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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM 20-F

 

 

(Mark One)

 

o         REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

OR

 

x      ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

 

OR

 

o         TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from                  to              

 

OR

 

o         SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of event requiring this shell company report

 

Commission File Number: 001-39407

 

Li Auto Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

N/A

(Translation of Registrant’s Name into English)

Cayman Islands

(Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)

11 Wenliang Street Shunyi District, Beijing 101399 People’s Republic of China

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Tie Li, Chief Financial Officer Telephone: +86 (10) 8742-7209 Email: ir@lixiang.com 11 Wenliang Street Shunyi District, Beijing 101399 People’s Republic of China

(Name, Telephone, Email and/or Facsimile Number and Address of Company Contact Person)

 

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

 

*                 Not for trading, but only in connection with the listing of American depositary shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market.

 

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Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

 

None

(Title of Class)

 

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:

 

None

(Title of Class)

 

Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer’s classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report: 1,453,476,230 Class A ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, and 355,812,080 Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share, as of December 31, 2020.

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

 

o Yes  x No

 

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

o Yes  x No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

 

x Yes  o No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

 

x Yes  o No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

 

Large Accelerated Filer o		Accelerated Filer o
Non-Accelerated Filer x		Emerging Growth Company o

 

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.

 

o

 

†               The term “new or revised financial accounting standard” refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. o

 

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

 

U.S. GAAP x

International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board o

Other o

 

If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.

 

o Item 17  o Item 18

 

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

 

o Yes  x No

 

(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Section 12, 13, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.

 

o Yes  o No

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

PART I.		3
ITEM 1.	IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS	3
ITEM 2.	OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE	3
ITEM 3.	KEY INFORMATION	3
ITEM 4	INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY	45
ITEM 4A.	UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS	73
ITEM 5.	OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS	73
ITEM 6.	DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES	90
ITEM 7.	MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS	99
ITEM 8.	FINANCIAL INFORMATION	102
ITEM 9.	THE OFFER AND LISTING	102
ITEM 10.	ADDITIONAL INFORMATION	103
ITEM 11.	QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK	112
ITEM 12.	DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES	113
PART II.		115
ITEM 13.	DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES	115
ITEM 14.	MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS	115
ITEM 15.	CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES	116
ITEM 16A.	AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT	117
ITEM 16B.	CODE OF ETHICS	117
ITEM 16C.	PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES	117
ITEM 16D.	EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES	118
ITEM 16E.	PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS	118
ITEM 16F.	CHANGE IN REGISTRANT’S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT	118
ITEM 16G.	CORPORATE GOVERNANCE	118
ITEM 16H.	MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE	118
PART III.		119
ITEM 17.	FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	119
ITEM 18.	FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	119
ITEM 19.	EXHIBITS	119

 

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INTRODUCTION

 

In this annual report, unless otherwise indicated or unless the context otherwise requires:

 

·                  “ADAS” refers to advanced driver-assistance systems;

 

·                  “ADRs” refers to the American depositary receipts that evidence our ADSs;

 

·                  “ADSs” refers to our American depositary shares, each of which represents two Class A ordinary shares;

 

·                  “BOM” refers to bill of materials;

 

·                  “China” or “PRC” refers to the People’s Republic of China, excluding, for the purpose of this annual report only, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan;

 

·                  “Class A ordinary shares” refers to our Class A ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 per share;

 

·                  “Class B ordinary shares” refers to our Class B ordinary shares with a par value of US$0.0001 per share;

 

·                  “ICE” refers to internal combustion engine;

 

·                  “Li Auto,” “we,” “us,” “our company,” or “our” refers to Li Auto Inc., a Cayman Islands exempted company, and its subsidiaries and its VIEs and their respective subsidiaries, as the context requires;

 

·                  “Meituan” refers to Meituan, formerly known as Meituan Dianping, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands and listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong;

 

·                  “MPVs” refers to multi-purpose vehicles;

 

·                  “MSRP” refers to manufacturer suggested retail price;

 

·                  “NEDC” refers to New European Driving Cycle;

 

·                  “NEVs” refers to new energy passenger vehicles, primarily including (i) “BEVs,” which refers to battery electric passenger vehicles, (ii) “EREVs,” which refers to extended-range electric passenger vehicles, and (iii) “PHEVs,” which refers to plug-in hybrid electric passenger vehicles;

 

·                  “ordinary shares” or “shares” refers to our Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares, par value US$0.0001 per share;

 

·                  “Renminbi” or “RMB” refers to the legal currency of China;

 

·                  “SUVs” refers to sport utility vehicles;

 

·                  “US$” or “U.S. dollars” refers to the legal currency of the United States;

 

·                  “VIEs” refers to variable interest entities, and “our VIEs” refers to Beijing CHJ Information Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing CHJ, and Beijing Xindian Transport Information Technology Co., Ltd., or Xindian Information; and

 

·                  “SEC” refers to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.

 

Any discrepancies in any table between the amounts identified as total amounts and the sum of the amounts listed therein are due to rounding.

 

Our reporting currency is Renminbi, or RMB. This annual report on Form 20-F contains translations from RMB to U.S. dollars solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise stated, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars were made at a rate of RMB6.5250 to US$1.00, the exchange rate in effect as of December 31, 2020 as set forth in the H.10 statistical release of The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. We make no representation that any RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted into U.S. dollars, as the case may be, at any particular rate, or at all.

 

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FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

 

This annual report contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current expectations and views of future events. The forward-looking statements are contained principally in the sections entitled “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview” and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.” These forward-looking statements are made under the “safe-harbor” provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including those listed under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

 

You can identify some of these forward-looking statements by words or phrases such as “may,” “might,” “will,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “aim,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “is/are likely to,” “potential,” “continue,” or other similar expressions. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to:

 

·                  our goals and strategies;

 

·                  our future business development, financial conditions and results of operations;

 

·                  the expected outlook of the automotive market including the NEV market in China;

 

·                  our expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of our products;

 

·                  our expectations regarding our relationships with users, suppliers, third-party service providers, strategic partners and other stakeholders;

 

·                  competition in our industry; and

 

·                  relevant government policies and regulations relating to our industry.

 

These forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. Although we believe that our expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, our expectations may later be found to be incorrect. Our actual results could be materially different from our expectations. Important risks and factors that could cause our actual results to be materially different from our expectations are generally set forth in “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors,” “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview,” “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects,” and other sections in this annual report. You should read thoroughly this annual report and the documents that we refer to with the understanding that our actual future results may be materially different from and worse than what we expect. We qualify all of our forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

 

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PART I.

 

ITEM 1.                             IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 2.                             OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 3.                             KEY INFORMATION

 

A.                                    Selected Financial Data

 

The following selected consolidated statements of comprehensive loss data and selected consolidated cash flow data for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2019, and 2020 and the selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2019 and 2020 have been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements, which are included in this annual report beginning on page F-1. The selected consolidated balance sheet data as of December 31, 2018 has been derived from our audited consolidated financial statements that are not included in this annual report. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of results expected for future periods. You should read this selected financial data together with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes and information under “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” in this annual report. Our consolidated financial statements are prepared and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP.

 

		For the Year Ended December 31,
		2018		2019		2020
		RMB		RMB		RMB		US$
		(in thousands, except for share and per share data)
Selected Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss Data:
Revenues:
—Vehicle sales		—		280,967		9,282,703		1,422,636
—Other sales and services		—		3,400		173,906		26,652
Total revenues		—		284,367		9,456,609		1,449,288
Cost of sales(1):
—Vehicle sales		—		(279,555	)	(7,763,628	)	(1,189,828	)
—Other sales and services		—		(4,907	)	(143,642	)	(22,014	)
Total cost of sales		—		(284,462	)	(7,907,270	)	(1,211,842	)
Gross (loss)/profit		—		(95	)	1,549,339		237,446
Operating expenses:
—Research and development(1)		(793,717	)	(1,169,140	)	(1,099,857	)	(168,560	)
—Selling, general and administrative(1)		(337,200	)	(689,379	)	(1,118,819	)	(171,467	)
Total operating expenses		(1,130,917	)	(1,858,519	)	(2,218,676	)	(340,027	)
Loss from operations		(1,130,917	)	(1,858,614	)	(669,337	)	(102,581	)
Other (expense)/income		(34,379	)	(559,260	)	480,460		73,634
Loss before income tax expense		(1,165,296	)	(2,417,874	)	(188,877	)	(28,947	)
Net loss		(1,532,318	)	(2,438,536	)	(151,657	)	(23,243	)
Net loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.		(1,849,638	)	(3,281,607	)	(791,985	)	(121,377	)
Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing net loss per share
Basic and diluted		255,000,000		255,000,000		870,003,278		870,003,278
Net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders
Basic and diluted		(7.25	)	(12.87	)	(0.91	)	(0.14	)
Net loss		(1,532,318	)	(2,438,536	)	(151,657	)	(23,243	)
Total other comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax		12,954		2,851		(1,020,728	)	(156,423	)
Total comprehensive loss, net of tax		(1,519,364	)	(2,435,685	)	(1,172,385	)	(179,666	)
Comprehensive loss attributable to ordinary shareholders of Li Auto Inc.		(1,836,684	)	(3,278,756	)	(1,812,713	)	(277,800	)

 

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Note:

(1)         Share-based compensation expenses were allocated as follows:

 

		For the Year Ended December 31,
		2018		2019		2020
		RMB		RMB		RMB		US$
		(in thousands)
Cost of sales		—		—		1,515		232
Research and development expenses		—		—		60,789		9,316
Selling, general and administrative expenses		—		—		80,491		12,336
Total		—		—		142,795		21,884

 

The following table presents our selected consolidated balance sheet data as of the dates indicated:

 

		As of December 31,
		2018		2019		2020
		RMB		RMB		RMB		US$
		(in thousands)
Selected Consolidated Balance Sheet Data:
Cash and cash equivalents		70,192		1,296,215		8,938,341		1,369,861
Restricted cash		25,000		140,027		1,234,178		189,146
Time deposits and short-term investments		859,913		2,272,653		19,701,382		3,019,369
Total assets		5,780,940		9,513,422		36,373,276		5,574,449
Total liabilities		2,977,676		4,932,291		6,569,679		1,006,846
Total mezzanine equity		5,199,039		10,255,662		—		—
Total shareholders’ (deficit)/equity		(2,395,775	)	(5,674,531	)	29,803,597		4,567,603
Total liabilities, mezzanine equity and shareholders’ (deficit)/equity		5,780,940		9,513,422		36,373,276		5,574,449

 

The following table presents our selected consolidated cash flow data for the years indicated:

 

		For the Year Ended December 31,
		2018		2019		2020
		RMB		RMB		RMB		US$
		(in thousands)
Selected Consolidated Cash Flow Data:
Net cash (used in)/provided by operating activities		(1,346,805	)	(1,793,710	)	3,139,804		481,196
Net cash used in investing activities		(191,512	)	(2,574,836	)	(18,737,725	)	(2,871,683	)
Net cash provided by financing activities		1,108,658		5,655,690		24,710,697		3,787,080
Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash		3,299		53,722		(376,646	)	(57,722	)
Net (decrease)/increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash		(426,360	)	1,340,866		8,736,130		1,338,871
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the year		521,883		95,523		1,436,389		220,136
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the end of the year		95,523		1,436,389		10,172,519		1,559,007

 

B.                                    Capitalization and Indebtedness

 

Not applicable.

 

C.                                    Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

 

Not applicable.

 

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D.            Risks Factors

 

Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry

 

We have a limited operating history and face significant challenges as a new entrant into our industry.

 

We were founded in 2015, started volume production of our first vehicle model, Li ONE, in November 2019, and delivered over 33,500 Li ONEs as of December 31, 2020. There is no historical basis for making judgments on the demand for our vehicles or our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver vehicles, or our profitability in the future. It is difficult to predict our future revenues and appropriately budget for our expenses, and we may have limited insight into trends that may emerge and affect our business. You should consider our business and prospects in light of the risks and challenges we face as a new entrant into our industry, including with respect to our ability to continuously advance our EV technologies, including EREV technologies, develop and manufacture safe, reliable, and quality vehicles that appeal to users; delivery and servicing of a large volume of vehicles; turn profitable; build a well-recognized and respected brand cost-effectively; expand our vehicle lineup; navigate the evolving regulatory environment; improve and maintain our operational efficiency; manage supply chain effectively; and adapt to changing market conditions, including technological developments and changes in competitive landscape; and manage our growth effectively.

 

While we currently focus on SUVs equipped with range extension systems, we cannot assure you that our product roadmap will remain solely focused on this vehicle type, and we may introduce new models in other categories or using other technologies that we have less experience in, such as BEV models or BEV technologies, as we may adjust our strategies and plans from time to time to remain competitive as a new entrant into our industry. If we fail to address any or all of these risks and challenges, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

 

We are subject to risks associated with EREVs.

 

EREV technologies are advanced technologies with limited instances of successful commercialization. There is no assurance that EREVs will be continue to be accepted by the market. Moreover, our business and future operating results will depend on our ability to continue to develop our EREV technologies and improve the performance and efficiency in a cost-effective and timely manner. Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in the EREV technologies as well as developments in other EV technologies, including BEV technology, which may reduce the competitive advantages of EREV technology. As technologies evolve, we may plan to upgrade or adapt our vehicles and introduce new models with the latest technologies, including EREV technologies. This will require us to invest resources in research and development and to cooperate effectively on new designs with our suppliers, develop actionable insights from data analysis and user feedback, and respond effectively to technological changes and policy and regulatory developments.

 

As a pioneer to successfully commercialize EREVs in China, we have limited experience to date in volume production of EREVs. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain efficient and automated manufacturing capabilities and processes, or reliable sources of component supply that will enable us to meet the quality, price, design, engineering, and production standards, as well as the production volumes to satisfy the market demand for Li ONE and future models.

 

We also believe that user confidence in EREVs is essential in promoting our vehicles. As a result, consumers will be less likely to purchase our EREVs if they are not convinced of the technical and functional superiority of EREVs. Any defects in or significant malfunctioning of the range extension system, or any negative perceptions of EREVs with or without any grounds, may weaken consumer confidence in EREVs, cause safety concerns among consumers and negatively impact our brand name, financial condition, and results of operations. Similarly, suppliers and other third parties will be less likely to invest time and resources in developing business relationships with us if they are not convinced that our business will succeed.

 

Our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver automobiles of high quality and appeal to users, on schedule, and on a large scale is unproven and still evolving.

 

The sustainability of our business depends, in large part, on our ability to timely execute our plan to develop, manufacture, and deliver on a large scale automobiles of high quality and appeal to users. The current annual production capacity of our own Changzhou manufacturing facility is 100,000 vehicles, which we plan to fully utilize and increase to 200,000 vehicles in 2022.  Our Changzhou manufacturing facility will continue to produce Li ONE and, with additional investment in necessary tooling and fixture upgrades, our planned full-size premium smart extended-range electric SUV. To date we have limited automobile manufacturing experience to balance production volume and vehicle quality and appeal, and therefore cannot assure you that we will be able to achieve our targeted production volume of commercially viable vehicles on a timely basis, or at all.

 

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Our continued development, manufacturing, and delivery of automobiles of high quality to achieve our targeted production volume are and will be subject to risks, including with respect to:

 

·                  lack of necessary funding;

 

·                  delays or disruptions in our supply chain;

 

·                  quality control deficiencies;

 

·                  compliance with environmental, workplace safety, and relevant regulations; and

 

·                  cost overruns.

 

Historically, automakers are expected to periodically introduce new and improved models to stay abreast of the market. To remain competitive, we may be required to introduce new vehicle models and perform facelifts on existing vehicle models earlier or more frequently than is originally planned. We cannot assure you that facelifts on Li ONE or any future models we launch will appeal to the users as we expect or that any introduction of new models or facelifts will not affect the sales of existing models.

 

Furthermore, we rely on third-party suppliers for the provision and development of many of the key components and materials used in our vehicles. To the extent our suppliers experience any difficulties in providing us with or developing necessary components, we could experience delays in delivering vehicles. Any delay in the development, manufacturing, and delivery of Li ONE or future models, or in performing facelifts to existing models, could subject us to user complaints and materially and adversely affect our reputation, demand for our vehicles, and our growth prospects.

 

Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

We had negative net cash flows from operations in the past and have not been profitable, which may continue in the future.

 

We have not been profitable since our inception. We incurred net loss of RMB1.5 billion, RMB2.4 billion, and RMB151.7 million (US$23.2 million) in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively. In addition, we had negative net cash flows from operating activities of RMB1.3 billion and RMB1.8 billion in 2018 and 2019, respectively. In 2020, we had positive net cash flows from operating activities of RMB3.1 billion (US$481.2 million). We made capital expenditures of RMB970.7 million, RMB952.9 million, and RMB675.2 million (US$103.5 million) in 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively. The pressure on us to generate or maintain positive cash flow may be further exacerbated by our contractual obligations, including capital commitments, operating lease obligations, purchase obligations, finance leases and borrowings. We expect to continue to invest in the production ramp-up of Li ONE, expansion of the Changzhou manufacturing facility, expansion of retail stores, galleries, and delivery and servicing centers, and research and development to further expand our business. These investments may not result in revenue increase, or at all, and we may have negative net cash flows from operations again in the future.

 

We may not generate sufficient revenues or continue to incur substantial losses for a number of reasons, including lack of demand for our vehicles, increasing competition, and other risks discussed herein, and we may incur unforeseen expenses, or encounter difficulties, complications, or delays in deriving revenues or achieving profitability.

 

Our vehicles may not perform in line with user expectations and may contain defects.

 

Our vehicles, including Li ONE, may not perform in line with user expectations. Any product defects or any other failure of our vehicles to perform or operate as expected could harm our reputation and result in negative publicity, lost revenue, delivery delays, product recalls, product liability claims, harm to our brand, and significant expenses including warranty and other items that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

Our vehicles may contain design and manufacturing defects. The design and manufacturing of our vehicles are complex and could contain latent defects and errors, which may cause our vehicles not to perform or operate as expected or even result in property damage or personal injuries. Furthermore, our vehicles use a substantial amount of third-party and in-house software codes and complex hardware to operate. Advanced technologies are inherently complex, and defects and errors may be revealed over time. Our control over the long-term consistent performance of third-party services and systems is limited. While we have performed extensive internal testing on our vehicles’ software and hardware systems, we have a limited frame of reference by which to assess the long-term performance of our systems and vehicles. We cannot assure you that we will be able to detect and fix any defects in the vehicles on a timely basis, or at all.

 

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In addition, we have limited operating history in testing, delivering, and servicing our vehicles. Although we have established rigorous protocols in each process of testing, delivering, and servicing of our vehicles where manual operations are required, there could be maloperation, negligence, or failure to follow protocols by our employees or third-party service providers. Such human error could result in failure of our vehicles to perform or operate as expected. We cannot assure you that we will be able to completely prevent human errors.

 

In addition, any defects in or significant malfunctioning of the range extension system may weaken user confidence in EREVs. If any of our vehicles fail to perform or operate as expected, whether as a result of human error or otherwise, we may need to delay deliveries, initiate product recalls, provide servicing or updates under warranty at our expense, and face potential lawsuits, which could adversely affect our brand, business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

We may not be successful in the highly competitive China automotive market, especially its premium SUV segment.

 

The China automotive market is highly competitive. We compete with ICE vehicles as well as new energy vehicles, including BEVs. Many of our current and potential competitors and/or new market entrants have significantly greater financial, technical, manufacturing, marketing and branding, talents, and other resources than we do and may be able to devote greater resources to the design, development, manufacturing, marketing, sales, and support of their vehicles. Particularly, there are many experienced international competitors in the premium SUV segment.

 

We expect competition in the China automotive market to intensify in the future in light of intense price competition and phase-out of government subsidies. Factors affecting competition include, among others, technological innovation, product quality and safety, product pricing, sales efficiency, manufacturing efficiency, quality of services, branding, and design and styling. Increasing competition may lead to lower vehicle unit sales and increasing inventory, which may result in downward price pressure and may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. Our ability to successfully compete against other vehicle brands will be fundamental to our future success in existing and new markets and our market share. We cannot assure you that we will be able to compete successfully in our markets. If products from our competitors successfully compete with or surpass the quality or performance of our vehicles at more competitive prices, our profitability and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

We may not succeed in continuing to establish, maintain, and strengthen our brand, and our brand and reputation could be harmed by negative publicity with respect to us, our directors, officers, employees, shareholders, peers, business partners, or our industry in general.

 

Our business and prospects are affected by our ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen our brand. If we fail to do so we may lose the opportunity to build a critical mass of users. Promoting and positioning our brand will likely depend significantly on our ability to provide high quality vehicles and services and engage with our users as intended, and we have limited experience in these areas. In addition, we expect that our ability to develop, maintain, and strengthen the brand will depend heavily on the success of our branding efforts. We market our brand through media, word-of-mouth, events, and advertising. Such efforts may not achieve the desired results. If we do not develop and maintain a strong brand, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects will be materially and adversely affected.

