Materials manufacturer Covestro has entered a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Li Auto, a Chinese EV brand, to develop material solutions that enhance circularity and reduce carbon emissions.
“We are excited to partner with Li Auto and support their pursuit of intelligence and electrification in automobiles,” said Guido Naberfeld, senior vice president, head of sales and market development mobility at Covestro.
Under the agreement, Covestro and Li Auto will form a Joint Innovation Platform to drive the development of sustainable engineering plastics with alternative feedstocks, such as bio-waste and recycled sources.
Key initiatives will involve integrating materials with bio-circular content into automotive lighting, functional interior, exterior parts and smart system components. The two brands also agreed to explore innovative processes and business models for using recycled lighting materials in new automotive parts.
The two sides seek to collaborate in developing lighting, smart systems and thermal management solutions. This will include high-performance optical-grade materials, smart surface technologies and thermally conductive solutions.
“Li Auto is dedicated to implementing the ‘Smart + Electric’ strategy with innovative materials and designs, aiming to offer users a safer, more comfortable, convenient and refined travel experience,” said Liao Mengjun, vice president of R&D Operations at Li Auto.
During the MOU signing event at Covestro’s integrated production site in Shanghai, the two companies also unveiled two jointly developed materials: innovative light-diffusing and infrared-transparent Makrolon polycarbonates. The light-diffusing polycarbonate enables a more refined and evenly distributed illumination for smart headlights; and the new infrared-transparent polycarbonate achieves a high transmittance of over 85% in the near-infrared spectrum.
