5,757)

 

7,423

 

177,165

Loss before income tax expense

 

(151,657)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,012,212)

Income tax expense

 

 

 

(3)

Net loss

 

(151,657)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,012,215)

Accretion on convertible redeemable preferred shares to redemption value

 

(651,190)

 

 

Effect of exchange rate changes on convertible redeemable preferred shares

 

10,862

 

 

Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.

 

(791,985)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,012,215)

Net loss

 

(151,657)

 

(321,455)

 

(2,012,215)

Other comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax

 

 

 

Foreign currency translation adjustment, net of tax

 

(1,020,728)

 

(516,687)

 

1,327,761

Total comprehensive loss, net of tax

 

(1,172,385)

 

(838,142)

 

(684,454)

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Table of Contents

LI AUTO INC.

NOTES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

(All amounts in thousands, except for share and per share data)

30. Parent Company Only Condensed Financial Information (Continued)

Condensed statements of cash flows

For the Year Ended December 31, 

2020

2021

2022

    

RMB

    

RMB

    

RMB

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

 

  

 

  

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

109,961

 

367,063

 

450,517

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

Payments to, and investments in subsidiaries, VIEs and VIEs' subsidiaries

 

(10,006,889)

 

(10,157,678)

 

(23,397,234)

Placement of time deposits

 

 

(298,284)

 

Redemption of time deposits

 

463,527

 

297,654

 

Placement of short-term investments

 

(75,367,086)

 

(173,133,568)

 

(2,609,767)

Redemption of short-term investments

60,452,428

180,386,757

8,036,663

Purchase of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets

(25)

Net cash used in investing activities

 

(24,458,020)

 

(2,905,119)

 

(17,970,363)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

 

 

 

Proceeds from short-term borrowings and long-term borrowings

669,913

Repayment of long-term borrowings

(349,163)

Proceeds from issuance of convertible redeemable preferred shares, net of issuance costs

 

3,851,034

 

 

Proceeds from issuance of convertible debts

 

 

5,533,238

 

Proceeds from IPOs and concurrent private placements, net of issuance cost

 

11,034,685

 

11,004,778

 

Proceeds from follow-on offering, net of issuance costs

 

9,990,955

 

 

Proceeds from exercise of share options

1,139

6,728

Proceeds from issuance of ordinary shares

70

2,462,300

Net cash provided by financing activities

24,876,674

16,539,225

2,789,778

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

(20,248)

(387,668)

941,417

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents

 

508,367

 

13,613,501

 

(13,788,651)

Cash, cash equivalents at beginning of the year

 

641,007

 

1,149,374

 

14,762,875

Cash, cash equivalents at end of the year

 

1,149,374

 

14,762,875

 

974,224

Basis of presentation

The Company’s accounting policies are the same as the Group’s accounting policies with the exception of the accounting for the investments in subsidiaries and VIEs.

For the Company only condensed financial information, the Company records its investments in subsidiaries and VIEs under the equity method of accounting as prescribed in ASC 323, Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures.

Such investments are presented on the condensed balance sheets as “investments in subsidiaries, VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries” and shares in the subsidiaries and VIEs’ loss are presented as “equity in loss of subsidiaries, VIEs and VIEs’ subsidiaries” in the condensed statements of comprehensive loss. The parent company only condensed financial information should be read in conjunction with the Group’ consolidated financial statements.

F-78