 

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Our reputation and brand are vulnerable to many threats that can be difficult or impossible to predict, control, and costly or impossible to remediate. From time to time, our vehicles are reviewed by media or other third parties. Any negative reviews or reviews that compare us unfavorably to competitors could adversely affect consumer perception about our vehicles. Negative publicity about us, such as alleged misconduct, unethical business practices, or other improper activities, or rumors relating to our business, directors, officers, employees, or shareholders, can harm our reputation, business, and results of operations, even if they are baseless or satisfactorily addressed. These allegations, even if unproven or meritless, may lead to inquiries, investigations, or other legal actions against us by regulatory or government authorities as well as private parties. Any regulatory inquiries or investigations and lawsuits against us, perceptions of inappropriate business conduct by us or perceived wrongdoing by any member of our management team, among other things, could substantially damage our reputation, and cause us to incur significant costs to defend ourselves. Any negative market perception or publicity regarding our suppliers or other business partners that we closely cooperate with, or any regulatory inquiries or investigations and lawsuits initiated against them, may also have an impact on our brand and reputation, or subject us to regulatory inquiries or investigations or lawsuits. Moreover, any negative media publicity about the auto industry, especially the NEV industry, or product or service quality problems of other automakers in the industry in which we operate, including our competitors, may also negatively impact our reputation and brand. In particular, given the popularity of social media, including WeChat and Weibo in China, any negative publicity, whether true or not, such as road accidents, vehicle self-ignition, or other perceived or actual safety issues, could quickly proliferate and harm user perceptions and confidence in our brand. Perceived or actual concerns on battery deterioration that are often associated with NEVs could also negatively impact user confidence in EREVs and our vehicles in particular. If we are unable to maintain a good reputation or further enhance our brand recognition, our ability to attract and retain users, third-party partners, and key employees could be harmed and, as a result, our business, financial position, and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

Orders for Li ONE may be cancelled by users despite their deposit payment and online confirmation.

 

Our users may cancel their orders for many reasons outside of our control, and we have experienced cancellation of orders in the past. In addition, users may terminate their orders even after they have paid deposits and waited for two days upon which their orders automatically become confirmed orders. The potentially long wait from reservation to delivery could also impact user decisions on whether to ultimately make a purchase, due to potential changes in preferences, competitive developments, and other factors. If we encounter delays in the deliveries of Li ONE or future vehicle models, a significant number of orders may be cancelled. As a result, we cannot assure you that orders will not be cancelled and will ultimately result in the final purchase, delivery, and sale of the vehicles. Such cancellations could harm our business, brand image, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

We currently depend on revenues generated from a single model of vehicle and in the foreseeable future from a limited number of models.

 

Our business will initially depend substantially on the sales and success of Li ONE, which will be our only production model in the market until the introduction of our planned full-size premium smart extended-range electric SUV in 2022. To the extent our product variety and cycles do not meet consumer expectations, or cannot be achieved on our projected timelines and cost and volume targets, our future sales may be adversely affected. Given that for the foreseeable future our business will depend on a single or limited number of vehicle models, to the extent a particular model is not well-received by the market, our sales volume could be materially and adversely affected, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

In particular, Li ONE is designed and manufactured for Chinese families, and this is likely the case in the foreseeable future. If the demand for our vehicles significantly decreases, due to a significant change in the average spending power of China’s families, significant decrease in the number of China’s families, mismatched market positioning, or other reasons, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be materially and adversely affected.

 

In addition, our single standard configuration with a flat price for Li ONE may not be as effective as we intend. We provide premium and technology features that are typically offered as costly add-ons by our competitors as standard in Li ONE, to save users’ time and money while alleviating our burden in production, sales, and support. However, we cannot assure you that such endeavors will succeed. Users may prefer personalized features based on diversified tastes and needs. In addition, our flat pricing could still exceed certain users’ budget significantly. To the extent that we are unable to meet various user needs in promoting our single standard configuration with flat pricing for Li ONE, our business may be materially and adversely affected.

 

Our future growth is dependent on the consumer demand for NEVs.

 

The demand for our vehicles will highly depend upon consumers’ demand for and adoption of NEVs in general and EREVs in particular. The market for NEVs is still rapidly evolving, characterized by rapidly changing technologies, intense competition, evolving government regulation and industry standards, and changing consumer demands and behaviors.

 

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Other factors that may influence the adoption of NEVs, and specifically EREVs, include:

 

·                  perceptions about vehicle safety in general, in particular safety issues that may be attributed to the use of advanced technology, including EREV technology, regenerative braking systems, and autonomous driving;

 

·                  perceptions about NEV quality, safety, design, performance, and cost, especially if adverse events or accidents occur that are linked to the quality or safety of NEVs, and particularly EREVs, whether or not such vehicles are produced by us or other automakers;

 

·                  concerns about electric grid capacity and reliability and the availability of other supporting infrastructure;

 

·                  the availability of servicing for NEVs;

 

·                  the actual or perceived deterioration of battery capacity over time;

 

·                  the environmental consciousness of consumers;

 

·                  access to charging stations and cost of charging vehicles, including EREVs;

 

·                  the availability of tax and other governmental incentives to purchase and operate NEVs or future regulation requiring increased use of nonpolluting vehicles;

 

·                  improvements in the fuel economy of the ICE vehicles; and

 

·                  macroeconomic factors.

 

Any of the factors described above may change the consumer demand for our vehicles, including causing current or prospective users not to purchase our vehicles. If the market for NEVs, and EREVs in particular, does not develop as we expect or develops more slowly than we expect, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects will be affected.

 

Our future growth is dependent on the consumer demand for passenger vehicles, the prospects of which are subject to many uncertainties.

 

Although China is currently one of the world’s major automotive markets, we cannot predict how the consumer demand for passenger vehicles will develop in the future. China’s passenger vehicle sales volume reached 24.4 million units in 2018. However, since July 2018, China’s automotive industry had experienced negative year-over-year growth in sales volume, and new automobile purchases in China had been declining consecutively until April 2020. COVID-19 also had a significant adverse impact on automobile sales in China in the first quarter of 2020. As a result, China’s passenger vehicles sales volume decreased by 9.6% to 21.4 million units in 2019, and further decreased by 6.0% to 20.2 million units in 2020.

 

Amid the market slowdown, certain automakers operating in China have suffered declining performance or financial difficulties. China’s automotive industry may be affected by many factors, including general economic conditions in China, the urbanization rate of China’s population, the growth of disposable household income, the costs of new automobiles, the trade tensions and other governmental protectionist measures, as well as taxes and incentives related to automobile purchases. If the consumer demand for passenger vehicles in China does not recover as expected, or at all, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

Changes in PRC government policies that are favorable for NEVs or domestically manufactured vehicles could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

The growth of our business benefits from PRC government policies at central and local levels that support the development of NEVs and domestically manufactured vehicles.

 

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The PRC government has been implementing strict vehicle emission standards for ICE vehicles. On December 28, 2018, the PRC State Administration for Market Regulation, or the SAMR and the PRC National Standardization Administration jointly issued the Electric Vehicle Energy Consumption Standards, effective on July 1, 2019, to regulate electric vehicles regarding their energy efficiency. As an EREV, Li ONE is equipped with both an ICE-based range extension system and electric motors, and is thus required to comply with both standards. If the electric vehicle energy consumption standards and vehicle emission standards become significantly stricter, we may incur significant costs to obtain advanced energy technology to upgrade our vehicles or design new vehicles if we are able to at all, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

In addition, changes in classification of NEVs and license plate policies have affected, and may continue to affect our business. In certain cities in China, municipal governments impose quotas and lottery or bidding systems to limit the number of license plates issued to ICE vehicles, but exempt NEVs from these restrictions to incentivize the development of the NEV market. Nevertheless, in January 2018, the Beijing municipal government announced that it would only allow BEVs to be considered the NEVs exempt from the license plate restrictions, and EREVs would be treated as ICE vehicles in Beijing for the purposes of obtaining license plates. On December 10, 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission, or the NDRC, promulgated the Provisions on Administration of Investment in Automotive Industry, effective on January 10, 2019, which categorize EREVs as electric vehicles, although its impact on the Beijing municipal government’s license plate policy remained uncertain. Similarly, in February 2021, the local counterpart of the NDRC and other four governmental authorities in Shanghai announced similar arrangements that only BEVs would be considered as the NEVs exempt from the license plate restrictions starting from January 1, 2023. Changes in government policies on the classification of NEVs and license plates, at a local or central level, may materially and adversely affect the demand for Li ONE and our future vehicles, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial conditions, and prospects.

 

Furthermore, changes in government incentives or subsidies to support NEVs could adversely affect our business. EREVs enjoy certain favorable government incentives and subsidies, including exemption from vehicle purchase tax, one-time government subsidies, exemption from license plate restrictions in certain cities, exemption from driving restrictions in certain cities, and preferential utility rates for charging facilities. However, China’s central government has begun implementing a phase-out schedule for the subsidies provided for purchasers of certain NEVs, which provided that the amount of subsidies provided for purchasers of certain NEVs in 2019 and 2020 would be reduced by 48% as compared to 2017 levels. In April 2020, the PRC Ministry of Finance and other national regulatory authorities issued a circular to extend the original end date of subsidies for NEV purchasers to the end of 2022 and reduce the amount of subsidies in 10% increments each year commencing from 2020. However, only NEVs with an MSRP of RMB300,000 or less before subsidies are eligible for such subsidies starting from July 2020, and the MSRP of Li ONE is higher than the threshold. Moreover, there is no guarantee that we will be able to successfully commercialize or otherwise offer vehicles that meet this subsidy threshold. We cannot assure you that any further changes would be favorable to our business. Furthermore, any reduction, elimination or discriminatory application of government subsidies and economic incentives because of policy changes, the reduced need for such subsidies and incentives due to the perceived success of NEVs, fiscal tightening or other factors may affect government incentives or subsides and result in the diminished competitiveness of the NEV industry generally or EREVs in particular.

 

Our vehicles sales are also impacted by government policies including tariffs on imported cars. According to an announcement by the PRC government, the tariff on imported passenger vehicles (other than those originating in the United States of America) was reduced to 15% starting from July 1, 2018. As a result, pricing advantage of domestically manufactured vehicles could be diminished. Pursuant to the Special Administrative Measures for Market Access of Foreign Investment (2020), or the 2020 Negative List, which is jointly promulgated by the NDRC and the PRC Ministry of Commerce and became effective on July 23, 2020, there is no limit on foreign ownership of automakers for NEVs. In addition, the limits on foreign ownership of automakers for ICE passenger vehicles would be lifted by 2022. As a result, foreign NEV competitors and in the future foreign ICE automakers could build wholly-owned facilities in China without the need for a domestic joint venture partner. For example, Tesla has completed its construction of a factory in Shanghai without a joint venture partner and has begun operations. These changes could intensify market competition and reduce our pricing advantage, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial conditions, and prospects.

 

We may be unable to adequately control the costs associated with our operations.

 

We have devoted significant capital to developing and growing our business, including developing and manufacturing our first model, Li ONE, purchasing land and equipment, constructing our manufacturing facilities, procuring required raw materials, and building our sales and servicing infrastructure. We expect to further incur significant costs that will impact our profitability, including research and development expenses as we roll out new models and improve existing models, expenditures in the expansion of our manufacturing capacities, additional operating costs and expenses for production ramp-up, raw material procurement costs, and selling and distribution expenses as we build our brand and market our vehicles. In particular, the prices for raw materials such as aluminum and steel fluctuate upon factors beyond our control, and could adversely affect our business and results of operations. Substantial increases in the prices for our raw materials such as aluminum and steel would increase our cost of revenue and our operating expenses, and could reduce our margins. Furthermore, currency fluctuations, tariffs or shortages in petroleum and other economic or political conditions may result in significant increases in freight charges and raw material costs. In addition, we may lose control over the increase of costs in connection with our services including after-sale services. Our ability to become profitable in the future will not only depend on our ability to successfully market our vehicles and other products and services but also to control our costs. If we are unable to design, develop, manufacture, market, sell, and service our vehicles and provide services in a cost-efficient manner, our margins, profitability, and prospects would be materially and adversely affected.

 

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We could experience disruptions in supply of raw materials or components used in our vehicles from our suppliers, some of which are our single-source suppliers for the components they supply.

 

Li ONE uses over 1,900 parts that we source from over 150 suppliers, some of which are currently our single-source suppliers for these components, and we expect that this may continue for our future vehicles that we may produce. The supply chain exposes us to multiple potential sources of delivery failure or component shortages.

 

We do not control our suppliers or their business practices. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee that the quality of the components manufactured by them will be consistent and maintained to a high standard. Any defects of or quality issues with these components or any noncompliance incidents associated with these third-party suppliers could result in quality issues with our vehicles and hence compromise our brand image and results of operations. Additionally, we cannot guarantee the suppliers’ compliance with ethical business practices, such as environmental responsibilities, fair wage practices, and compliance with child labor laws, among others. A lack of demonstrated compliance could lead us to seek alternative suppliers, which could increase our costs and results in delayed delivery of our products, product shortages, or other disruptions of our operations.

 

Furthermore, qualifying alternate suppliers or developing our own replacements for certain highly customized components of Li ONE may be time consuming and costly. Any disruption in the supply of components, whether or not from a single-source supplier, could temporarily disrupt production of our vehicles until an alternative supplier is fully qualified by us or is otherwise able to supply us the required material. We cannot assure you that we would be able to successfully retain alternative suppliers or supplies on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. Changes in business conditions, force majeure, government changes, or other factors beyond our control or anticipation, could also affect our suppliers’ ability to deliver components to us on a timely basis. Moreover, if we experience a significant increase in demand or need to replace our existing suppliers, there can be no assurance that additional supplies will be available when required on terms that are favorable to us, or at all, or that any supplier would allocate sufficient supplies to us in order to meet our requirements or fill our orders in a timely manner. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

Our industry and its technology are rapidly evolving and may be subject to unforeseen changes. Breakthroughs in other NEV technologies or improvements in the ICE technologies may materially and adversely affect the demand for our vehicles.

 

We operate in the China automotive market, including the rapidly evolving NEV market, which may not become what we currently anticipate. We may be unable to keep up with changes in China’s NEV technology and, as a result, our competitiveness may suffer. Our research and development efforts may not be sufficient to adapt to changes in the NEV technology, including more specifically the EREV technology. As technologies change, we plan to upgrade or adapt our vehicles and introduce new models in order to provide vehicles with the latest technology, including the EREV technology, which could involve substantial costs and lower our return on investment for existing vehicles. We cannot assure you that we will be able to compete effectively with other NEVs, other BEVs, or even other EREVs, and integrate the latest technology into our vehicles, against the backdrop of our rapidly evolving industry. Even if we are able to keep pace with changes in technology and develop new models, our prior models could become obsolete more quickly than expected, potentially reducing our return on investment.

 

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Developments in new energy technology, such as advanced diesel, ethanol, fuel cells, or compressed natural gas, or improvements in the fuel economy of ICEs may materially and adversely affect our business and prospects in ways that we do not currently anticipate. Furthermore, any revolutionary breakthroughs in battery technology, including those that significantly reduce charging time or enhance the range of BEVs on a single charge, may impact the market demand for EREVs. Any failure by us to successfully react to changes in existing technology could materially harm our competitive position and may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

If we fail to manage our growth effectively, we may not be able to market and sell our vehicles successfully.

 

We have expanded our operations, and as we ramp up our production, significant expansion will be required, especially in connection with potential increases in sales, providing our users with high-quality servicing, expansion of our retail, delivery, and servicing center network, and managing different models of vehicles. Our future operating results depend to a large extent on our ability to manage this expansion and growth successfully. Risks that we face in undertaking this expansion include, among others:

 

·                  managing our supply chain to support fast business growth;

 

·                  managing a larger organization with a greater number of employees in different divisions;

 

·                  controlling expenses and investments in anticipation of expanded operations;

 

·                  establishing or expanding design, manufacturing, sales, and service facilities;

 

·                  implementing and enhancing administrative infrastructure, systems, and processes; and

 

·                  addressing new markets and potentially unforeseen challenges as they arise.

 

Any failure to manage our growth effectively could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

Our business depends substantially on the continued efforts of our executive officers, key employees, and qualified personnel, and our operations may be severely disrupted if we lose their services.

 

Our success depends substantially on the continued efforts of our executive officers and key employees with expertise in various areas. If one or more of our executive officers or key employees were unable or unwilling to continue their services with us, we might not be able to replace them easily, in a timely manner, or at all. As we build our brand and become more well-known, the risk that competitors or other companies may poach our talent increases. Our industry is characterized by high demand and intense competition for talent, in particular with respect to qualified talent in the areas of smart vehicle and autonomous driving technologies, and therefore we cannot assure you that we will be able to attract or retain qualified staff or other highly skilled employees. In addition, because our EREVs are based on a different technology platform than traditional ICE vehicles, individuals with sufficient training in such vehicles may not be available to hire, and we will need to expend significant time and expense training the employees we hire. We also require sufficient talent in areas such as software development. Furthermore, as our company is relatively young, our ability to train and integrate new employees into our operations may not meet the growing demands of our business, which may materially and adversely affect our ability to grow our business and our results of operations.

 

If any of our executive officers and key employees terminates his or her services with us, our business may be severely disrupted, our financial condition and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected and we may incur additional expenses to recruit, train, and retain qualified personnel. We have not obtained any “key person” insurance on our key personnel. If any of our executive officers or key employees joins a competitor or forms a competing company, we may lose users, know-how and key professionals and staff members. Each of our executive officers and key employees has entered into an employment agreement and a non-compete agreement with us. However, if any dispute arises between our executive officers or key employees and us, the non-competition provisions contained in their non-compete agreements may not be enforceable, especially in China, where these executive officers reside, on the ground that we have not provided adequate compensation to them for their non-competition obligations, which is required under relevant PRC laws.

 

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Our services, including those provided through third parties, may not be generally accepted by our users. If we are unable to provide or arrange adequate services for our users, our business and reputation may be materially and adversely affected.

 

We cannot assure you that our services or our efforts to engage with our users using both our online and offline channels, will be successful, which could affect our revenues as well as our user satisfaction and marketing. Moreover, we are unable to ensure the availability or quality of services provided by third parties, such as road assistance, vehicle logistics, and automobile financing and insurance. If any of the services provided by third parties becomes unavailable or inadequate, our users’ experience may be adversely affected, which in turn may materially and adversely affect our business and reputation.

 

While our vehicles can be serviced at our delivery and servicing centers, some of the services will be carried out through authorized body and paint shops. Both our own delivery and servicing centers and authorized body and paint shops have limited experience in servicing EREVs. We cannot assure you that our service arrangements will adequately address the service requirements of our users to their satisfaction, or that we and our authorized body and paint shops will have sufficient resources to meet these service requirements in a timely manner as the volume of vehicles we deliver increases.

 

In addition, if we are unable to roll out and establish a widespread service network through a combination of our delivery and servicing centers and authorized body and painting shops, user satisfaction could be adversely affected, which in turn could materially and adversely affect our sales, results of operations, and prospects.

 

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our financial condition and liquidity if we are not able to successfully defend or insure against such claims.

 

We may become subject to product liability claims, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. The automotive industry experiences significant product liability claims and we face inherent risk of exposure to claims in the event our vehicles do not perform as expected or malfunction resulting in property damage, personal injury, or death. Our risks in this area are particularly pronounced given we have limited field experience of our vehicles. A successful product liability claim against us could require us to pay substantial monetary compensation. Moreover, a product liability claim could generate substantial negative publicity about our vehicles and business and inhibit or prevent commercialization of our future vehicles, which would materially and adversely affect our brand, business, prospects, and results of operations. Any insurance coverage might not be sufficient to cover all potential product liability claims. Any lawsuit seeking significant monetary damages may materially and adversely affect our reputation, business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

We may be compelled to undertake product recalls or other actions, which could adversely affect our brand image, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.

 

We may be subject to adverse publicity, damage to our brand, and costs for recalls of our vehicles. Effective on November 7, 2020, we voluntarily recalled 10,469 Li ONEs produced on or before June 1, 2020 to replace, free of charge, the control arm ball joint of the front suspension on these Li ONEs in accordance with the requirements by the SAMR. Li ONEs produced after June 1, 2020 are already equipped with an upgraded version of the control arm ball joint of the front suspension. We expect to complete all the replacements requested by our users by early 2021.

 

In the future, we may at various times, voluntarily or involuntarily, initiate a recall if any of our vehicles, including any systems or parts sourced from our suppliers, prove to be defective or noncompliant with applicable laws and regulations. Such recalls, whether voluntary or involuntary, could involve significant expense and could adversely affect our brand image in our target markets, as well as our business, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.

