Li Auto, the Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer founded in 2015 by entrepreneur Li Xiang, uses a minimalist monogram logo built from the letters “L” and “i.” The mark was introduced in October 2018 when the company, then operating as CHJ Automotive (Chehejia), launched its smart EV brand “理想智造” (Lixiang Zhizao, or “Leading Ideal”). The official announcement stated that the brand’s English name is “LEADING IDEAL” and that the “LI” logo takes its inspiration from the first letters of that English name. The Chinese name “理想” (Lixiang) is a homophone of founder Li Xiang’s full name, giving the brand a personal imprint. [1] [2]
Design and History
The Li Auto logo is a geometric monogram combining a bold “L” with an “i” constructed from two slanted parallelograms. The mark is typically rendered in black and pairs with the Chinese characters “理想” as part of the full brand lockup. [3]
In June 2019, the company unified its naming, dropping both “Chehejia” and “Lixiang Zhizao” in favor of the single brand name “理想汽车” (Li Auto). The company’s official website moved to lixiang.com at that time. [4]
In June 2022, Li Auto announced a “Brand 2.0” upgrade. The graphic “LI” monogram itself was retained, but the Chinese characters “理想” were refined. According to the company’s announcement, the adjustments balanced the visual weight of the two characters, made the Chinese characters’ stroke weight more consistent with the graphic mark, narrowed the spacing in the upper part of “想,” widened the bottom “心” component for a more solid appearance, and added rounded outer corners at the lower right of the characters to echo a sense of familial warmth. [5] [6]
Meaning and Symbolism
The “LI” monogram derives from the first letters of “LEADING IDEAL,” the brand’s English name. The Chinese brand name “理想” (Lixiang) shares its pronunciation with founder Li Xiang’s name, embedding the founder’s personal identity in the brand. [1] [2]
In 2022, the brand introduced a new color system built around “Deep Green” and “Warm Gold.” According to the brand agency MetaDesign, which worked with Li Auto on the brand strategy, Deep Green symbolizes nature and the expansive journeys families can take together, while the secondary color Sand (warm gold) reflects family joy and morning sunshine. These colors were positioned as a deliberate departure from the metallic, cool tones common in the tech and EV industry. [7]
Typography and Design
As part of the 2022 brand refresh, the Li Auto Branding Team partnered with the Chinese type foundry FounderType to develop a custom bilingual typeface called Licium Font 2022. According to MetaDesign, the typeface was designed to balance precision technology with a human touch, featuring rounded strokes and warm lines that soften the brand’s tech attributes. [7] [8]
The 2022 refresh also introduced a newly defined layout system in which the logo, typeface, colors and image style work together, optimized for digital applications. [7]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
