Why is nobody online criticizing range extenders anymore? Li Auto (理想汽车) executive: It’s awkward to keep criticizing when brands we support make them too

Online critics gone quiet, and Li Auto’s product chief noticed

It has been reported that Tang Jing (汤靖), head of product lines at Li Auto (理想汽车), asked on Weibo why the online attacks on range‑extender electric vehicles have suddenly faded — and he framed the silence bluntly: how do you keep trashing a technology when the brands you back are now selling it too? Tang also reportedly confirmed that the L9 Livis, fitted with Li Auto’s third‑generation range‑extender system, will be unveiled in the second quarter of this year.

From pariah to a mainstream option

Tang traced the shift in public opinion. In 2019–2020 Li ONE largely stood alone defending the range‑extender path. He recalled that in September 2020 a Volkswagen China executive reportedly called range extenders “nonsense” and “outdated,” and the internet echoed skepticism that the approach was merely a stopgap. Between 2022 and 2024 more makers tentatively experimented with range extenders, but by 2025–2026 the landscape changed: pure EV startups and traditional joint ventures alike began offering range‑extended variants — and even the OEMs that once derided the idea have reportedly announced mass‑production plans.

Tang offered two reasons for the change. Psychologically, supporters of brands that now adopt range extenders have little appetite to keep criticizing a solution their preferred manufacturers sell. Cognitively, engineers and commentators have come to appreciate the real complexity of managing two power systems — energy strategy, engine stop/start smoothness, thermal coordination and extreme‑condition robustness — problems that aren’t solved by slogans about “pure EVs.”

Li Auto’s in‑house pivot and the new L9 Livis

It has been reported that Li Auto’s range‑extender development has moved from outsourced hardware to full self‑reliance: the first‑generation unit was a Dong’an three‑cylinder, the second a joint‑venture four‑cylinder, and the third‑generation four‑cylinder for the L9 Livis is now claimed to be fully developed and produced at Li’s Changzhou plant with 100% proprietary IP. Tang described the new unit as ultra‑quiet, very fuel‑efficient and low‑maintenance — claims the company has emphasized as it readies the Livis flagship for launch.

What this signals for foreign observers

For Western readers unfamiliar with China’s automotive ecosystem, the debate is not just technical. China’s vast geography and uneven charging infrastructure make different powertrain architectures practical for different regions; what works in dense megacities may not suit small towns and rural routes. In the broader geopolitical context — with trade frictions and export controls affecting components and advanced chips — Chinese automakers have also prioritized in‑house R&D and supply‑chain resilience, which helps explain why a once‑derided technology can be rapidly normalized. As Tang put it, technology has no fixed endpoint — only improvements — and China’s market appears to be moving from binary “one‑right” bets to a more pragmatic, multi‑path approach. Who’s right — pure EV or range extender? Perhaps the market will decide, one use case at a time.