 

Our vehicles are subject to motor vehicle standards and the failure to satisfy such mandated safety standards would materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

All vehicles sold must comply with various standards of the market where the vehicles are sold. Our vehicles must meet or exceed all mandated safety standards in China. Rigorous testing and the use of approved materials and equipment are among the requirements for achieving these standards. Vehicles must pass various tests and undergo a certification process and be affixed with the China Compulsory Certification before receiving delivery from the factory, being sold, or being used in any commercial activity, and such certification is also subject to periodic renewal. Furthermore, the PRC government carries out supervision and scheduled or unscheduled inspection of certified vehicles on a regular basis. In the event that our certification fails to be renewed upon expiry, a certified vehicle has a defect resulting in quality or safety accidents, or consistent failure of certified vehicles to comply with certification requirements is discovered during follow-up inspections, the certification may be suspended or even revoked. With effect from the date of revocation or during suspension of the certification, any vehicle that fails to satisfy the requirements for certification may not continue to be delivered, sold, imported, or used in any commercial activity. Failure by us to satisfy motor vehicle standards would materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

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Our vehicles currently make use of lithium-ion battery cells, which have been observed to catch fire or vent smoke and flame.

 

The battery packs that we produce make use of lithium-ion cells, which we purchase from third-party suppliers. On rare occasions, lithium-ion cells can rapidly release the energy they contain by venting smoke and flames in a manner that can ignite nearby materials as well as other lithium-ion cells. We have implemented a battery management system that automatically monitors temperature, power output, and other status of the battery pack, including a thermal management system that keeps the temperature of the battery pack within an ideal range. However, our vehicles or their battery packs may still experience failure, which could subject us to lawsuits, product recalls, or redesign efforts, all of which would be time consuming and expensive. In addition, negative public perceptions regarding the suitability of lithium-ion cells for automotive use or any future incident involving lithium-ion cells such as a vehicle or other fire, even if not involving our vehicles, could seriously harm our business.

 

In addition, we store lithium-ion cells at our facilities. Any mishandling of battery cells may cause disruption to the operation of our facilities. While we have implemented safety procedures related to the handling of the cells, a safety issue or fire related to the cells could disrupt our operations. Such damage or injury could lead to adverse publicity and potentially a safety recall. Moreover, any failure of a competitor’s electric vehicle or energy storage product may cause indirect adverse publicity for us and our products. Such adverse publicity could negatively affect our brand and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

We are subject to risks associated with autonomous driving technology.

 

Our vehicles are currently equipped with Level 2 autonomous driving features realized through ADAS. We rely on third-party suppliers for certain technologies and components used in our ADAS, and any defects of or quality issues with those technologies and components could result in actual or perceived quality issues with our vehicles. We plan to enhance and expand our vehicles’ level of autonomous driving capabilities through ongoing research and development. Autonomous driving as an evolving and complex technology is subject to risks, and from time to time there have been accidents associated with such technology. The safety of such technology depends in part on user interaction and users may not be accustomed to using such technology. To the extent accidents associated with our future autonomous driving technology occur, we could be subject to liability, government scrutiny, and further regulation. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our brand image, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.

 

Any unauthorized control or manipulation of our vehicle systems could result in loss of confidence in us and our vehicles and harm our business.

 

Our vehicles contain complex information technology systems. For example, our vehicles are designed with built-in data connectivity to accept and install periodic remote updates from us to improve or update the functionality of our vehicles. We have designed, implemented and tested security measures intended to prevent unauthorized access to our information technology networks, our vehicles, and their systems. However, hackers may attempt in the future, to gain unauthorized access to modify, alter, and use our networks, vehicles, and systems to gain control of, or to change, our vehicles’ functionality, user interface, and performance characteristics, or to gain access to data stored in or generated by the vehicles. Vulnerabilities could be identified in the future and our remediation efforts may not be successful. Any unauthorized access to or control of our vehicles or their systems or any loss of data could result in legal claims or proceedings against us. In addition, regardless of their veracity, reports of unauthorized access to our vehicles, their systems, or data, as well as other factors that may result in the perception that our vehicles, their systems, or data are capable of being “hacked,” could negatively affect our brand and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

Our distribution model is different from the currently predominant distribution model for automakers, and its long-term viability is unproven.

 

Our distribution model is not common in the automotive industry today, particularly in China. We own and operate our distribution network through which we conduct vehicle sales directly to users rather than through dealerships. This model of vehicle distribution is relatively new and its long-term effectiveness is unproven, especially in China. It thus subjects us to substantial risks as it requires, in the aggregate, significant expenditures and provides for slower expansion of our distribution and sales systems than the traditional dealership system. For example, we will not be able to utilize long established sales channels developed through a dealership system to increase our sales volume. Moreover, we will be competing with automakers with well established distribution channels. Our expansion of our network of retail stores, galleries, and delivery and servicing centers may not fully meet users’ expectations. Our success will depend in large part on our ability to effectively develop our own sales channels and marketing strategies. Implementing our business model is subject to numerous significant challenges, including obtaining permits and approvals from government authorities, and we may not be successful in addressing these challenges.

 

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Our results of operations may vary significantly from period to period due to the seasonality of our business and fluctuations in our operating costs.

 

Our results of operations may vary significantly from period to period due to many factors, including seasonal factors that may affect the demand for our vehicles. The sales volume of passenger vehicles typically declines over January and February, particularly around the Chinese New Year, gradually climbs over spring and summer, and typically culminates in the fourth quarter of the calendar year. Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to judge the exact nature or extent of the seasonality of our business. Also, any unusually severe weather conditions in certain regions may impact demand for our vehicles. Our results of operations could also suffer if we do not achieve revenue consistent with our expectations for this seasonal demand because many of our expenses are based on anticipated levels of annual revenue.

 

We also expect our period-to-period results of operations to vary based on our operating costs, which we anticipate will increase significantly in future periods as we, among other things, design, develop, and manufacture our EREVs and new models, build and equip new manufacturing facilities to produce such components, open new retail stores, galleries, and delivery centers, increase our sales and marketing activities, and increase our general and administrative functions to support our growing operations.

 

As a result of these factors, we believe that period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations are not necessarily meaningful and that these comparisons cannot be relied upon as indicators of future performance. Moreover, our results of operations may not meet expectations of equity research analysts or investors. If this occurs, the trading price of our ADSs could fall substantially either suddenly or over time.

 

The expansion of our existing Changzhou manufacturing facility may be subject to delays, disruptions, cost overruns, or may not produce expected benefits.

 

We plan to expand our Changzhou manufacturing facility by 2022 to prepare for further production ramp-up of Li ONE and future models. The expansion could experience delays or other difficulties, and will require significant capital. We may encounter quality, process, or other issues when changing our single-shift production arrangement to a two-shift production arrangement. Our current lease for the manufacturing facility will expire in December 2022. Although we have a contractual option to purchase the property underlying that manufacturing facility at the construction cost before the end of the lease or re-negotiate the lease if we fail to purchase the property, we cannot assure you that our operations or expansion of the Changzhou manufacturing facility will not be disrupted. Any failure to complete the expansion on schedule and within budget could adversely affect our financial condition, production capacity, and results of operations. Moreover, we could encounter similar or additional risks if we were to establish new manufacturing facilities in addition to the Changzhou one.

 

Under PRC laws, construction projects are subject to broad and strict government supervision and approval procedures, including but not limited to project approvals and filings, construction land and project planning approvals, disease control approvals, environment protection approvals, the pollution discharge permits, drainage license, work safety approvals, fire protection approvals, and the completion of inspection and acceptance by relevant authorities. Some of the construction projects carried out by us are undergoing necessary approval procedures as required by law, including the expansion projects of our Changzhou manufacturing facility, which requires the approval of the municipal government. As a result, the relevant entities operating such construction projects may be subject to administrative uncertainty, fines, or the suspension of use of such projects. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business operations.

 

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Our business plans require a significant amount of capital. In addition, our future capital needs may require us to issue additional equity or debt securities that may dilute our shareholders or introduce covenants that may restrict our operations or our ability to pay dividends.

 

We will need significant capital to, among other things, conduct research and development, expand our production capacity, and roll out our retail stores, galleries, and delivery and servicing centers. As we ramp up our production capacity and operations we may also require significant capital to maintain our property, plant, and equipment and such costs may be greater than what we currently anticipate. We expect that our level of capital expenditures will be significantly affected by consumer demand for our products and services. The fact that we have a limited operating history means we have limited historical data on the demand for our products and services. As a result, our future capital requirements may be uncertain and actual capital requirements may be different from what we currently anticipate. We may seek equity or debt financing to finance a portion of our capital expenditures. Such financing might not be available to us in a timely manner or on terms that are acceptable, or at all. If we cannot obtain sufficient capital on acceptable terms, our business, financial condition, and prospects may be materially and adversely affected.

 

Our ability to obtain the necessary financing to carry out our business plan is subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and investor acceptance of our business plan. These factors may make the timing, amount, terms and conditions of such financing unattractive or unavailable to us. If we are unable to raise sufficient funds, we will have to significantly reduce our spending, delay or cancel our planned activities, or substantially change our corporate structure. We might not be able to obtain any funding or service any of the debts we incurred, and we might not have sufficient resources to conduct our business as projected, both of which could mean that we would be forced to curtail or discontinue our operations.

 

In addition, our future capital needs and other business reasons could require us to issue additional equity or debt securities or obtain a credit facility. The issuance of additional equity or equity-linked securities could dilute our shareholders. The incurrence of indebtedness would result in an increase in debt service obligations and could result in operating and financing covenants that would restrict our operations or our ability to pay dividends to our shareholders.

 

We retain certain information about our users, which may subject us to user concerns or various privacy and consumer protection laws.

 

We use our vehicles’ electronic systems to log, with necessary permission, certain information about each vehicle’s use in order to aid us in vehicle diagnostics and repair and maintenance, as well as to help us customize and optimize the driving and riding experiences. Our users may object to the use of this data, which may harm our business. Possession and use of our users’ driving behavior and data in conducting our business may subject us to legislative and regulatory burdens in China and other jurisdictions that could require notification of data breach, restrict our use of such information, and hinder our ability to acquire new users or market to existing users. If users allege that we have improperly released or disclosed their sensitive personal information, we could face legal claims and reputational harm. We may incur significant expenses to comply with privacy, consumer protection, and security standards and protocols imposed by laws, regulations, industry standards, or contractual obligations. If third parties improperly obtain and use sensitive personal information of our users, we may be required to expend significant resources to resolve these problems.

 

Failure of information security and privacy concerns could subject us to penalties, damage our reputation and brand, and harm our business and results of operations.

 

We face significant challenges with respect to information security and privacy, including the storage, transmission, and sharing of confidential information. We transmit and store confidential and private information of our users, such as personal information, including names, user accounts, passwords, and payment or transaction-related information.

 

We are required by PRC laws to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, availability, and authenticity of the information of our users, users, and distributors, which is also essential to maintaining their confidence in our vehicles and services. We have adopted strict information security policies and deployed advanced measures to implement the policies, including, among others, advanced encryption technologies. However, advances in technology, an increased level of sophistication and diversity of our products and services, an increased level of expertise of hackers, new discoveries in the field of cryptography or others can still result in a compromise or breach of our websites, the Li Auto App, or our vehicles’ electronic systems. If we are unable to protect our systems, and hence the information stored in our systems, from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction, such problems or security breaches could cause a loss, give rise to our liabilities to the owners of confidential information, or subject us to fines and other penalties. In addition, complying with various laws and regulations could cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices, including our data practices, in a manner adverse to our business.

 

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Our warranty reserves may be insufficient to cover future warranty claims, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

We provide a five-year or 100,000-kilometer limited warranty for new vehicles, and an eight-year or 120,000-kilometer limited warranty for battery packs, electric motors, and electric motor controllers. Currently, we also offer each initial owner extended lifetime warranty for RMB4,999 (or lower amount when on sale), except that those who made reservations before May 31, 2019 and then confirm the order before December 31, 2020 would be provided with such extended lifetime warranties for initial owners for free, subject to certain conditions. Our warranty program is similar to other automakers’ warranty programs and is intended to cover all parts and labor to repair defects in material or workmanship in the body, chassis, suspension, interior, electric systems, battery, powertrain, and brake system. It also covers free road assistance under the warranty coverage. We plan to record and adjust warranty reserves based on changes in estimated costs and actual warranty costs. However, because we only started the volume production of Li ONE in November 2019, our experience with warranty claims regarding our vehicles or with estimating warranty reserves is limited. We cannot assure you that our warranty reserves will be sufficient to cover future warranty claims. We could, in the future, become subject to a significant and unexpected warranty claims, resulting in significant expenses, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

If our vehicle owners modify our vehicles regardless of whether third-party aftermarket products are used, the vehicle may not operate properly, which may create negative publicity and could harm our business.

 

Automobile enthusiasts may seek to modify our vehicles, including using third-party aftermarket products, to alter their appearance or enhance their performance, which could jeopardize vehicle safety systems. We do not test, nor do we endorse, such modifications or third-party products. In addition, the use of improper external cabling or unsafe charging outlets can expose our users to injury from high voltage electricity. Such unauthorized modifications could reduce the safety of our vehicles and any injuries resulting from such modifications could result in adverse publicity which would adversely affect our brand and harm our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

 

We have granted, and may continue to grant options and other types of awards under our share incentive plan, which may result in increased share-based compensation expenses.

 

We adopted a share incentive plan in July 2019, or the 2019 Plan, for the purpose of granting share-based compensation awards to employees, directors, and consultants to incentivize their performance and align their interests with ours. We further adopted the 2020 Share Incentive Plan, or the 2020 Plan, in July 2020 and the 2021 Share Incentive Plan, or the 2021 Plan, in March 2021, in each case for the same purpose. Under the 2019 Plan, 2020 Plan, and 2021 Plan, we are authorized to grant options and other types of awards. The maximum number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2019 Plan is 141,083,452 as of January 31, 2021. The maximum number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2020 Plan is initially 30,000,000 shares, subject to automatic annual increase. The maximum number of Class B ordinary shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2021 Plan is 108,557,400. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plans.” As of January 31, 2021, awards to purchase an aggregate amount of 56,994,000 Class A ordinary shares under the 2019 Plan and awards to purchase an aggregate amount of 19,328,700 Class A ordinary shares under the 2020 Plan had been granted and were outstanding, excluding awards that were forfeited or cancelled after the relevant grant dates. On March 8, 2021, we granted options to purchase 108,557,400 Class B ordinary shares to Mr. Xiang Li, our chairman and chief executive officer, with certain performance-based vesting conditions. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—B. Compensation—Share Incentive Plans—2021 Share Incentive Plan.”

 

We believe the granting of share-based awards is of significant importance to our ability to attract and retain key personnel and employees, and we will continue to grant share-based compensation to employees in the future. As a result, our expenses associated with share-based compensation may increase, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.

 

Furthermore, perspective candidates and existing employees often consider the value of the equity awards they receive in connection with their employment. Thus, our ability to attract or retain highly skilled employees may be adversely affected by declines in the perceived value of our equity or equity awards. Furthermore, there are no assurances that the number of shares reserved for issuance under our share incentive plans will be sufficient to grant equity awards adequate to recruit new employees and to compensate existing employees.

 

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We may need to defend ourselves against intellectual property right infringement claims, which may be time-consuming and would cause us to incur substantial costs.

 

Entities or individuals, including our competitors, may hold or obtain patents, copyrights, trademarks, or other proprietary rights that would prevent, limit, or interfere with our ability to make, use, develop, sell or market our vehicles or components, which could make it more difficult for us to operate our business. From time to time, we may receive communications from intellectual property right holders regarding their proprietary rights. Companies holding patents or other intellectual property rights may bring suits alleging infringement of such rights or otherwise assert their rights and urge us to take licenses. Our applications and uses of trademarks relating to our design, software, or artificial intelligence technology could be found to infringe upon existing trademark ownership and rights. In addition, if we are determined to have infringed upon a third party’s intellectual property rights, we may be required to do one or more of the following:

 

·                  cease selling, incorporating certain components into, or using vehicles or offering goods or services that incorporate or use the challenged intellectual property;

 

·                  pay substantial damages;

 

·                  seek a license from the holder of the infringed intellectual property right, which may not be available on reasonable terms or at all;

 

·                  redesign our vehicles or other goods or services; or

 

·                  establish and maintain alternative branding for our products and services.

 

In the event of a successful claim of infringement against us and our failure or inability to obtain a license to the infringed technology or other intellectual property right, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, any litigation or claims, whether or not valid, could result in substantial costs, negative publicity, and diversion of resources and management attention.

 

We may not be able to prevent others from unauthorized use of our intellectual property, which could harm our business and competitive position.

 

We regard our trademarks, service marks, patents, domain names, trade secrets, proprietary technologies, and similar intellectual property as critical to our success. We rely on trademark and patent law, trade secret protection and confidentiality and license agreements with our employees and others to protect our proprietary rights.

 

We have invested significant resources to develop our own intellectual property. Failure to maintain or protect these rights could harm our business. In addition, any unauthorized use of our intellectual property by third parties may adversely affect our current and future revenues and our reputation.

 

Implementation and enforcement of PRC laws relating to intellectual property have historically been deficient and ineffective. Accordingly, protection of intellectual property rights in China may not be as effective as in the United States or other developed countries. Furthermore, policing unauthorized use of proprietary technology is difficult and expensive. We rely on a combination of patent, copyright, trademark, and trade secret laws and restrictions on disclosure to protect our intellectual property rights. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, third parties may attempt to copy or otherwise obtain and use our intellectual property or seek court declarations that they do not infringe upon our intellectual property rights. Monitoring unauthorized use of our intellectual property is difficult and costly, and we cannot assure you that the steps we have taken or will take will prevent misappropriation of our intellectual property. From time to time, we may have to resort to litigation to enforce our intellectual property rights, which could result in substantial costs and diversion of our resources.

 

As our patents may expire and may not be extended, our patent applications may not be granted, and our patent rights may be contested, circumvented, invalidated, or limited in scope, our patent rights may not protect us effectively. In particular, we may not be able to prevent others from developing or exploiting competing technologies, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

As of December 31, 2020, we had 827 issued patents and 691 pending patent applications in China.  We cannot assure you that all our pending patent applications will result in issued patents. Even if our patent applications succeed and we are issued patents accordingly, it is still uncertain whether these patents will be contested, circumvented, or invalidated in the future. In addition, the rights granted under any issued patents may not provide us with meaningful protection or competitive advantages. The claims under any patents may not be broad enough to prevent others from developing technologies that are similar or that achieve results similar to ours. It is also possible that the intellectual property rights of others could bar us from licensing and exploiting our patents. Numerous patents and pending patent applications owned by others exist in the fields where we have developed and are developing our technology. These patents and patent applications might have priority over our patent applications and could subject our patent applications to invalidation. Finally, in addition to those who may claim priority, any of our existing patents or pending patent applications may also be challenged by others on the basis that they are otherwise invalid or unenforceable.

 

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Pandemics and epidemics, natural disasters, terrorist activities, political unrest, and other outbreaks could disrupt our production, delivery, and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

Global pandemics, epidemics in China or elsewhere in the world, or fear of spread of contagious diseases, such as Ebola virus disease (EVD), coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), H1N1 flu, H7N9 flu, and avian flu, as well as hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, or other natural disasters could disrupt our business operations, reduce or restrict our supply of materials and services, incur significant costs to protect our employees and facilities, or result in regional or global economic distress, which may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Actual or threatened war, terrorist activities, political unrest, civil strife, and other geopolitical uncertainty could have a similar adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Any one or more of these events may impede our production and delivery efforts and adversely affect our sales results, or even for a prolonged period of time, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected many aspects of our business, including production, supply chain, and sales and delivery. Our Changzhou manufacturing facility underwent temporary closure in February 2020 as part of China’s nationwide efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. Even though our business is currently operational, our production capacity and operational efficiency were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the first half of 2020 due to insufficient workforce in production, sales, and delivery as a result of temporary travel restrictions in China and the necessity to comply with disease control protocols in our business establishments and Changzhou manufacturing facility. Our suppliers’ abilities to timely deliver raw materials, parts and components, or other services were also adversely affected for similar reasons, especially those located in critical regions such as Hubei Province, China. The global spread of COVID-19 may also affect our overseas suppliers. As a result of varying levels of travel and other restrictions for public health concerns in various regions of China, we also temporarily postponed the delivery of Li ONE to our users. Due to concerns or fear of spread of COVID-19, consumers were initially reluctant to visit in person our retail stores or delivery and servicing centers for potential new car purchases. Our consolidated results of operations for the first half of 2020 were adversely affected. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily adversely affected the expansion of our Changzhou manufacturing facility and our retail stores and delivery and servicing centers in China, which had adversely affected our sales and delivery growth in the first half of 2020. COVID-19 has had a global economic impact on the financial markets. The global spread of COVID-19 pandemic may result in global economic distress, and the extent to which it may affect our results of operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. Relaxation of restrictions on economic and social activities may also lead to new cases which may lead to re-imposed restrictions. We cannot assure you that the COVID-19 pandemic can be eliminated or contained in the near future, or at all, or a similar outbreak will not occur again. A second wave of COVID-19 or a similar pandemic could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

We are also vulnerable to natural disasters and other calamities. Although we have servers that are hosted in an offsite location, our backup system does not capture data on a real-time basis and we may be unable to recover certain data in the event of a server failure. We cannot assure you that any backup systems will be adequate to protect us from the effects of fire, floods, typhoons, earthquakes, power loss, telecommunications failures, break-ins, war, riots, terrorist attacks, or similar events. Any of the foregoing events may give rise to interruptions, damage to our property, delays in production, breakdowns, system failures, technology platform failures, or internet failures, which could cause the loss or corruption of data or malfunctions of software or hardware as well as adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

We have limited insurance coverage, which could expose us to significant costs and business disruption.

