LI AUTO(US:LI) 自动驾驶之心·2025-11-05 00:04Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the significant advancements made by Li Auto in the field of autonomous driving, particularly the introduction of the "end-to-end + VLM" system, which marks a turning point for the company in achieving industry leadership [5][7][40]. Group 1: Development of Autonomous Driving Technology - In March 2024, Li Auto's CEO expressed dissatisfaction with the company's autonomous driving progress, emphasizing the need for a shift to an end-to-end approach [4][9]. - The launch of the "end-to-end + VLM" system in July 2024 allowed Li Auto to finally experience true leadership in autonomous driving technology after years of following competitors [5][6]. - By October 2024, the trial driving of the new system accounted for 65% of user experiences in stores, indicating strong market enthusiasm [6][7]. Group 2: Market Performance and User Adoption - In 2024, the delivery share of models equipped with the AD Max system (featuring the new technology) reached 75.4% in the 300,000+ RMB segment and 84.6% in the 400,000+ RMB segment, a significant increase from just 20% earlier in the year [7][51]. - The rapid adoption of the end-to-end system led to a dramatic increase in user interest and sales, with the proportion of users experiencing the system rising to over 70% by the end of the year [51][52]. Group 3: Strategic Shifts and Team Expansion - In 2023, Li Auto began to learn from Huawei's approach to autonomous driving, significantly expanding its engineering team from around 600 to over 1,000 by the end of the year [10][11]. - Despite the team expansion, initial results did not meet expectations, prompting a strategic pivot towards the end-to-end model [11][24]. - The end-to-end project was initiated with a small, dedicated team, emphasizing the importance of voluntary participation and commitment to the project's success [27][28]. Group 4: Technical Innovations and Efficiency - The end-to-end project was completed in approximately 100 days, showcasing an unprecedented speed of development in the industry, with no significant errors reported during the process [46][56]. - The project utilized a one-stage end-to-end technology, integrating various functions into a single network, which allowed for more efficient processing and reduced complexity compared to traditional modular approaches [58][59]. - The success of the project was attributed to effective collaboration among team members and a strong focus on data-driven methodologies, which allowed for high-quality outcomes with a relatively small team [57][64]. Group 5: Data-Driven Approach - The foundation of Li Auto's success in autonomous driving is rooted in a robust data collection and processing system established by the team, which has been in development since 2018 [72][73]. - The company has emphasized the importance of high-quality data over sheer model complexity, leading to significant improvements in performance metrics [70][72].