Currently reading: Li Auto: the first Tesla chaser to turn a profit

Nascent but highly profitable Beijing firm is moving from range-extenders to EVs, starting with a striking super-MPV

The most eye-catching launch at the Guangzhou motor show last week was a slippery, 5.3-metre-long electric MPV called the Mega.

The car sharply divided opinion with its truncated nose and aero-optimised ‘wind blade’ that fused the body with the C-pillars to wrap around the back end.

It was the brainchild of Li Auto, a Chinese ‘new energy vehicle’ start-up that has steadily become the most successful of the fast-followers of Tesla, beating the likes of Nio, Xpeng, Lucid, Rivian, Fisker and Zeekr to post profits in the past two quarters.

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