 

We have limited liability insurance coverage for our products and business operations. A successful liability claim against us, regardless of whether due to injuries suffered by our users could materially and adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations, and reputation. In addition, we do not have any business disruption insurance. Any business disruption event could result in substantial cost to us and diversion of our resources.

 

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We are or may be subject to risks associated with strategic alliances or acquisitions.

 

We have entered into and may in the future enter into strategic alliances, including joint ventures or minority equity investments, with various third parties to further our business purpose from time to time. These alliances could subject us to a number of risks, including risks associated with sharing proprietary information, non-performance by third parties, and increases in expenses in establishing new strategic alliances, any of which may materially and adversely affect our business. We may have limited ability to monitor or control the actions of these third parties and, to the extent any of these third parties suffers negative publicity or harm to their reputation from events relating to their businesses, we may also suffer negative publicity or harm to our reputation by virtue of our association with any such third party.

 

In addition, if appropriate opportunities arise, we may acquire additional assets, products, technologies, or businesses that are complementary to our existing business. In addition to possible shareholder approval, we may have to obtain approvals and licenses from relevant government authorities for the acquisitions and to comply with any applicable PRC laws and regulations, which could result in increasing delay and costs, and may derail our business strategy if we fail to do so. Moreover, the costs of identifying and consummating acquisitions may be significant. Furthermore, past and future acquisitions and the subsequent integration of new assets and businesses into our own require significant attention from our management and could result in a diversion of resources from our existing business, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our operations. Acquired assets or businesses may not generate the financial results we expect. Acquisitions could result in the use of substantial amounts of cash, potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, the occurrence of significant goodwill impairment charges, amortization expenses for other intangible assets, and exposure to potential unknown liabilities of the acquired business. Any acquired business may be involved in legal proceedings originating from historical periods prior to the acquisition, and we may not be fully indemnified, or at all, for any damage to us resulting from such legal proceedings, which could materially and adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.

 

If we fail to implement and maintain an effective system of internal control over financial reporting, we may be unable to accurately report our results of operations, meet our reporting obligations, or prevent fraud.

 

In connection with the audits of our consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2019, we and our independent registered public accounting firm identified one material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2019. As defined in the standards established by the PCAOB, a “material weakness” is a deficiency, or combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our company's annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

The material weakness identified relates to our lack of sufficient competent financial reporting and accounting personnel with appropriate understanding of U.S. GAAP to design and implement formal period-end financial reporting policies and procedures to address complex U.S. GAAP technical accounting issues and to prepare and review our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures in accordance with U.S. GAAP and financial reporting requirements set forth by the SEC.

We have implemented a number of measures to address the material weakness that has been identified during the IPO, including: (i) we have hired additional qualified financial and accounting staff with working experience with U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements; (ii) we have established clear roles and responsibilities for accounting and financial reporting staff to address complex accounting and financial reporting issues; (iii) we have clarified reporting requirements and established effective oversight to address complex and non-recurring transactions and related accounting issues; (iv) we have developed and implemented a comprehensive and effective period-end closing process, especially for complex and non-recurring transactions to ensure financial statements and related disclosures are in compliance with U.S. GAAP and SEC reporting requirements; (v) we have established an internal audit team to enhance internal controls and assess the design and effectiveness of our internal controls; and (vi) we are conducting regular U.S. GAAP accounting and financial reporting training programs for accounting and financial reporting personnel. We also intend to hire additional resources to strengthen the financial reporting function. Although the aforementioned remediation measures were implemented, these measures will require validation and testing of the operating effectiveness of internal controls over a sustained period of financial reporting cycles. As a result, the previously identified material weakness still existed as of December 31, 2020. We will continue to implement measures to remediate the material weakness. However, we cannot assure you that all these measures will be sufficient to remediate our material weakness in time, or at all.

 

We are a public company in the United States and are subject to the reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Section 404, will require us to include a report from management on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in our annual report on Form 20-F beginning with the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. In addition, as we ceased to be an “emerging growth company” as such term is defined in the JOBS Act, our independent registered public accounting firm must attest to and report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2021. Our management may conclude that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective. Moreover, even if our management concludes that our internal control over financial reporting is effective, our independent registered public accounting firm, after conducting its own independent testing, may issue a report that is qualified if it is not satisfied with our internal control or the level at which our control is documented, designed, operated, or reviewed, or if it interprets the relevant requirements differently from us. In addition, as we have become a public company, our reporting obligations may place a significant strain on our management, operational, and financial resources and systems for the foreseeable future. We may be unable to complete our evaluation testing and any required remediation in a timely manner.

 

During the course of documenting and testing our internal control procedures, in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404, we may identify weaknesses and deficiencies in our internal control over financial reporting. In addition, if we fail to maintain adequate and effective internal control over financial reporting, as these standards are modified, supplemented, or amended from time to time, we may not be able to conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal control over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404. If we fail to achieve and maintain an effective internal control environment, we could suffer material misstatements in our financial statements and fail to meet our reporting obligations, which would likely cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information. This could in turn limit our access to capital markets, harm our results of operations, and lead to a decline in the trading price of our ADSs. Additionally, ineffective internal control over financial reporting could expose us to increasing risk of fraud or misuse of corporate assets and subject us to potential delisting from the stock exchange on which we list, regulatory investigations, and civil or criminal sanctions. We may also be required to restate our financial statements from prior periods.

 

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If we update our manufacturing equipment more quickly than expected, we may have to shorten the useful lives of any equipment to be retired as a result of any such update, and the resulting acceleration in our depreciation could negatively affect our financial results.

 

We have invested and expect to continue to invest significantly in what we believe is state-of-the-art tooling, machinery, and other manufacturing equipment for the product lines where Li ONE is manufactured, and we depreciate the cost of such equipment over their expected useful lives. However, manufacturing technology may evolve rapidly, and we may decide to update our manufacturing process with cutting-edge equipment more quickly than expected. Moreover, as our engineering and manufacturing expertise and efficiency increase, we may be able to manufacture our products using less of our installed equipment. The useful life of any equipment that would be retired early as a result would be shortened, causing the depreciation on such equipment to be accelerated, and to the extent we own such equipment, our results of operations could be negatively impacted.

 

Interruption or failure of our information technology and communications systems could affect our ability to effectively provide our services.

 

Our Li Auto App, in-car technology system, and other digitalized sales, service, user relationship, internal information and knowledge management systems depend on the continued operation of our information technology and communications systems. These systems are vulnerable to damage or interruption from, among others, fire, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, computer denial of service attacks, or other attempts to harm our systems. Our data centers are also subject to break-ins, sabotage, and intentional acts of vandalism, and to potential disruptions. Some of our systems are not fully redundant, and our disaster recovery planning cannot account for all eventualities. Any problems at our data centers could result in lengthy interruptions in our service. In addition, our products and services are highly technical and complex and may contain errors or vulnerabilities, which could result in interruptions in our services or the failure of our systems.

 

We may be subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions, and similar laws, and noncompliance with such laws can subject us to administrative, civil, and criminal penalties, collateral consequences, remedial measures, and legal expenses, all of which could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, and reputation.

 

We may be subject to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions, and similar laws and regulations in various jurisdictions in which we conduct activities, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, or FCPA, and other anti-corruption laws and regulations. The FCPA prohibits us and our officers, directors, employees, and business partners acting on our behalf, including agents, from corruptly offering, promising, authorizing, or providing anything of value to a “foreign official” for the purposes of influencing official decisions or obtaining or retaining business or otherwise obtaining favorable treatment. The FCPA also requires companies to make and keep books, records, and accounts that accurately reflect transactions and dispositions of assets and to maintain a system of adequate internal accounting controls. A violation of these laws or regulations could adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

We have direct or indirect interactions with officials and employees of government agencies and state-owned affiliated entities in the ordinary course of business. We also have business collaborations with government agencies and state-owned affiliated entities. These interactions subject us to an increasing level of compliance-related concerns. We are in the process of implementing policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance by us and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents, and business partners with applicable anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, financial and economic sanctions, and similar laws and regulations. However, our policies and procedures may not be sufficient and our directors, officers, employees, representatives, consultants, agents, and business partners could engage in improper conduct for which we may be held responsible.

 

Non-compliance with anti-corruption, anti-bribery, anti-money laundering, or financial and economic sanctions laws could subject us to whistleblower complaints, adverse media coverage, investigations, and severe administrative, civil and criminal sanctions, collateral consequences, remedial measures, and legal expenses, all of which could materially and adversely affect our business, reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

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We may be subject to legal proceedings in the ordinary course of our business. If the outcomes of these proceedings are adverse to us, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

 

We may be subject to legal proceedings from time to time in the ordinary course of our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. Claims arising out of actual or alleged violations of law could be asserted against us by our users, our competitors, governmental entities in civil or criminal investigations and proceedings, or other entities. These claims could be asserted under a variety of laws, including but not limited to product liability laws, consumer protection laws, intellectual property laws, labor and employment laws, securities laws, tort laws, contract laws, property laws, and employee benefit laws. There is no guarantee that we will be successful in defending ourselves in legal and administrative actions or in asserting our rights under various laws. Even if we are successful in our attempt to defend ourselves in legal and administrative actions or to assert our rights under various laws, enforcing our rights against the various parties involved may be expensive, time-consuming, and ultimately futile. These actions could expose us to negative publicity and to substantial monetary damages and legal defense costs, injunctive relief, and criminal, civil, and administrative fines and penalties.

 

Any financial or economic crisis, or perceived threat of such a crisis, including a significant decrease in consumer confidence, may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

The global financial markets experienced significant disruptions in 2008 and the United States, European and other economies went into recession. The recovery from the lows of 2008 and 2009 was uneven and the global financial markets are facing new challenges, including the escalation of the European sovereign debt crisis since 2011, the hostilities in the Ukraine, the end of quantitative easing by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the economic slowdown in the Eurozone since 2014, uncertainties over the impact of Brexit, the ongoing trade disputes and tariffs, and the impact of COVID-19 outbreak and the related economic policies taken by various governments in the world. It is unclear whether these challenges will be contained and what effects they each may have. There is considerable uncertainty over the long-term effects of the expansionary monetary and fiscal policies that have been adopted by the central banks and financial authorities of some of the world’s leading economies, including China’s. Economic conditions in China are sensitive to global economic conditions. Recently there have been signs that the rate of China’s economic growth is declining. Any prolonged slowdown in China’s economic development might lead to tighter credit markets, increased market volatility, sudden drops in business and consumer confidence and dramatic changes in business and consumer behaviors. Sales of premium products, such as our vehicles, depend in part on discretionary consumer spending and are even more exposed to adverse changes in general economic conditions. In response to their perceived uncertainty in economic conditions, consumers might delay, reduce or cancel purchases of our vehicles and our results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

The current tensions in international trade and rising political tensions, particularly between the United States and China, may adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

Although cross-border business may not be an area of our focus, if we plan to sell our products internationally in the future, any unfavorable government policies on international trade, such as capital controls or tariffs, may affect the demand for our products and services, impact the competitive position of our products, or prevent us from being able to sell products in certain countries. If any new tariffs, legislation, or regulations are implemented, or if existing trade agreements are renegotiated, such changes could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Recently there have been heightened tensions in international economic relations, such as the one between the United States and China. The U.S. government has recently imposed, and has recently proposed to impose additional, new, or higher tariffs on certain products imported from China to penalize China for what it characterizes as unfair trade practices. China has responded by imposing, and proposing to impose additional, new, or higher tariffs on certain products imported from the United States. Following mutual retaliatory actions for months, on January 15, 2020, the United States and China entered into the Economic and Trade Agreement Between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China as a phase one trade deal, effective on February 14, 2020.

 

In addition, political tensions between the United States and China have escalated due to, among other things, trade disputes, the COVID-19 outbreak, sanctions imposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury on certain officials of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the PRC central government and the executive orders issued by former U.S. President Donald J. Trump in August 2020 that prohibit certain transactions with certain Chinese companies and their applications. Rising political tensions could reduce levels of trades, investments, technological exchanges, and other economic activities between the two major economies, which would have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions and the stability of global financial markets. Any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

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As we depend on parts and components from suppliers, some of which are overseas, tariffs by the PRC government or any other trade tensions may affect the costs of our products. Demand for our vehicles depends to a large extent on general, economic, political, and social conditions in China. The current international trade tensions and political tensions between the United States and China, and any escalation of such tensions, may have a negative impact on such general, economic, political, and social conditions and accordingly demands for our vehicles, adversely impacting our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

 

Unexpected termination of leases, failure to renew the lease of our existing premises or to renew such leases at acceptable terms could materially and adversely affect our business.

 

We lease the premises for manufacturing, research and development, retails stores, delivery and servicing centers and offices. We cannot assure you that we would be able to renew the relevant lease agreements without substantial additional cost or increase in the rental cost payable by us. If a lease agreement is renewed at a rent substantially higher than the current rate, or currently existing favorable terms granted by the lessor are not extended, our business and results of operations may be adversely affected.

 

Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure

 

If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with our VIEs do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.

 

Current PRC laws and regulations place certain restrictions on foreign ownership of certain areas of businesses. For example, pursuant to the 2020 Negative List, foreign investors are not allowed to own more than 50% of the equity interests in a value-added telecommunication service provider (excluding e-commerce, domestic multiparty communications, store-and-forward and call centre).

 

We are a Cayman Islands company and our PRC subsidiaries are considered foreign-invested enterprises, or FIEs. To comply with the applicable PRC laws and regulations, we conduct certain operations in China through certain PRC entities, including Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information. For a detailed description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.”

 

In the opinion of Han Kun Law Offices, our PRC legal counsel, (i) the ownership structures of our wholly-owned subsidiary Beijing Co Wheels Technology Co., Ltd., or Wheels Technology, and our VIEs in China are not in violation of any explicit provisions of PRC laws and regulations currently in effect; and (ii) each of the contracts among Wheels Technology, our VIEs, and their respective shareholders governed by PRC laws is valid and binding. However, we have been advised by our PRC legal counsel that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations, and rules, and there can be no assurance that the PRC regulatory authorities will take a view that is consistent with the opinion of our PRC legal counsel.

 

It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to VIE structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. In particular, the National People’s Congress approved the Foreign Investment Law, or the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law on March 15, 2019, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. In addition, the PRC State Council approved the Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law on December 26, 2019, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. There are uncertainties as to how the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules would be further interpreted and implemented, if it would represent a major change to the laws and regulations relating to the VIE structures. See “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of newly enacted 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.”

 

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If the ownership structure, contractual arrangements, and businesses of our PRC subsidiaries or our VIEs are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or our PRC subsidiaries or our VIEs fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures, including:

 

·                  revoking the business licenses or operating licenses of such entities;

 

·                  shutting down our servers or blocking our website, or discontinuing or placing restrictions or onerous conditions on our operation through any transactions between our PRC subsidiaries and VIEs;

 

·                  imposing fines, confiscating the income from our PRC subsidiaries or our VIEs, or imposing other requirements with which we or our VIEs may not be able to comply;

 

·                  requiring us to restructure our ownership structure or operations, including terminating the contractual arrangements with our VIEs and deregistering the equity pledge of our VIEs, which in turn would affect our ability to consolidate, derive economic interests from, or exert effective control over our VIEs; or

 

·                  restricting or prohibiting our use of the proceeds of our offshore offerings to finance our business and operations in China, and taking other regulatory or enforcement actions that could be harmful to our business.

 

Any of these actions could cause significant disruption to our business operations and severely damage our reputation, which would in turn materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If any of these occurrences results in our inability to direct the activities of our VIEs that most significantly impact their economic performance, and/or our failure to receive the economic benefits from our VIEs, we may not be able to consolidate the entities in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

 

We rely on contractual arrangements with our VIEs and their respective shareholders to exercise control over our business, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control

 

We have relied and expect to continue to rely on contractual arrangements with our VIEs and their respective shareholders to conduct a portion of our operations in China. For a description of these contractual arrangements, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—C. Organizational Structure.” The respective shareholders of our VIEs may not act in the best interests of our company or may not perform their obligations under these contracts. If we had direct ownership of our VIEs, we would be able to exercise our rights as a shareholder to control our VIEs to excise rights of shareholders to effect changes in the board of directors of our VIEs, which in turn could implement changes, subject to any applicable fiduciary obligations, at the management and operational level. However, under the contractual arrangements, we would rely on legal remedies under PRC laws for breach of contract in the event that our VIEs and their respective shareholders did not perform their obligations under the contracts. These legal remedies may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing us with control over our VIEs.

 

If our VIEs or their respective shareholders fail to perform their obligations under the contractual arrangements, we may have to incur substantial costs and expend additional resources to enforce such arrangements, and rely on legal remedies under PRC laws, including contractual remedies, which may not be sufficient or effective. All of the agreements under our contractual arrangements are governed by and interpreted in accordance with PRC laws, and disputes arising from these contractual arrangements will be resolved through arbitration in China. However, the legal framework and system in China, in particularly those relating to arbitration proceedings, are not as developed as in some other jurisdictions, such as the United States. As a result, uncertainties in the PRC legal system could limit our ability to enforce these contractual arrangements. Meanwhile, there are very few precedents and little formal guidance as to how contractual arrangements in the context of an VIE should be interpreted or enforced under PRC law. There remain significant uncertainties regarding the ultimate outcome of such arbitration should legal action become necessary. In addition, under PRC laws, rulings by arbitrators are final, parties cannot appeal the arbitration results in courts, and if the losing parties fail to carry out the arbitration awards within a prescribed time limit, the prevailing parties may only enforce the arbitration awards in the PRC courts through arbitration award recognition proceedings, which would require additional expenses and delay. If we are unable to enforce these contractual arrangements, or if we suffer significant delay or face other obstacles in the process of enforcing these contractual arrangements, we may not be able to exert effective control over our VIEs, and our ability to conduct our business may be negatively affected. See “—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us.”

 

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Our ability to enforce the equity pledge agreements between us and our VIEs’ shareholders may be subject to limitations based on PRC laws and regulations.

 

Pursuant to the equity interest pledge agreements between Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information, our VIEs, their respective shareholders, and Wheels Technology, our wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, each shareholder of Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information agrees to pledge its equity interests in the relevant VIE to our subsidiary to secure Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information’s performance of the relevant VIE’s obligations under the relevant contractual arrangements. The equity interest pledge of shareholders of Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information has been registered with the local branch of the SAMR. The equity interest pledge agreements with our VIEs’ shareholders provide that the pledged equity interest shall constitute continuing security for any and all of the indebtedness, obligations and liabilities under the relevant agreements and the scope of pledge shall not be limited by the amount of the registered capital of that VIE. However, a PRC court may take the position that the amount listed on the equity pledge registration forms represents the full amount of the collateral that has been registered and perfected. If this is the case, the obligations that are supposed to be secured in the equity interest pledge agreements in excess of the amount listed on the equity pledge registration forms could be determined by the PRC court as unsecured debt, which typically takes last priority among creditors.

 

The registered shareholders of our VIEs may have potential conflicts of interest with us, which may materially and adversely affect our business and financial condition.

 

The registered shareholders of Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information, our VIEs, may have potential conflicts of interest with us. These shareholders may breach, or cause our VIEs to breach, or refuse to renew, the existing contractual arrangements we have with them and our VIEs, which would have a material and adverse effect on our ability to effectively control our VIEs and receive economic benefits from them. For example, the shareholders may be able to cause our agreements with our VIEs to be performed in a manner adverse to us by, among other things, failing to remit payments due under the contractual arrangements to us on a timely basis. We cannot assure you that when conflicts of interest arise, any or all of these shareholders will act in the best interests of our company or such conflicts will be resolved in our favor.

 

Currently, we do not have any arrangements to address potential conflicts of interest between these shareholders and our company, except that we could exercise our purchase option under the exclusive option agreements with these shareholders to request them to transfer all of their equity interests in our VIEs to a PRC entity or individual designated by us, to the extent permitted by PRC law. For individual shareholders who are also our directors, we rely on them to abide by the laws of the Cayman Islands and China, which provide that directors owe a fiduciary duty to the company that requires them to act in good faith and in what they believe to be the best interests of the company and not to use their position for personal gains. There is currently no specific and clear guidance under PRC laws that addresses any conflict between PRC laws and laws of Cayman Islands in respect of any conflict relating to corporate governance. If we cannot resolve any conflict of interest or dispute between us and the shareholders of our VIEs, we would have to rely on legal proceedings, which could result in disruption of our business and subject us to substantial uncertainty as to the outcome of any such legal proceedings.

 

The shareholders of our VIEs may be involved in personal disputes with third parties or other incidents that may have an adverse effect on their respective equity interests in the relevant VIEs and the validity or enforceability of our contractual arrangements with the relevant entity and its shareholders. For example, in the event that any of the shareholders of our VIEs divorces his or her spouse, the spouse may claim that the equity interest of the relevant VIE held by such shareholder is part of their community property and should be divided between such shareholder and his or her spouse. If such claim is supported by the court, the relevant equity interest may be obtained by the shareholder’s spouse or another third party who is not subject to obligations under our contractual arrangements, which could result in a loss of the effective control over the relevant VIE by us. Similarly, if any of the equity interests of our VIEs is inherited by a third party with whom the current contractual arrangements are not binding, we could lose our control over the relevant VIE or have to maintain such control by incurring unpredictable costs, which could cause significant disruption to our business and operations and harm our financial condition and results of operations.

 

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Our contractual arrangements with our VIEs may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or our VIEs owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.

 

Under applicable PRC laws and regulations, arrangements and transactions among related parties may be subject to audit or challenge by the PRC tax authorities within ten years after the taxable year when the transactions are conducted. The PRC enterprise income tax law requires every enterprise in China to submit its annual enterprise income tax return together with a report on transactions with its related parties to the relevant tax authorities. The tax authorities may impose reasonable adjustments on taxation if they have identified any related party transactions that are inconsistent with arm’s length principles. We may face material and adverse tax consequences if the PRC tax authorities determine that the contractual arrangements were not entered into on an arm’s length basis in such a way as to result in an impermissible reduction in taxes under applicable PRC laws, rules and regulations, and adjust the income of our VIEs in the form of a transfer pricing adjustment. A transfer pricing adjustment could, among other things, result in a reduction of expense deductions recorded by our VIEs for PRC tax purposes, which could in turn increase its tax liabilities without reducing Wheels Technology’s tax expenses. In addition, if Wheels Technology requests the shareholders of our VIEs to transfer their equity interest in our VIEs at nominal or no value pursuant to the contractual agreements, such transfer could be viewed as a gift and subject Wheels Technology to PRC income tax. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may impose late payment fees and other penalties on our VIEs for the adjusted but unpaid taxes according to the applicable regulations. Our financial position could be materially and adversely affected if any of our VIEs’ tax liabilities increase or they are required to pay late payment fees and other penalties.

 

We may lose the ability to use and benefit from assets held by our VIEs that are material to the operation of our business if either of our VIEs goes bankrupt or becomes subject to dissolution or liquidation proceeding.

 

As part of our contractual arrangements with our VIEs, these entities may in the future hold certain assets that are material to the operation of our business. If either of our VIEs goes bankrupt and all or part of its assets become subject to liens or rights of third-party creditors, we may be unable to continue some or all of our business activities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Under the contractual arrangements, our VIEs may not, in any manner, sell, transfer, mortgage or dispose of their assets or legal or beneficial interests in the business without our prior consent. If either of our VIEs undergoes voluntary or involuntary liquidation proceeding, unrelated third-party creditors may claim rights to some or all of these assets, thereby hindering our ability to operate our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Risks Relating to Doing Business in China

 

Changes in China’s economic, political or social conditions or government policies could have a material and adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

 

We expect that substantially all of our revenues will be derived in China and substantially all of our operations, including all of our manufacturing, are conducted in China. Accordingly, our results of operations, financial condition and prospects are influenced by economic, political and legal developments in China. China’s economy differs from the economies of most developed countries in many respects, including with respect to the amount of government involvement, level of development, growth rate, control of foreign exchange and allocation of resources. Although the PRC government has implemented measures emphasizing the utilization of market forces for economic reform, the reduction of state ownership of productive assets, and the establishment of improved corporate governance in business enterprises, a substantial portion of productive assets in China is still owned by the government. The PRC government also exercises significant control over China’s economic growth through strategically allocating resources, controlling the payment of foreign currency-denominated obligations, setting monetary policy and providing preferential treatment to particular industries or companies. While the PRC economy has experienced significant growth over the past decades, that growth has been uneven across different regions and between economic sectors and may not continue, as evidenced by the slowing of the growth of the Chinese economy since 2012. Any adverse changes in economic conditions in China, in the policies of the Chinese government or in the laws and regulations in China could have a material adverse effect on the overall economic growth of China. For example, COVID-19 had a severe and negative impact on the Chinese economy in the first quarter of 2020. Whether this will lead to a prolonged downturn in the Chinese economy is still unknown. Any prolonged economic downturn could adversely affect our business and operating results, leading to reduction in demand for our services and solutions and adversely affect our competitive position.

 

Uncertainties in the interpretation and enforcement of PRC laws and regulations could limit the legal protections available to you and us.

 

The PRC legal system is a civil law system based on written statutes. Unlike the common law system, prior court decisions may be cited for reference but have limited precedential value.

 

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Our PRC subsidiaries are FIEs and are subject to laws and regulations applicable to FIEs as well as various Chinese laws and regulations generally applicable to companies incorporated in China. However, since these laws and regulations are relatively new and the PRC legal system continues to rapidly evolve, the interpretations of many laws, regulations and rules are not always uniform and enforcement of these laws, regulations and rules involves uncertainties.

 

From time to time, we may have to resort to administrative and court proceedings to enforce our legal rights. However, since PRC administrative and court authorities have significant discretion in interpreting and implementing statutory and contractual terms, it may be more difficult to evaluate the outcome of administrative and court proceedings and the level of protection we enjoy than in more developed legal systems. Furthermore, the PRC legal system is based in part on government policies and internal rules, some of which are not published on a timely basis or at all, and which may have a retroactive effect. As a result, we may not be aware of our violation of any of these policies and rules until sometime after the violation. Such uncertainties, including uncertainty over the scope and effect of our contractual, property (including intellectual property) and procedural rights, and any failure to respond to changes in the regulatory environment in China could materially and adversely affect our business and impede our ability to continue our operations.

 

Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of newly enacted 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.

 

On March 15, 2019, the PRC National People’s Congress approved the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced the trio of existing laws regulating foreign investment in China, namely, the Sino-foreign Equity Joint Venture Enterprise Law, the Sino-foreign Cooperative Joint Venture Enterprise Law, and the Wholly Foreign-invested Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. On December 26, 2019, the PRC State Council approved the Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. The 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules embody an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign and domestic investments. However, since the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law is relatively new, substantial uncertainties exist with respect to its interpretation and implementation.

 

The VIE structure has been adopted by many PRC-based companies, including us, to obtain necessary licenses and permits in the industries that are currently subject to foreign investment restrictions in China. See “—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure” and “Corporate History and Structure.” Under the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to the investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by foreign individuals, enterprises or other entities in China. Although it does not explicitly classify contractual arrangements as a form of foreign investment, there is no assurance that foreign investment via contractual arrangement would not be interpreted as a type of indirect foreign investment activities in the future. In addition, the definition contains a catch-all provision providing that investments made by foreign investors through other methods specified in laws or administrative regulations or other methods prescribed by the State Council, which leaves leeway for future laws, administrative regulations or provisions promulgated by the Stale Council to provide for contractual arrangements as a method of foreign investment. Given the foregoing, it is uncertain whether our contractual arrangements will be deemed to be in violation of the market entry clearance requirements for foreign investment under the PRC laws and regulations.

 

The 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law specifies that foreign investments shall be conducted in line with the “negative list” to be issued by or approved to be issued by the State Council. An FIE would not be allowed to make investments in prohibited industries in the “negative list,” while the FIE must satisfy certain conditions stipulated in the “negative list” for investment in restricted industries. It is uncertain whether the value-added telecommunication service industry, in which our VIEs and their subsidiaries operate, will be subject to the foreign investment restrictions or prohibitions set forth in the “negative list” to be issued in the future, although it is subject to the foreign investment restrictions set forth in the currently effective 2019 Negative List. Moreover, the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law does not indicate what actions must be taken by existing companies with a VIE structure to obtain the market entry clearance if such structure would be deemed as a method of foreign investment. If our VIE structure would be deemed as a method of foreign investment, and any of our business operation would fall in the “negative list,” and if the interpretation and implementation of the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and the final “negative list” mandate further actions, such as market entry clearance granted by the PRC Ministry of Commerce, to be completed by companies with an existing VIE structure like us, we face uncertainties as to whether such clearance can be timely obtained, or at all. There are uncertainties as to how the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law would be further interpreted and implemented. We cannot assure you that the interpretation and implementation of the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law made by the relevant governmental authorities in the future will not materially impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance and business operations in any aspect.

 

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We may be adversely affected by the complexity, uncertainties and changes in PRC regulations on automotive as well as internet-related businesses and companies.

 

We operate in highly regulated industries. In particular, our vehicle manufacturing is subject to extensive regulations in China. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations and Approvals Covering the Manufacturing of Battery Electric Passenger Vehicles,” “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Compulsory Product Certification,” “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Automobile Sales,” and “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobiles.” Several PRC regulatory authorities, such as the SAMR, the NDRC, the PRC Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, or the MIIT, and the PRC Ministry of Commerce, oversee different aspects of our operations, including but not limited to:

 

·                  assessment of vehicle manufacturing enterprises;

 

·                  market admission of NEVs;

 

·                  compulsory product certification;

 

·                  direct sales model;

 

·                  product liabilities;

 

·                  sales of vehicle;

 

·                  environmental protection system; and

 

·                  work safety and occupational health requirements.

 

We are required to obtain a wide range of government approvals, licenses, permits, and registrations in connection with our operations as well as to follow multiple mandatory standards or technical norms in our manufacturing and our vehicles. However, the interpretation of these regulations may change and new regulations may come into effect, which could disrupt or restrict our operations, reduce our competitiveness, or result in substantial compliance costs. For example, pursuant to the Administrative Rules on the Admission of New Energy Vehicle Manufacturers and Products which was promulgated by the MIIT in January 2017 and amended in July 2020, our vehicles must meet the requirements set forth in the New Energy Vehicle Products Special Examination Project and Standards stipulated and amended by the MIIT from time to time based on the development of the NEV industry and relevant standards. In addition, certain filings must be made by automobile dealers through the information system for the national automobile circulation operated by the relevant commerce department within 90 days after the receipt of a business license and the information must be updated within 30 days after the change of basic information recorded. Our direct sales model is relatively new and uncommon in the automotive industry, and there can be no assurance that this model will not be subject to further regulations. As we are expanding our sales and distribution network and setting up additional retail stores in China, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete such filings in a timely manner. If any of our current or future sales subsidiaries or branches fail to make the necessary filings, such sales subsidiaries or branches may be subject to orders to promptly rectify the non-compliance or fines up to RMB10,000. Furthermore, the NEV industry is relatively new in China, and the PRC government has not adopted a clear regulatory framework to regulate the industry yet. As some of the laws, rules, and regulations that we may be subject to were primarily enacted with a view toward application to ICE vehicles, or are relatively new, there are significant uncertainties regarding their interpretation and application with respect to our business. For example, although the Provisions on Administration of Investment in Automotive Industry promulgated by the NDRC on December 10, 2018 has categorized our vehicles as electric vehicles, it remains unclear when our vehicles would be deemed as electric vehicles that exempt from the license plate lottery system for ICE vehicles in Beijing by the local authorities. In addition, on November 25, 2020, the SAMR issued a circular to regulate the recall of defective automobiles with over-the-air, or OTA, technology. The circular provides that automakers that provide technical services through OTA are required to complete filing with the SAMR and those who have provided such services through OTA must complete such filing before December 31, 2020. We cannot assure you that we have satisfied or will continue to satisfy all of the laws, rules, and regulations in the timely manner or at all.

 

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The PRC regulatory authorities’ interpretation of such laws, rules, and regulations may change, which could materially and adversely affect the validity of the approvals, qualifications, licenses, permits, and registrations we obtained or completed. Any failure to comply may result in fines, restrictions, and limits on our operations, as well as suspension or revocation of certain certificates, approvals, permits, licenses, or filings we have already obtained or made.

 

In addition, the PRC government imposes foreign ownership restriction and the licensing and permit requirements for companies in the internet industry. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign Investment in China” and “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Value-added Telecommunications Services.” These laws and regulations are relatively new and evolving, and their interpretation and enforcement involve significant uncertainties. As a result, in certain circumstances it may be difficult to determine what actions or omissions may be deemed to be in violation of applicable laws and regulations.

 

We do not directly conduct such business due to the restrictions on foreign investment in businesses providing value-added telecommunications services in China and we expect to rely on contractual arrangements with our VIEs to operate value-added telecommunications services. Beijing Chelixing Information Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beijing CHJ, currently holds a Value-added Telecommunication Business Operating License for internet information service, or the ICP License. Our VIEs may be required to obtain an additional Value-added Telecommunications Business Operating License for certain services to be carried out by us through our mobile application in addition to the ICP License or to update our exiting ICP License. Failure to obtain or update such license may significantly disrupt our business, subject us to sanctions, compromise enforceability of related contractual arrangements, or have other adverse impacts on us.

 

We may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries to fund any cash and financing requirements we may have, and any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to make payments to us could have a material and adverse effect on our ability to conduct our business.

 

We are a holding company, and we may rely on dividends and other distributions on equity paid by our PRC subsidiaries for our cash and financing requirements, including the funds necessary to pay dividends and other cash distributions to our shareholders and service any debt we may incur. Current PRC regulations permit our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends to us only out of their accumulated after-tax profits upon satisfaction of relevant statutory conditions and procedures, if any, determined in accordance with Chinese accounting standards and regulations. In addition, each of our PRC subsidiaries is required to set aside at least 10% of its after-tax profits each year, if any, to fund certain reserve funds until the total amount set aside reaches 50% of its registered capital. As of January 31, 2021, our VIEs had not made appropriations to statutory reserves as our PRC subsidiaries and our VIEs reported accumulated loss.  For a detailed discussion of applicable PRC regulations governing distribution of dividends, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Dividend Distribution.” Additionally, if our PRC subsidiaries incur debt on their own behalf in the future, the instruments governing their debt may restrict their ability to pay dividends or make other distributions to us. Furthermore, the PRC tax authorities may require our subsidiaries to adjust their taxable income under the contractual arrangements they currently have in place with our VIEs in a manner that would materially and adversely affect their ability to pay dividends and other distributions to us. See “—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—Our contractual arrangements with our VIEs may be subject to scrutiny by the PRC tax authorities and they may determine that we or our VIEs owe additional taxes, which could negatively affect our financial condition and the value of your investment.”

 

Any limitation on the ability of our PRC subsidiaries to pay dividends or make other distributions to us could materially and adversely limit our ability to grow, make investments or acquisitions that could be beneficial to our business, pay dividends, or otherwise fund and conduct our business. See “—If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.”

 

Increases in labor costs and enforcement of stricter labor laws and regulations in China may adversely affect our business and our profitability.

 

China’s overall economy and the average wage in China have increased in recent years and are expected to grow. The average wage level for our employees has also increased in recent years. We expect that our labor costs, including wages and employee benefits, will increase. Unless we are able to pass on these increased labor costs to our users, our profitability and results of operations may be materially and adversely affected.

 

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In addition, we have been subject to stricter regulatory requirements in terms of entering into labor contracts with our employees and paying various statutory employee benefits, including pensions, housing fund, medical insurance, work-related injury insurance, unemployment insurance and maternity insurance to designated government agencies for the benefit of our employees. Pursuant to the PRC Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules, employers are subject to stricter requirements in terms of signing labor contracts, minimum wages, paying remuneration, determining the term of employee’s probation and unilaterally terminating labor contracts. In the event that we decide to terminate some of our employees or otherwise change our employment or labor practices, the PRC Labor Contract Law and its implementation rules may limit our ability to effect those changes in a desirable or cost-effective manner, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

 

As the interpretation and implementation of labor-related laws and regulations are still evolving, our employment practices may violate labor-related laws and regulations in China, which may subject us to labor disputes or government investigations. We cannot assure you that we have complied or will be able to comply with all labor-related law and regulations including those relating to obligations to make social insurance payments and contribute to the housing provident funds. If we are deemed to have violated relevant labor laws and regulations, we could be required to provide additional compensation to our employees and our business, financial condition and results of operations will be adversely affected.

 

You may experience difficulties in effecting service of legal process, enforcing foreign judgments or bringing actions in China against us or our management based on foreign laws.

 

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands, while we conduct substantially all of our operations in China, and substantially all of our assets are located in China. In addition, all our senior executive officers reside within China for a significant portion of the time and all our senior executive officers are PRC nationals. As a result, it may be difficult for our shareholders to effect service of process upon us or those persons inside China. In addition, China does not have treaties providing for the reciprocal recognition and enforcement of judgments of courts with the Cayman Islands and many other countries and regions. Therefore, recognition and enforcement in China of judgments of a court in any of these non-PRC jurisdictions in relation to any matter not subject to a binding arbitration provision may be difficult or impossible.

 

It may be difficult for overseas regulators to conduct investigation or collect evidence within China.

 

Shareholder claims or regulatory investigation that are common in the United States generally are difficult to pursue as a matter of law or practicality in China. For example, in China, there are significant legal and other obstacles to providing information needed for regulatory investigations or litigations initiated outside China. Although the authorities in China may establish a regulatory cooperation mechanism with the securities regulatory authorities of another country or region to implement cross-border supervision and administration, such cooperation with the securities regulatory authorities in the Unities States may not be efficient in the absence of mutual and practical cooperation mechanism. Furthermore, according to Article 177 of the PRC Securities Law, which became effective in March 2020, no overseas securities regulator is allowed to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within the PRC territory. While detailed interpretation of or implementation rules under Article 177 have yet to be promulgated, the inability for an overseas securities regulator to directly conduct investigation or evidence collection activities within China may further increase the difficulties you face in protecting your interests. See also “—Risks Related to Our ADSs—You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.” for risks associated with investing in us as a Cayman Islands company.

 

Fluctuations in exchange rates could have a material and adverse effect on our results of operations and the value of your investment.

 

The conversion of Renminbi into foreign currencies, including U.S. dollars, is based on rates set by the People’s Bank of China. The Renminbi has fluctuated against the U.S. dollar, at times significantly and unpredictably. The value of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar and other currencies is affected by changes in China’s political and economic conditions and by China’s foreign exchange policies, among other things. We cannot assure you that Renminbi will not appreciate or depreciate significantly in value against the U.S. dollar in the future. It is difficult to predict how market forces or PRC or U.S. government policy may impact the exchange rate between Renminbi and the U.S. dollar in the future.

 

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There remains significant international pressure on the PRC government to adopt a more flexible currency policy. Any significant appreciation or depreciation of Renminbi may materially and adversely affect our revenues, earnings and financial position, and the value of, and any dividends payable on, our ADSs in U.S. dollars. For example, to the extent that we need to convert U.S. dollars we receive from our offshore offerings into Renminbi to pay our operating expenses, appreciation of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar would have an adverse effect on the Renminbi amount we would receive from the conversion. Conversely, a significant depreciation of Renminbi against the U.S. dollar may significantly reduce the U.S. dollar equivalent of our earnings, which in turn could adversely affect the price of our ADSs.

 

Very limited hedging options are available in China to reduce our exposure to exchange rate fluctuations. To date, we have not entered into any hedging transactions in an effort to reduce our exposure to foreign currency exchange risk. While we may decide to enter into hedging transactions in the future, the availability and effectiveness of these hedges may be limited and we may not be able to adequately hedge our exposure or at all. In addition, our currency exchange losses may be magnified by PRC exchange control regulations that restrict our ability to convert Renminbi into foreign currency. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates may have a material adverse effect on your investment.

 

PRC regulation of loans to and direct investment in PRC entities by offshore holding companies may delay or prevent us from using the proceeds of our offshore offerings to make loans to or make additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

 

Under PRC laws and regulations, we are permitted to utilize the proceeds from our offerings to fund our PRC subsidiaries by making loans to or additional capital contributions to our PRC subsidiaries, subject to applicable government registration, statutory limitations on amount and approval requirements. For more details, see “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign Exchange.” These PRC laws and regulations may significantly limit our ability to use Renminbi converted from the net proceeds of our offerings to fund the establishment of new entities in China by our PRC subsidiaries, to invest in or acquire any other PRC companies through our PRC subsidiaries, or to establish new VIEs in China. Moreover, we cannot assure you that we will be able to complete the necessary registrations or filings, or obtain the necessary government approvals on a timely basis, if at all, with respect to future loans to our PRC subsidiaries or future capital contributions by us to our PRC subsidiaries. If we fail to complete such registrations or filings, or obtain such approvals, our ability to use the proceeds we received or expect to receive from our offshore offerings and to capitalize or otherwise fund our PRC operations may be negatively affected, which could materially and adversely affect our liquidity and our ability to fund and expand our business.

 

On December 26, 2017, the NDRC issued the Management Rules for Overseas Investment by Enterprises, or Order 11. On January 31, 2018, the Catalog on Overseas Investment in Sensitive Industries (2018 Edition), or the Sensitive Industries List was promulgated. Overseas investment governed by Order 11 refers to the investment activities conducted by an enterprise located in the territory of China either directly or via an overseas enterprise under its control through making investment with assets and equities or providing financing or guarantees in order to obtain overseas ownership, control, management rights and other related interests, and overseas investment by a PRC individual through overseas enterprises under his/her control is also subject to Order 11. According to Order 11, before being conducted, any overseas investment in a sensitive industry or any direct investment by a Chinese enterprise in a non-sensitive industry but with an investment amount over US$300 million requires approval from, or filing with, the NDRC respectively, and for those non-sensitive investments indirectly by Chinese investors (including PRC individuals) with investment amount over US$300 million need to be reported. However, uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation and application of Order 11, we are not sure whether our using of proceeds will be subject to Order 11. If we fail to obtain the approval, complete the filing or report our overseas investment with our proceeds (as the case may be) in a timely manner provided that Order 11 is applicable, we may be forced to suspend or cease our investment, or be subject to penalties or other liabilities, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and prospects.

 

Governmental control of currency conversion may limit our ability to utilize our revenues effectively and affect the value of your investment.

 

The PRC government imposes controls on the convertibility of Renminbi into foreign currencies and, in certain cases, the remittance of currency out of China. Under existing PRC foreign exchange regulations, payments of current account items, such as profit distributions and trade and service-related foreign exchange transactions, can be made in foreign currencies without prior approval from the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, or SAFE, by complying with certain procedural requirements. However, approval from or registration with appropriate governmental authorities is required where Renminbi is to be converted into foreign currency and remitted out of China to pay capital expenses such as the repayment of loans denominated in foreign currencies. As a result, we need to obtain SAFE approval to use cash generated from the operations of our PRC subsidiaries and our VIEs to pay off their respective debt in a currency other than Renminbi owned to entities outside China, or to make other capital expenditure payments outside China in a currency other than Renminbi. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign Exchange.” Any failure to comply with applicable foreign exchange regulations may subject us to administrative fines or, if serious, criminal penalties, which could materially and adversely affect the value of your investment.

 

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Since 2016, the PRC government has tightened its foreign exchange policies again and stepped up scrutiny of major outbound capital movement. More restrictions and a substantial vetting process have been put in place by SAFE to regulate cross-border transactions falling under the capital account. The PRC government may also restrict access in the future to foreign currencies for current account transactions, at its discretion. We receive substantially all of our revenues in RMB. If the foreign exchange control system prevents us from obtaining sufficient foreign currencies to satisfy our foreign currency demands, we may not be able to pay dividends in foreign currencies to our shareholders, including holders of our ADSs.

 

PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC law.

 

SAFE requires PRC residents or entities to register with SAFE or its local branch in connection with their establishment or control of an offshore entity established for the purpose of overseas investment or financing. In addition, such PRC residents or entities must update their SAFE registrations when the offshore special purpose vehicle undergoes certain material events. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Foreign Exchange—Offshore Investment”

 

If our shareholders who are PRC residents or entities do not complete their registration with the local SAFE branches, our PRC subsidiaries may be prohibited from distributing their profits and any proceeds from any reduction in capital, share transfer or liquidation to us, and we may be restricted in our ability to contribute additional capital to our PRC subsidiaries. Moreover, failure to comply with SAFE registration requirements could result in liability under PRC laws for evasion of applicable foreign exchange restrictions.

 

However, we may not be informed of the identities of all the PRC residents or entities holding direct or indirect interests in our company, nor can we compel our beneficial owners to comply with SAFE registration requirements. As of the date of this annual report, our founder, Mr. Xiang Li, and ten other PRC residents known to us that currently hold direct or indirect ownership interests in our company have completed the required initial registrations with SAFE. Mr. Xiang Li and other co-founders or directors are planning to update the registrations with respect to the capital of their respective offshore holding vehicles. As a result, we cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners that are PRC residents, including the beneficiaries of certain trusts directly or indirectly holding interests in our company, have complied with, and will in the future make, obtain, or update any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. Failure by such shareholders or beneficial owners to comply with SAFE regulations, or failure by us to amend the foreign exchange registrations of our PRC subsidiaries, could subject us to fines or legal sanctions, restrict our overseas or cross-border investment activities, limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to make distributions or pay dividends to us or affect our ownership structure, which could adversely affect our business and prospects.

 

China’s M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for certain acquisitions of PRC companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.

 

A number of PRC laws and regulations have established procedures and requirements that could make merger and acquisition activities in China by foreign investors more time consuming and complex. In addition to the Anti-monopoly Law itself, these include the Regulations on Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the M&A Rules, adopted by six PRC regulatory agencies in 2006 and amended in 2009, and the Rules of the Ministry of Commerce on Implementation of Security Review System of Mergers and Acquisitions of Domestic Enterprises by Foreign Investors, or the Security Review Rules, promulgated in 2011. These laws and regulations impose requirements in some instances that the PRC Ministry of Commerce be notified in advance of any change-of-control transaction in which a foreign investor takes control of a PRC domestic enterprise. In addition, the Anti-Monopoly Law requires that the PRC Ministry of Commerce be notified in advance of any concentration of undertaking if certain thresholds are triggered. Moreover, the Security Review Rules specify that mergers and acquisitions by foreign investors that raise “national defense and security” concerns and mergers and acquisitions through which foreign investors may acquire de facto control over domestic enterprises that raise “national security” concerns are subject to strict review by the PRC Ministry of Commerce, and prohibit any attempt to bypass a security review, including by structuring the transaction through a proxy or contractual control arrangement. In the future, we may grow our business by acquiring complementary businesses. Complying with the requirements of the relevant regulations to complete such transactions could be time consuming, and any required approval processes, including approval from the PRC Ministry of Commerce, may delay or inhibit our ability to complete such transactions, which could affect our ability to expand our business or maintain our market share.

 

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Any failure to comply with PRC regulations regarding the registration requirements for employee stock incentive plans may subject the PRC plan participants or us to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions.

 

Under SAFE regulations, PRC residents who participate in a stock incentive plan in an overseas publicly listed company are required to register with SAFE or its local branches and complete certain other procedures. See “Item 4. Information on the Company—B. Business Overview—Regulations—Regulations on Employment and Social Welfare—Employee Stock Incentive Plan.” We and our PRC resident employees who participate in our share incentive plans are subject to these regulations as we are publicly listed in the United States. We are in the process of registration with the local counterparts of SAFE for our PRC resident employees who participate in our share incentive plans as required under the relevant rules. If we or any of these PRC resident employees fail to comply with these regulations, we or such employees may be subject to fines and other legal or administrative sanctions. We also face regulatory uncertainties that could restrict our ability to adopt additional incentive plans for our directors, executive officers and employees under PRC law.

 

Discontinuation of any of the preferential tax treatments and government subsidies or imposition of any additional taxes and surcharges could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our PRC subsidiaries currently benefit from a number of preferential tax treatments. For example, Beijing CHJ, is entitled to enjoy, after completing certain application formalities, a 15% preferential enterprise income tax from 2019 as it has been qualified as a “High New Technology Enterprise” under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and related regulations. The discontinuation of any of the preferential income tax treatment that we currently enjoy could have a material and adverse effect on our result of operations and financial condition. We cannot assure you that we will be able to maintain or lower our current effective tax rate in the future.

 

In addition, our PRC subsidiaries have received various financial subsidies from PRC local government authorities. The financial subsidies result from discretionary incentives and policies adopted by PRC local government authorities. Local governments may decide to change or discontinue such financial subsidies at any time. The discontinuation of such financial subsidies or imposition of any additional taxes could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

 

If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.

 

Under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and its implementation rules, an enterprise established outside of China with a “de facto management body” within China is considered a PRC resident enterprise. The implementation rules define the term “de facto management body” as the body that exercises full and substantial control over and overall management of the business, productions, personnel, accounts and properties of an enterprise. The State Administration of Taxation, or the SAT, issued a circular in April 2009 and amended it in January 2014, known as Circular 82, which provides certain specific criteria for determining whether the “de facto management body” of a PRC-controlled enterprise that is incorporated offshore is located in China. Although Circular 82 only applies to offshore enterprises controlled by PRC enterprises or PRC enterprise groups, not those controlled by PRC individuals or foreigners like us, the criteria set forth in the circular may reflect the SAT’s general position on how the “de facto management body” test should be applied in determining the tax resident status of all offshore enterprises. According to Circular 82, an offshore incorporated enterprise controlled by a PRC enterprise or a PRC enterprise group will be regarded as a PRC tax resident by virtue of having its “de facto management body” in China and will be subject to PRC enterprise income tax on its global income only if all of the following conditions are met: (i) the primary location of the day-to-day operational management is in China; (ii) decisions relating to the enterprise’s financial and human resource matters are made or are subject to approval by organizations or personnel in China; (iii) the enterprise’s primary assets, accounting books and records, company seals, and board and shareholder resolutions, are located or maintained in China; and (iv) at least 50% of voting board members or senior executives habitually reside in China.

 

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We believe that none of our entities outside of China is a PRC resident enterprise for PRC tax purposes. However, the tax resident status of an enterprise is subject to determination by the PRC tax authorities and uncertainties remain with respect to the interpretation of the term “de facto management body.” If the PRC tax authorities determine that we are a PRC resident enterprise for enterprise income tax purposes, we will be subject to the enterprise income tax on our global income at the rate of 25% and we will be required to comply with PRC enterprise income tax reporting obligations. In addition, gains realized on the sale or other disposition of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares may be subject to PRC tax, at a rate of 10% in the case of non-PRC enterprises or 20% in the case of non-PRC individuals (in each case, subject to the provisions of any applicable tax treaty), if such gains are deemed to be from PRC sources. It is unclear whether non-PRC shareholders of our company would be able to claim the benefits of any tax treaties between their country of tax residence and the PRC in the event that we are treated as a PRC resident enterprise. Any such tax may reduce the returns on your investment in the ADSs.

 

We may not be able to obtain certain benefits under relevant tax treaty on dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries to us through our Hong Kong subsidiary.

 

We are a holding company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands and as such rely on dividends and other distributions on equity from our PRC subsidiaries to satisfy part of our liquidity requirements. Pursuant to the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, a withholding tax rate of 10% currently applies to dividends paid by a PRC “resident enterprise” to a foreign enterprise investor, unless any such foreign investor’s jurisdiction of incorporation has a tax treaty with China that provides for preferential tax treatment. Pursuant to the Arrangement between the Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Tax Evasion on Income, such withholding tax rate may be lowered to 5% if a Hong Kong resident enterprise owns no less than 25% of a PRC enterprise. Furthermore, the Administrative Measures for Non-Resident Enterprises to Enjoy Treatments under Tax Treaties, which became effective in August 2015, require non-resident enterprises to determine whether they are qualified to enjoy the preferential tax treatment under the tax treaties and file relevant report and materials with the tax authorities. In addition, based on the Notice on Issues concerning Beneficial Owner in Tax Treaties, or Circular 9, issued on February 3, 2018 by the SAT, which became effective from April 1, 2018, when determining the applicant’s status of the “beneficial owner” regarding tax treatments in connection with dividends, interests or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors, including without limitation, whether the applicant is obligated to pay more than 50% of the applicant’s income in twelve months to residents in third country or region, whether the business operated by the applicant constitutes the actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country or region to the tax treaties does not levy any tax or grant tax exemption on relevant incomes or levy tax at an extremely low rate, will be taken into account, and it will be analyzed according to the actual circumstances of the specific cases. There are also other conditions for enjoying the reduced withholding tax rate according to other relevant tax rules and regulations. See “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—PRC Taxation.” As of December 31, 2020, most of our subsidiaries and VIEs located in China reported accumulated loss and therefore they had no retained earnings for offshore distribution. We intend to re-invest all earnings, if any, generated from our PRC subsidiaries for the operation and expansion of our business in China. Should our tax policy change to allow for offshore distribution of our earnings, we would be subject to a significant withholding tax. Our determination regarding our qualification to enjoy the preferential tax treatment could be challenged by the relevant tax authority and we may not be able to complete the necessary filings with the relevant tax authority and enjoy the preferential withholding tax rate of 5% under the arrangement with respect to dividends to be paid by our PRC subsidiaries to our Hong Kong subsidiary.

 

We face uncertainty with respect to indirect transfers of equity interests in PRC resident enterprises by their non-PRC holding companies.

 

In February 2015, the SAT issued the Public Notice Regarding Certain Enterprise Income Tax Matters on Indirect Transfer of Properties by Non-Resident Enterprises, or SAT Public Notice 7. SAT Public Notice 7 extends its tax jurisdiction to not only indirect transfers but also transactions involving transfer of other taxable assets, through the offshore transfer of a foreign intermediate holding company. In addition, SAT Public Notice 7 provides certain criteria on how to assess reasonable commercial purposes and has introduced safe harbors for internal group restructurings and the purchase and sale of equity through a public securities market. SAT Public Notice 7 also brings challenges to both the foreign transferor and transferee (or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer) of the taxable assets. Where a non-resident enterprise conducts an “indirect transfer” by transferring the taxable assets indirectly by disposing of the equity interests of an overseas holding company, the nonresident enterprise being the transferor, or the transferee, or the PRC entity which directly owned the taxable assets may report to the relevant tax authority such indirect transfer. Using a “substance over form” principle, the PRC tax authority may disregard the existence of the overseas holding company if it lacks a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of reducing, avoiding or deferring PRC tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax, and the transferee or other person who is obligated to pay for the transfer is obligated to withhold the applicable taxes, currently at a rate of 10% for the transfer of equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise. On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Issues Concerning the Withholding of Non-resident Enterprise Income Tax at Source, or SAT Bulletin 37, which came into effect on December 1, 2017.

 

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The SAT Bulletin 37 further clarifies the practice and procedure of the withholding of nonresident enterprise income tax.

 

We face uncertainties on the reporting and consequences of future private equity financing transactions, share exchanges or other transactions involving the transfer of shares in our company by investors that are non-PRC resident enterprises. The PRC tax authorities may pursue such non-resident enterprises with respect to a filing or the transferees with respect to withholding obligation, and request our PRC subsidiaries to assist in the filing. As a result, we and non-resident enterprises in such transactions may become at risk of being subject to filing obligations or being taxed under SAT Public Notice 7 and SAT Bulletin 37, and may be required to expend valuable resources to comply with them or to establish that we and our non-resident enterprises should not be taxed under these regulations, which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

If the custodians or authorized users of controlling non-tangible assets of our company, including our corporate chops and seals, fail to fulfill their responsibilities, or misappropriate or misuse these assets, our business and operations could be materially and adversely affected.

 

Under PRC laws, legal documents for corporate transactions are executed using the chops or seal of the signing entity or with the signature of a legal representative whose designation is registered and filed with the relevant branch of the SAMR.

 

Although we usually utilize chops to enter into contracts, the designated legal representatives of each of our PRC subsidiaries, our VIEs, and their subsidiaries have the apparent authority to enter into contracts on behalf of such entities without chops and bind such entities. All designated legal representatives of our PRC subsidiaries, our VIEs, and their subsidiaries are members of our senior management team who have signed employment agreements with us or our PRC subsidiaries, our VIEs, and their subsidiaries under which they agree to abide by various duties they owe to us. In order to maintain the physical security of our chops and chops of our PRC entities, we generally store these items in secured locations accessible only by the authorized personnel in the legal or finance department of each of our subsidiaries, our VIEs, and their subsidiaries. Although we monitor such authorized personnel, there is no assurance such procedures will prevent all instances of abuse or negligence. Accordingly, if any of our authorized personnel misuse or misappropriate our corporate chops or seals, we could encounter difficulties in maintaining control over the relevant entities and experience significant disruption to our operations. If a designated legal representative obtains control of the chops in an effort to obtain control over any of our PRC subsidiaries, our VIEs, or their subsidiaries, we or our PRC subsidiaries, our VIEs, and their subsidiaries would need to pass a new shareholders or board resolution to designate a new legal representative and we would need to take legal action to seek the return of the chops, apply for new chops with the relevant authorities, or otherwise seek legal redress for the violation of the representative’s fiduciary duties to us, which could involve significant time and resources and divert management attention away from our regular business. In addition, the affected entity may not be able to recover corporate assets that are sold or transferred out of our control in the event of such a misappropriation if a transferee relies on the apparent authority of the representative and acts in good faith.

 

Our leased property interest may be defective and our right to lease the properties affected by such defects challenged, which could cause significant disruption to our business.

 

Under PRC laws, all lease agreements are required to be registered with the local housing authorities. We presently lease several premises in China, some of which the landlords have not completed the registration of their ownership rights or the registration of our leases with the relevant authorities. Failure to complete these required registrations may expose our landlords, lessors and us to potential monetary fines. If these registrations are not obtained in a timely manner or at all, we may be subject to monetary fines or may have to relocate our offices and incur the associated losses.

 

Some of the ownership certificates or other similar proof of certain leased properties or authorization documents have not been provided to us by the relevant lessors. Therefore, we cannot assure you that such lessors are entitled to lease the relevant real properties to us. If the lessors are not entitled to lease the real properties to us and the owners of such real properties decline to ratify the lease agreements between us and the respective lessors, we may not be able to enforce our rights to lease such properties under the respective lease agreements against the owners. If our lease agreements are claimed as null and void by third parties who are the real owners of such leased real properties, we could be required to vacate the properties, in the event of which we could only initiate the claim against the lessors under relevant lease agreements for indemnities for their breach of the relevant leasing agreements. We cannot assure you that suitable alternative locations are readily available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all, and if we are unable to relocate our operations in a timely manner, our operations may be adversely affected.

 

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The audit report included in this annual report is prepared by an auditor who is not inspected by the PCAOB and, as such, our investors are deprived of the benefits of such inspection. In addition, the adoption of any rules, legislations or other efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information could cause uncertainty, and we could be delisted if we are unable to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement in time.

 

Our independent registered public accounting firm that issues the audit report included in this annual report, as auditors of companies that are traded publicly in the United States and a firm registered with the PCAOB is required by the laws of the United States to undergo regular inspections by the PCAOB to assess its compliance with U.S. laws and professional standards. Because our auditors are located in China, a jurisdiction where the PCAOB is currently unable to conduct inspections without the approval of the PRC authorities, we understand that our auditors are not currently inspected by the PCAOB. On December 7, 2018, the SEC and the PCAOB issued a joint statement highlighting continued challenges faced by the U.S. regulators in their oversight of financial statement audits of U.S.-listed companies with significant operations in China. The joint statement reflects a heightened interest in this issue. On April 21, 2020, the SEC and the PCAOB issued another joint statement reiterating the greater risk that disclosures will be insufficient in many emerging markets, including China, compared to those made by U.S. domestic companies. In discussing the specific issues related to the greater risk, the statement again highlights the PCAOB’s inability to inspect audit work paper and practices of accounting firms in China, with respect to their audit work of U.S. reporting companies. On June 4, 2020, the then U.S. President issued a memorandum ordering the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets to submit a report to the President within 60 days of the memorandum that includes recommendations for actions that can be taken by the executive branch and by the SEC or PCAOB on Chinese companies listed on U.S. stock exchanges and their audit firms, in an effort to protect investors in the United States. On August 6, 2020, the PWG released a report recommending that the SEC take steps to implement the five recommendations outlined in the report. In particular, with respect to jurisdictions that do not provide the PCAOB with sufficient access to fulfill its statutory mandate, or NCJs, the PWG recommends enhanced listing standards be applied to companies from NCJs for seeking initial listing and remaining listed on U.S. stock exchanges. Under the enhanced listing standards, if the PCAOB does not have access to work papers of the principal audit firm located in a NCJ for the audit of a U.S.-listed company as a result of governmental restrictions, the U.S.-listed company may satisfy this standard by providing a co-audit from an audit firm with comparable resources and experience where the PCAOB determines that it has sufficient access to the firm’s audit work papers and practices to inspect the co-audit. The report recommended a transition period until January 1, 2022 before the new listing standards apply to companies already listed on U.S. stock exchanges. Under the PWG recommendations, if we fail to meet the enhanced listing standards before January 1, 2022, we could face de-listing from the Nasdaq, deregistration from the SEC and/or other risks, which may materially and adversely affect, or effectively terminate, our ADS trading in the United States. There were recent media reports about the SEC’s proposed rulemaking in this regard. It is uncertain whether the PWG recommendations will be adopted, in whole or in part, and the impact of any new rule on us cannot be estimated at this time.

 

This lack of PCAOB inspections in China prevents the PCAOB from regularly evaluating our auditor’s audits and its quality control procedures. As a result, investors may be deprived of the benefits of PCAOB inspections. The inability of the PCAOB to conduct inspections of auditors in China makes it more difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of our auditor’s audit procedures or quality control procedures as compared to auditors outside of China that are subject to PCAOB inspections. Investors may lose confidence in our reported financial information and procedures and the quality of our financial statements.

 

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As part of a continued regulatory focus in the United States on access to audit and other information currently protected by national law, in particular China’s, in June 2019, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced bills in both houses of the U.S. Congress, which if passed, would require the SEC to maintain a list of issuers for which PCAOB is not able to inspect or investigate an auditor report issued by a foreign public accounting firm. The proposed Ensuring Quality Information and Transparency for Abroad-Based Listings on our Exchanges (EQUITABLE) Act prescribes increased disclosure requirements for these issuers and, beginning in 2025, the delisting from U.S. national securities exchanges of issuers included on the SEC’s list for three consecutive years. On May 20, 2020, the U.S. Senate passed S. 945, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act, or the Act. The Act was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives on December 2, 2020. On December 18, 2020, the president of the United States signed into law the HFCAA. In essence, the Act requires the SEC to prohibit foreign companies from listing securities on U.S. securities exchanges if a company retains a foreign accounting firm that cannot be inspected by the PCAOB for three consecutive years, beginning in 2021. The enactment of Act and any additional rulemaking efforts to increase U.S. regulatory access to audit information in China could cause investor uncertainty for affected issuers, including us, the market price of our ADSs could be adversely affected, and we could be delisted if we are unable to cure the situation to meet the PCAOB inspection requirement in time. It is unclear if and when any of such proposed legislations will be enacted. Furthermore, there have been recent media reports on deliberations within the U.S. government regarding potentially limiting or restricting China-based companies from accessing U.S. capital markets. If any such deliberations were to materialize, the resulting legislation may have a material and adverse impact on the stock performance of China-based issuers listed in the United States.

 

Proceedings instituted by the SEC against the “big four” PRC-based accounting firms, including our independent registered public accounting firm, could result in financial statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

In late 2012, the SEC commenced administrative proceedings under Rule 102(e) of its Rules of Practice and also under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 against the “big four” PRC-based accounting firms (including our auditors). The Rule 102(e) proceedings initiated by the SEC relate to these firms’ inability to produce documents, including audit work papers, in response to the request of the SEC pursuant to Section 106 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as the auditors located in China are not in a position lawfully to produce documents directly to the SEC because of restrictions under PRC laws and specific directives issued by the China Securities Regulatory Commission, or the CSRC. The issues raised by the proceedings are not specific to our auditors or to us, but affect equally all audit firms based in China and all China-based businesses with securities listed in the United States.

 

In January 2014, the administrative judge reached an initial decision that each of these firms should be barred from practicing before the SEC for six months. Thereafter, the accounting firms filed a petition for review of the initial decision, prompting the SEC commissioners to review the initial decision, determine whether there had been any violation and, if so, determine the appropriate remedy to be placed on these audit firms.

 

In February 2015, “big four” PRC-based accounting firms (including our auditors) each agreed to censure and pay a fine to the SEC to settle the dispute and avoid suspension of their ability to practice before the SEC and audit U.S. listed companies. The settlement requires the firms to follow detailed procedures and to seek to provide the SEC with access to the Chinese firms’ audit documents via the CSRC. Under the terms of the settlement, the underlying proceeding against the four China-based accounting firms was deemed dismissed with prejudice four years after entry of the settlement. The four-year mark occurred on February 6, 2019.

 

While we cannot predict if the SEC will further challenge the four China-based accounting firms’ compliance with U.S. law in connection with U.S. regulatory requests for audit work papers or if the results of such a challenge would result in the SEC imposing penalties such as suspensions, if the accounting firms are subject to additional remedial measures, our ability to file our financial statements in compliance with SEC requirements could be impacted. A determination that we have not timely filed financial statements in compliance with the SEC requirements could ultimately lead to the delisting of our Class A ordinary shares from the exchange or the termination of the registration of our Class A ordinary shares under the Exchange Act, or both, which would substantially reduce or effectively terminate the trading of our Class A ordinary shares in the United States.

 

In the event that the SEC restarts the administrative proceedings, depending upon the final outcome, listed companies in the United States with major PRC operations may find it difficult or impossible to retain auditors in respect of their operations in China, which could result in financial statements being determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and could result in delisting. Moreover, any negative news about the proceedings against these audit firms may cause investor uncertainty regarding China-based, United States-listed companies and the market price of our shares may be adversely affected. If our independent registered public accounting firm was denied, temporarily, the ability to practice before the SEC and we were unable to timely find another registered public accounting firm to audit and issue an opinion on our financial statements, our financial statements could be determined to not be in compliance with the requirements of the Exchange Act.

 

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Risks Relating to Our ADSs

 

The trading price of our ADSs has been and may be volatile, which could result in substantial losses to investors.

 

The trading price of our ADSs has been volatile since our ADSs started to trade on the Nasdaq Global Select market, and could fluctuate widely due to factors beyond our control. This may happen because of broad market and industry factors, like the performance and fluctuation of the market prices of other companies with business operations located mainly in China that have listed their securities in the United States. The securities of some of these companies have experienced significant volatility, including price declines in connection with their public offerings. The trading performances of these Chinese companies’ securities after their offerings may affect the attitudes of investors toward Chinese companies listed in the United States in general and consequently may impact the trading performance of our ADSs, regardless of our actual operating performance.

 

In addition to market and industry factors, the price and trading volume for our ADSs may be highly volatile for factors specific to our own operations, including the following:

 

·                  variations in our revenues, earnings and cash flow;

 

·                  announcements of new investments, acquisitions, strategic partnerships or joint ventures by us or our competitors;

 

·                  announcements of new services and expansions by us or our competitors;

 

·                  changes in financial estimates by securities analysts;

 

·                  detrimental adverse publicity about us, our services or our industry;

 

·                  additions or departures of key personnel;

 

·                  release of lock-up or other transfer restrictions on our outstanding equity securities or sales of additional equity securities;

 

·                  actual or potential litigation or regulatory investigations; and

 

·                  regulatory developments affecting us, our users, suppliers, or our industry.

 

Any of these factors may result in large and sudden changes in the volume and price at which our ADSs will trade.

 

In the past, shareholders of public companies have often brought securities class action suits against those companies following periods of instability in the market price of their securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business and operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit, which could harm our results of operations. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

Our dual-class voting structure will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transactions that holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.

 

Our authorized and issued ordinary shares consist of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares (with certain shares remaining undesignated, with power for our directors to designate and issue such classes of shares as they think fit). In respect of matters requiring the votes of shareholders, holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares vote together as a single class except as may otherwise be required by law, and holders of Class A ordinary shares will be entitled to one vote per share while holders of Class B ordinary shares will be entitled to ten votes per share. Each Class B ordinary share is convertible into one Class A ordinary share at any time by the holder thereof, while Class A ordinary shares are not convertible into Class B ordinary shares under any circumstances. Upon (i) any direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of Class B ordinary shares by a holder thereof to any person or entity that is not an affiliate of Mr. Xiang Li, or (ii) the direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of a majority of the issued and outstanding voting securities of, or the direct or indirect transfer or assignment of the voting power attached to such voting securities through voting proxy or otherwise, or the direct or indirect sale, transfer, assignment, or disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of, a holder of Class B ordinary shares that is an entity to any person that is not an affiliate of Mr. Xiang Li, such Class B ordinary shares are automatically and immediately converted into an equal number of Class A ordinary shares.

 

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As of January 31, 2021, Mr. Xiang Li, our chairman and chief executive officer, beneficially owned 355,812,080 Class B ordinary shares, representing 71.0% of the aggregate voting power of our total issued and outstanding ordinary shares due to the disparate voting powers associated with our dual-class voting structure. See “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—Major Shareholders.” Mr. Li will continue to have considerable influence over matters requiring shareholder approval, such as electing directors and approving material mergers, acquisitions, or other business combination transactions. This concentration of ownership may discourage, delay, or prevent a change of control of our company, which could have the effect of depriving our other shareholders of the opportunity to receive a premium for their shares as part of a sale of our company and may reduce the price of our ADSs. This concentrated control will limit your ability to influence corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any potential merger, takeover, or other change of control transactions that holders of Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial.

 

Certain principal shareholders have substantial influence over our key corporate matters and will continue to have such influence.

 

Certain principal shareholders of our company have certain special rights with respect to our key corporate matters, in addition to voting power based on beneficial ownership in our company. Pursuant to our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, Amp Lee Ltd., an entity beneficially owned by Mr. Xiang Li, our chairman and chief executive officer, is entitled to appoint, remove, and replace at least one director, subject to certain conditions. Pursuant to an investor rights agreement dated July 9, 2020 with Inspired Elite Investments Limited, our shareholder and a wholly owned subsidiary of Meituan, Inspired Elite Investments Limited and certain related entities are entitled to a series of special rights, including the right to appoint, remove, and replace one director, certain consent rights, and right of first refusal on change of control. These special rights enable these principal shareholders to have substantial influence over our key corporate matters and could discourage others from pursuing any change of control transaction that holders of our ordinary shares and ADSs may view as beneficial. See “Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees—Terms of Directors and Officers” and “Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions—B. Related Party Transactions—Investor Rights Agreement.”

 

Our dual-class voting structure may render the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares ineligible for inclusion in certain stock market indices, and thus adversely affect the trading price and liquidity of the ADSs.

 

Certain index providers have announced restrictions on including companies with multi-class share structures in certain of their indices. For example, S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell have changed their eligibility criteria for inclusion of shares of public companies on certain indices, including the S&P 500, to exclude companies with multiple classes of shares and companies whose public shareholders hold no more than 5% of total voting power from being added to such indices. As a result, our dual-class voting structure may prevent the inclusion of the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares in such indices, which could adversely affect the trading price and liquidity of the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares.

 

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they adversely change their recommendations regarding our ADSs, the market price for our ADSs and trading volume could decline.

 

The trading market for our ADSs will be influenced by research or reports that industry or securities analysts publish about our business. If one or more analysts who cover us downgrade our ADSs, the market price for our ADSs would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease to cover us or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause the market price or trading volume for our ADSs to decline.

 

The sale or availability for sale of substantial amounts of our ADSs could adversely affect their market price.

 

Sales of substantial amounts of our ADSs in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of our ADSs and could materially impair our ability to raise capital through equity offerings in the future. Shares held by our existing shareholders may also be sold in the public market in the future subject to the restrictions in Rule 144 and Rule 701 under the Securities Act and the applicable lock-up agreements. We cannot predict what effect, if any, market sales of securities held by our significant shareholders or any other shareholder or the availability of these securities for future sale will have on the market price of our ADSs.

 

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Because we do not expect to pay dividends in the foreseeable future, you must rely on price appreciation of our ADSs for return on your investment.

 

We currently intend to retain most, if not all, of our available funds and any future earnings to fund the development and growth of our business. As a result, we do not expect to pay any cash dividends in the foreseeable future. Therefore, you should not rely on an investment in our ADSs as a source for any future dividend income.

 

Our board of directors has complete discretion as to whether to distribute dividends. Even if our board of directors decides to declare and pay dividends, the timing, amount and form of future dividends, if any, will depend on, among other things, our future results of operations and cash flow, our capital requirements and surplus, the amount of distributions, if any, received by us from our subsidiary, our financial condition, contractual restrictions and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Accordingly, the return on your investment in our ADSs will likely depend entirely upon any future price appreciation of our ADSs. There is no guarantee that our ADSs will appreciate in value or even maintain the price at which you purchased the ADSs. You may not realize a return on your investment in our ADSs and you may even lose your entire investment in our ADSs.

 

There can be no assurance that we will not be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for U.S. federal income tax purposes for any taxable year, which could result in adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences to U.S. Holders of our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares.

 

A non-U.S. corporation, such as our company, will be classified as a passive foreign investment company, or PFIC, for any taxable year if either (i) at least 75% of its gross income for such year consists of certain types of “passive” income (the “income test”); or (ii) at least 50% of the value of its assets (generally determined on the basis of a quarterly average) during such year is attributable to assets that produce passive income or are held for the production of passive income (the “asset test”). Although the law in this regard is not entirely clear, we treat our consolidated VIEs and their subsidiaries as being owned by us for U.S. federal income tax purposes because we control their management decisions and are entitled to substantially all of the economic benefits associated with them. As a result, we consolidated their results of operations in our consolidated U.S. GAAP financial statements. If it were determined, however, that we are not the owner of the consolidated VIEs for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we may be treated as a PFIC for the current taxable year and any subsequent taxable year. Assuming that we are the owner of our consolidated VIEs and their subsidiaries for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and based on the current and anticipated value of our assets and composition of our income and assets, we do not believe that we were a PFIC for the taxable year ended December 31, 2020 and do not presently expect to be a PFIC for the current taxable year or the foreseeable future.

 

While we do not expect to be or become a PFIC, no assurance can be given in this regard because the determination of whether we are or will become a PFIC for any taxable year is a fact-intensive inquiry made on an annual basis that depends, in part, upon the composition and classification of our income and assets. Fluctuations in the market price of our ADSs may cause us to be or become a PFIC for the current or subsequent taxable years because the value of our assets for the purpose of the asset test, including the value of our goodwill and other unbooked intangibles, may be determined by reference to the market price of our ADSs from time to time (which may be volatile). The composition of our income and assets may also be affected by how, and how quickly, we use our liquid assets.

 

If we were to be or become a PFIC for any taxable year during which a U.S. Holder (as defined in “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations”) holds our ADSs or Class A ordinary shares, certain adverse U.S. federal income tax consequences could apply to such U.S. Holder. See “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation—United States Federal Income Tax Considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company Rules.”

 

Our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contain anti-takeover provisions that could have a material adverse effect on the rights of holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs.

 

Our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association contain provisions to limit the ability of others to acquire control of our company or cause us to engage in change-of-control transactions. These provisions could have the effect of depriving our shareholders of an opportunity to sell their shares at a premium over prevailing market prices by discouraging third parties from seeking to obtain control of our company in a tender offer or similar transaction. Our board of directors has the authority, without further action by our shareholders, to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to fix their designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and relative participating, optional or special rights and the qualifications, limitations or restrictions, including dividend rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the rights associated with our Class A ordinary shares, in the form of ADSs or otherwise. Preferred shares could be issued quickly with terms calculated to delay or prevent a change in control of our company or make removal of management more difficult. If our board of directors decides to issue preferred shares, the price of our ADSs may fall and the voting and other rights of the holders of our Class A ordinary shares and ADSs may be materially and adversely affected.

 

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You may face difficulties in protecting your interests, and your ability to protect your rights through U.S. courts may be limited, because we are incorporated under Cayman Islands law.

 

We are an exempted company incorporated under the laws of the Cayman Islands. Our corporate affairs are governed by our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the Companies Act (2021 Revision) of the Cayman Islands and the common law of the Cayman Islands. The rights of shareholders to take action against the directors, actions by minority shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors to us under Cayman Islands law are to a large extent governed by the common law of the Cayman Islands. The common law of the Cayman Islands is derived in part from comparatively limited judicial precedent in the Cayman Islands as well as from the common law of England, the decisions of whose courts are of persuasive authority, but are not binding, on a court in the Cayman Islands. The rights of our shareholders and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors under Cayman Islands law are not as clearly established as they would be under statutes or judicial precedent in some jurisdictions in the United States. In particular, the Cayman Islands has a less developed body of securities laws than the United States. Some U.S. states, such as Delaware, have more fully developed and judicially interpreted bodies of corporate law than the Cayman Islands. In addition, Cayman Islands companies may not have standing to initiate a shareholder derivative action in a federal court of the United States.

 

Shareholders of Cayman Islands exempted companies like us have no general rights under Cayman Islands law to inspect corporate records (other than copies of the memorandum and articles of association, the register of mortgages and charges, and any special resolutions passed by the shareholders) or to obtain copies of lists of shareholders of these companies. Our directors have discretion under our articles of association to determine whether or not, and under what conditions, our corporate records may be inspected by our shareholders, but are not obliged to make them available to our shareholders. This may make it more difficult for you to obtain the information needed to establish any facts necessary for a shareholder motion or to solicit proxies from other shareholders in connection with a proxy contest.

 

Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, differ significantly from requirements for companies incorporated in other jurisdictions such as the United States. If we choose to follow home country practice in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under rules and regulations applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

 

As a result of all of the above, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions taken by management, members of the board of directors or controlling shareholders than they would as public shareholders of a company incorporated in the United States.

 

Your investment in our ADSs may be impacted if we are encouraged to issue CDRs in the future.

 

Currently the PRC central government is proposing new rules that would allow PRC technology companies listed outside China to list on the mainland stock market through the creation of Chinese Depositary Receipts, or CDRs. Once the CDR mechanism is in place, we might consider and be encouraged by the evolving PRC governmental policies to issue CDRs and allow investors to trade our CDRs on PRC stock exchanges. However, there are uncertainties as to whether a pursuit of CDRs in China would bring positive or negative impact on your investment in our ADSs.

 

ADS holders may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to claims arising under the deposit agreement, which could result in less favorable outcomes to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.

 

The deposit agreement governing the ADSs representing our Class A ordinary shares provides that, subject to the depositary’s right to require a claim to be submitted to arbitration, the federal or state courts in the City of New York have exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine claims arising under the deposit agreement (including claims arising under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act) and in that regard, to the fullest extent permitted by law, ADS holders waive the right to a jury trial of any claim they may have against us or the depositary arising out of or relating to our Class A ordinary shares, the ADSs or the deposit agreement, including any claim under the U.S. federal securities laws.

 

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If we or the depositary opposed a jury trial demand based on the waiver, the court would determine whether the waiver was enforceable based on the facts and circumstances of that case in accordance with the applicable state and federal law. To our knowledge, the enforceability of a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver in connection with claims arising under the federal securities laws has not been finally adjudicated by the United States Supreme Court. However, we believe that a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision is generally enforceable, including under the laws of the State of New York, which govern the deposit agreement. In determining whether to enforce a contractual pre-dispute jury trial waiver provision, courts will generally consider whether a party knowingly, intelligently and voluntarily waived the right to a jury trial. We believe that this is the case with respect to the deposit agreement and the ADSs. It is advisable that you consult legal counsel regarding the jury waiver provision before investing in the ADSs.

 

If you or any other holders or beneficial owners of ADSs bring a claim against us or the depositary in connection with matters arising under the deposit agreement or the ADSs, including claims under federal securities laws, you or such other holder or beneficial owner may not be entitled to a jury trial with respect to such claims, which may have the effect of limiting and discouraging lawsuits against us and / or the depositary. If a lawsuit is brought against us and/or the depositary under the deposit agreement, it may be heard only by a judge or justice of the applicable trial court, which would be conducted according to different civil procedures and may result in different outcomes than a trial by jury would have had, including results that could be less favorable to the plaintiff(s) in any such action.

 

Nevertheless, if this jury trial waiver provision is not enforced, to the extent a court action proceeds, it would proceed under the terms of the deposit agreement with a jury trial. No condition, stipulation or provision of the deposit agreement or ADSs shall relieve us or the depositary from our respective obligations to comply with the Securities Act and Exchange Act, and investors cannot waive compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

Certain judgments obtained against us by our shareholders may not be enforceable.

 

We are a Cayman Islands company and the majority of our assets are located outside of the United States. Substantially all of our operations are conducted in China. In addition, most of our current directors and officers are nationals and residents of countries other than the United States. Substantially all of the assets of these persons may be located outside the United States. As a result, it may be difficult or impossible for you to bring an action against us or against these individuals in the United States in the event that you believe that your rights have been infringed under the U.S. federal securities laws or otherwise. Even if you are successful in bringing an action of this kind, the laws of the Cayman Islands and of China may render you unable to enforce a judgment against our assets or the assets of our directors and officers.

 

We are a foreign private issuer within the meaning of the rules under the Exchange Act, and as such we are exempt from certain provisions applicable to United States domestic public companies.

 

Because we are a foreign private issuer under the Exchange Act, we are exempt from certain provisions of the securities rules and regulations in the United States that are applicable to U.S. domestic issuers, including:

 

·                  the rules under the Exchange Act requiring the filing of quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or current reports on Form 8-K with the SEC;

 

·                  the sections of the Exchange Act regulating the solicitation of proxies, consents, or authorizations in respect of a security registered under the Exchange Act;

 

·                  the sections of the Exchange Act requiring insiders to file public reports of their stock ownership and trading activities and liability for insiders who profit from trades made in a short period of time; and

 

·                  the selective disclosure rules by issuers of material nonpublic information under Regulation FD.

 

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We are required to file an annual report on Form 20-F within four months of the end of each fiscal year. In addition, we intend to publish our results on a quarterly basis through press releases, distributed pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Press releases relating to financial results and material events will also be furnished to the SEC on Form 6-K. However, the information we are required to file with or furnish to the SEC will be less extensive and less timely than that required to be filed with the SEC by U.S. domestic issuers. As a result, you may not be afforded the same protections or information that would be made available to you were you investing in a U.S. domestic issuer.

 

As an exempted company incorporated in the Cayman Islands, we are permitted to adopt certain home country practices in relation to corporate governance matters that differ significantly from the Nasdaq listing standards; these practices may afford less protection to shareholders than they would enjoy if we complied fully with the Nasdaq listing standards.

 

As a Cayman Islands company listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, we are subject to Nasdaq listing standards. However, the Nasdaq rules permit a foreign private issuer like us to follow the corporate governance practices of its home country. Certain corporate governance practices in the Cayman Islands, which is our home country, may differ significantly from Nasdaq listing standards. For example, neither the Companies Act of the Cayman Islands nor our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association requires a majority of our directors to be independent and we could include non-independent directors as members of our compensation committee and nominating committee, and our independent directors would not necessarily hold regularly scheduled meetings at which only independent directors are present. As a result of these home country practices we may follow in the future, our shareholders may be afforded less protection than they otherwise would under the Nasdaq listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers. In addition, if we are subject to listing standards or other rules or regulations of other jurisdictions in the future, those requirements may further change the degree of protection for our shareholders to the extent they differ from the Nasdaq listing standards applicable to U.S. domestic issuers.

 

The voting rights of holders of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement, and you may not be able to exercise your right to direct how the Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are voted.

 

Holders of ADSs do not have the same rights as our registered shareholders. As a holder of ADSs, you will not have any direct right to attend general meetings of our shareholders or to cast any votes at such meetings. You will only be able to exercise the voting rights that are carried by the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs indirectly by giving voting instructions to the depositary in accordance with the provisions of the deposit agreement. Under the deposit agreement, you may vote only by giving voting instructions to the depositary. If we instruct the depositary to ask for your instructions, then upon receipt of your voting instructions, the depositary will try, as far as practicable, to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs in accordance with these instructions. If we do not instruct the depositary to ask for your voting instructions, the depositary may still vote in accordance with the instructions you give, but it is not required to do so. You will not be able to directly exercise your right to vote with respect to the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs unless you withdraw the shares and become a registered holder of such shares prior to the record date for the general meeting. Under our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, the minimum notice period required to be given by our company to our registered shareholders for convening a general meeting is seven days.

 

When a general meeting is convened, you may not receive sufficient advance notice of the meeting to withdraw the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs and become the registered holder of such shares to allow you to attend the general meeting and to vote directly with respect to any specific matter or resolution to be considered and voted upon at the general meeting. In addition, under our fourth amended and restated memorandum and articles of association, for the purposes of determining those shareholders who are entitled to attend and vote at any general meeting, our directors may close our register of members and fix in advance a record date for such meeting, and such closure of our register of members or the setting of such a record date may prevent you from withdrawing the Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs and becoming the registered holder of such shares prior to the record date, so that you would not be able to attend the general meeting or to vote directly. If we ask for your instructions, the depositary will notify you of the upcoming vote and will arrange to deliver our voting materials to you. We have agreed to give the depositary sufficient prior notice of shareholder meetings. Nevertheless, we cannot assure you that you will receive the voting materials in time to ensure that you can instruct the depositary to vote the underlying Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs. In addition, the depositary and its agents are not responsible for failing to carry out voting instructions or for their manner of carrying out your voting instructions. This means that you may not be able to exercise your right to direct how the Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are voted and you may have no legal remedy if the Class A ordinary shares represented by your ADSs are not voted as you requested.

 

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The depositary for our ADSs will give us a discretionary proxy to vote our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs if you do not vote at shareholders’ meetings, except in limited circumstances, which could adversely affect your interests.

 

Under the deposit agreement for the ADSs, if you do not vote, the depositary will give us a discretionary proxy to vote our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs at shareholders’ meetings unless:

 

·                  we have failed to timely provide the depositary with notice of meeting and related voting materials;

 

·                  we have instructed the depositary that we do not wish a discretionary proxy to be given;

 

·                  we have informed the depositary that there is substantial opposition as to a matter to be voted on at the meeting;

 

·                  a matter to be voted on at the meeting would have a material adverse impact on shareholders; or

 

·                  the voting at the meeting is to be made on a show of hands.

 

The effect of this discretionary proxy is that if you do not vote at shareholders’ meetings, you cannot prevent our Class A ordinary shares underlying your ADSs from being voted, except under the circumstances described above. This may make it more difficult for shareholders to influence the management of our company. Holders of our Class A ordinary shares are not subject to this discretionary proxy.

 

Your rights to pursue claims against the depositary as a holder of ADSs are limited by the terms of the deposit agreement.

 

Under the deposit agreement, any action or proceeding against or involving the depositary, arising out of or based upon the deposit agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby or by virtue of owning the ADSs may only be instituted in a state or federal court in New York, New York, and you, as a holder of our ADSs, will have irrevocably waived any objection which you may have to the laying of venue of any such proceeding, and irrevocably submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of such courts in any such action or proceeding.

 

The depositary may, in its sole discretion, require that any dispute or difference arising from the relationship created by the deposit agreement be referred to and finally settled by an arbitration conducted under the terms described in the deposit agreement. These arbitration provisions govern such dispute or difference and do not, in any event, preclude you from pursuing claims under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act in state or federal courts. See “Description of American Depositary Shares” for more information.

 

You may not receive dividends or other distributions on our Class A ordinary shares and you may not receive any value for them, if it is illegal or impractical to make them available to you.

 

The depositary of our ADSs has agreed to pay you the cash dividends or other distributions it or the custodian receives on Class A ordinary shares or other deposited securities underlying our ADSs, after deducting its fees and expenses. You will receive these distributions in proportion to the number of Class A ordinary shares your ADSs represent. However, the depositary is not responsible if it decides that it is unlawful or impractical to make a distribution available to any holders of ADSs. For example, it would be unlawful to make a distribution to a holder of ADSs if it consists of securities that require registration under the Securities Act but that are not properly registered or distributed under an applicable exemption from registration. The depositary may also determine that it is not feasible to distribute certain property through the mail. Additionally, the value of certain distributions may be less than the cost of mailing them. In these cases, the depositary may determine not to distribute such property. We have no obligation to register under U.S. securities laws any ADSs, Class A ordinary shares, rights or other securities received through such distributions. We also have no obligation to take any other action to permit the distribution of ADSs, Class A ordinary shares, rights or anything else to holders of ADSs. This means that you may not receive distributions we make on our Class A ordinary shares or any value for them if it is illegal or impractical for us to make them available to you. These restrictions may cause a material decline in the value of our ADSs.

 

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You may experience dilution of your holdings due to inability to participate in rights offerings.

 

We may, from time to time, distribute rights to our shareholders, including rights to acquire securities. Under the deposit agreement, the depositary will not distribute rights to holders of ADSs unless the distribution and sale of rights and the securities to which these rights relate are either exempt from registration under the Securities Act with respect to all holders of ADSs or are registered under the provisions of the Securities Act. The depositary may, but is not required to, attempt to sell these undistributed rights to third parties, and may allow the rights to lapse. We may be unable to establish an exemption from registration under the Securities Act, and we are under no obligation to file a registration statement with respect to these rights or underlying securities or to endeavor to have a registration statement declared effective. Accordingly, holders of ADSs may be unable to participate in our rights offerings and may experience dilution of their holdings as a result.

 

You may be subject to limitations on transfer of your ADSs.

 

Your ADSs are transferable on the books of the depositary. However, the depositary may close its books at any time or from time to time when it deems expedient in connection with the performance of its duties. The depositary may close its books from time to time for a number of reasons, including in connection with corporate events such as a rights offering, during which time the depositary needs to maintain an exact number of ADS holders on its books for a specified period. The depositary may also close its books in emergencies, and on weekends and public holidays. The depositary may refuse to deliver, transfer or register transfers of our ADSs generally when our share register or the books of the depositary are closed, or at any time if we or the depositary thinks it is advisable to do so because of any requirement of law or of any government or governmental body, or under any provision of the deposit agreement, or for any other reason.

 

We may incur increased costs as a result of being a public company, particularly after we cease to qualify as an “emerging growth company.”

 

We are a public company and incur significant legal, accounting, and other expenses that we did not incur as a private company. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules subsequently implemented by the SEC and Nasdaq Global Select Market, impose various requirements on the corporate governance practices of public companies. As we are no longer an “emerging growth company” since December 31, 2020, we expect to incur significant expenses and devote substantial management effort toward ensuring compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the other rules and regulations of the SEC. We expect these rules and regulations to increase our legal and financial compliance costs and to make some corporate activities more time-consuming and costly. For example, as a result of becoming a public company, we increased the number of independent directors and adopted policies regarding internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures. We also expect that operating as a public company makes it more difficult and more expensive for us to obtain director and officer liability insurance, and we may be required to accept reduced policy limits and coverage or incur substantially higher costs to obtain the same or similar coverage. In addition, we will incur additional costs associated with our public company reporting requirements. It may also be more difficult for us to find qualified persons to serve on our board of directors or as executive officers. We are currently evaluating and monitoring developments with respect to these rules and regulations, and we cannot predict or estimate with any degree of certainty the amount of additional costs we may incur or the timing of such costs.

 

In the past, shareholders of a public company often brought securities class action suits against the company following periods of instability in the market price of that company’s securities. If we were involved in a class action suit, it could divert a significant amount of our management’s attention and other resources from our business, which could harm our results of operations and require us to incur significant expenses to defend the suit. Any such class action suit, whether or not successful, could harm our reputation and restrict our ability to raise capital in the future. In addition, if a claim is successfully made against us, we may be required to pay significant damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

ITEM 4                                INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY

 

A.                                    History and Development of the Company

 

Li Auto Inc. is a holding company with no material operations of its own. We conduct our operations through our PRC subsidiaries and our VIEs in China.

 

We established Beijing CHJ and commenced our operations in April 2015.

 

In April 2017, we incorporated CHJ Technologies Inc. under the laws of the Cayman Islands as our offshore holding company to facilitate offshore financing, which later changed its name to Leading Ideal Inc. in April 2019 and further to Li Auto Inc. in July 2020.

 

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In May 2017, Li Auto Inc. established Leading Ideal HK Limited, formerly known as CHJ Technologies (Hong Kong) Limited, as its intermediary holding company. In December 2017, Leading Ideal HK Limited established a wholly-owned PRC subsidiary, Wheels Technology, to engage in the research and development of smart connectivity functions and ADAS as well as general administration of the group. Leading Ideal HK Limited later established wholly-owned PRC subsidiaries to serve various functions, including Leading (Xiamen) Private Equity Investment Co., Ltd. and Beijing Leading Automobile Sales Co., Ltd.

 

In December 2018, we acquired Chongqing Lifan Automobile Co., Ltd., and later changed its name to Chongqing Zhizao Automobile Co., Ltd.

 

In July 2019, Li Auto Inc. gained control over Beijing CHJ through Wheels Technology by entering into a series of contractual arrangements with Beijing CHJ and its shareholders. The contractual arrangements with Beijing CHJ were subsequently amended and restated primarily to reflect changes in the shareholding in Beijing CHJ, most recently in November 2020. Wheels Technology also entered into a series of contractual arrangements with Xindian Information and its shareholders in April 2019.

 

In October 2019, Beijing CHJ established Chongqing Lixiang Automobile Co., Ltd., which is currently listed in the catalog of vehicle manufacturers of the MIIT.

 

In December 2019, we disposed of all of our equity interests in Chongqing Zhizao Automobile Co., Ltd.

 

On July 30, 2020, our ADSs commenced trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “LI.” We raised, from our initial public offering and from the underwriters’ full exercise of the option to purchase additional ADSs, approximately US$1.2 billion in net proceeds after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses paid by us.

 

In December 2020, we completed a public offering of 54,050,000 ADSs representing 108,100,000 Class A ordinary shares and raised approximately US$1.5 billion in net proceeds.

 

Our principal executive offices are located at 11 Wenliang Street, Shunyi District, Beijing 101399, People’s Republic of China. Our telephone number at this address is +86 (10) 8742-7209. Our registered office in the Cayman Islands is located at P.O. Box 309, Ugland House, Grand Cayman KY1-1104, Cayman Islands. Our agent for service of process in the United States is Cogency Global Inc., located at 122 East 42nd Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10168. Our website is http://www.lixiang.com. The information on our websites should not be deemed to be part of this annual report. The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy, and information statements, and other information regarding registrants that make electronic filings with the SEC using its EDGAR system.

 

B.            Business Overview

 

We are an innovator in China’s NEV market. We design, develop, manufacture, and sell premium smart electric SUVs. Through our product, technology, and business model innovation, we provide families with safe, convenient, and refined products and services. We are a pioneer to successfully commercialize EREVs in China. Our first model, Li ONE, is a six-seat, large premium electric SUV equipped with a range extension system and cutting-edge smart vehicle solutions. We started the volume production of Li ONE in November 2019 and delivered over 33,500 Li ONEs as of December 31, 2020.

 

We are dedicated to serving the mobility needs of families in China. To this end, we strategically focus on the SUV segment within a price range of RMB200,000 to RMB500,000. With their growing consumption power, families in China tend to choose SUVs for daily commutes and weekend family trips. As one of the most competitive SUV models in China, Li ONE is well positioned to capture the huge growth opportunity of this segment. We believe that Li ONE offers our users unparalleled value for money with the performance, functionality, and cabin-space of a large premium SUV but pricing close to a compact premium SUV.

 

We leverage technology to create value for our users. We concentrate our in-house development efforts on our proprietary range extension system and smart vehicle solutions. Our proprietary range extension system enables users to enjoy all the benefits of an electric vehicle while freeing them from range anxiety typically associated with BEVs. We believe that our range extension solution will contribute to wider and earlier adoption of electric vehicles in China. Our range extension solution also enables us to significantly reduce our BOM cost, which results in more competitive pricing of Li ONE when compared to BEVs and ICE vehicles in a similar class. In addition, we have developed our signature four-display interactive system, full-coverage in-car voice control system and ADAS delivering safe and enjoyable driving and riding experiences to our users. Furthermore, our utilization of FOTA upgrades enables us to provide additional functionalities and improve vehicle performance continuously throughout the entire vehicle lifecycle.

 

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We have digitalized our user interactions and established our own direct sales and servicing network to continuously improve operational efficiency. With our integrated online and offline platform, we can achieve higher efficiency in sales and marketing than automakers that rely on third-party dealerships to reach users. In particular, we have developed a data-driven, closed-loop digital platform to manage all user interactions from sales leads to user reviews, which enables us to significantly reduce user acquisition costs.

 

Quality is essential to our business. We manufacture in-house and collaborate with industry-leading suppliers to ensure the high quality of our vehicles. We have built our own state-of-the-art manufacturing base in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China, which allows our engineering and manufacturing teams to seamlessly collaborate with each other and streamline the feedback loop for rapid product enhancements and quality improvements. We have also implemented strict quality control protocols and measurements for selecting and managing our suppliers.

 

We plan to launch a full-size premium smart electric SUV in 2022, which will be equipped with our next-generation EREV powertrain system. In the future, we will expand our product lineup by developing new vehicles including BEVs and EREVs to target an even broader consumer base.

 

Our Vehicles

 

We design, develop, manufacture, and sell premium NEVs in China. We currently focus on premium SUVs with EREV powertrains to provide families in China with safe, convenient, and refined products and services. Our first production vehicle, Li ONE, is a six-seat, large premium extended-range electric SUV. We started volume production of Li ONE in November 2019 in our own Changzhou manufacturing facility. We plan to launch our second model, a full-size premium smart extended-range electric SUV, in 2022.

 

Li ONE

 

Li ONE is a large premium extended-range electric SUV. This six-seater (seven-seater as optional), which is 5,020 millimeters long with a 2,935-millimeter wheelbase, offers a combination of long range, high performance, efficient energy consumption, and flexible power supplies.

 

·                  Long Range.  Li ONE has an NEDC range of 800 kilometers. Its 40.5-kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery pack is capable of supporting a purely electrically powered range of 180 kilometers.

 

·                  High Performance.  Equipped with all-wheel drive and two electric motors, Li ONE is able to accelerate from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 6.5 seconds. Its EREV powertrain can deliver a maximum of 240 kilowatts of power and 530 Newton meters of torque. The performance of Li ONE’s powertrain is comparable to that of an ICE vehicle powered by a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder, turbo-charged engine.

 

·                  Efficient Energy Consumption.  The high-efficiency EREV powertrain and the advanced thermal management system help Li ONE achieve a fuel consumption rate of 6.8 liters per 100 kilometers and an electricity consumption rate of 20.2 kilowatt-hours per 100 kilometers.

 

·                  Flexible Power Supplies.  Li ONE’s energy can be replenished by slow charging, which takes approximately six hours for a full charge with a seven-kilowatt charger, fast charging, which takes approximately 30 minutes to increase the displayed state of charge from 20% to 80% with a 60-kilowatt charger, and refueling. It can operate even when consumers have no access to charging infrastructure. We currently offer three driving modes to cover different use case scenarios for our users.

 

At an MSRP of RMB328,000, Li ONE includes over 40 premium and technology features in one standard package, which are typically only included on vehicles with an MSRP above RMB600,000 in China. Users only need to choose exterior and interior colors, wheel style, and seat layout (six seats or seven seats).

 

·                  Premium features.  Napa leather cover, seat heating for first- and second-row seats, laminated acoustic glass, silver-plated heat insulated windshield, and tires with acoustic technology.

 

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·                  Technology features.  Four-display interactive system with advanced navigation and entertainment applications, full-coverage in-car voice control system, remote mobile control, ADAS, and FOTA upgrades.

 

Li ONE is equipped with comprehensive active and passive safety solutions. Li ONE includes the following key safety measures:

 

·                  Active safety.  Our ADAS includes five key safety functions: automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, intelligent headlight control, lane departure warning, and side view assist. The braking distance of Li ONE from 100 kilometers per hour to a complete stop is less than 39 meters. For a discussion of key features of ADAS, see “—Technology—Autonomous Driving.”

 

·                  Ultra-high strength, heavy-duty steel-aluminum body.  Li ONE uses a strong heavy-duty steel-aluminum body with the torsional stiffness of 31,000 Newton meters per degree.

 

·                  Passenger protection.  Li ONE is equipped with seven air bags for comprehensive protection to the driver and passengers.

 

·                  Battery safety.  The battery pack is securely sealed in a high-strength aluminum alloy casing that is waterproof and dustproof at IP67D, and is further protected by four longitudinal anti-collision beams. We have also implemented a battery management system that automatically monitors temperature, power output, and other status of the battery pack.

 

In January 2021, we announced the safety evaluation results for Li ONE published by the China Insurance Automotive Safety Index, or C-IASI, Management Center based on crash tests. Li ONE achieved the G rating, the highest safety rating, in three out of four evaluation categories — occupant safety, pedestrian safety, and assistance safety. In the category of crashworthiness and repair economy, Li ONE received an M rating, one of the top results received by large premium SUVs. Also in January 2021, Li ONE received five-star ratings for both volatile organic compounds & vehicle odor intensity , and electromagnetic radiation  in the China Automobile Health Index, C-AHI, assessment by China Automotive Engineering Research Institute Co., Ltd. In February 2021, Li ONE achieved a five-star safety rating in the latest China-New Car Assessment Program, or C-NCAP, test released by China Automotive Technology and Research Center Co., Ltd. Li ONE received a weighted score of 92.2%, including 94.73% on occupant protection, 72.89% on pedestrian protection, and 100% on active safety. As of February 2021, Li ONE was the only large SUV model that received top C-IASI, C-AHI and C-NCAP scores.

 

Li ONE has one standard MSRP and we do not plan to raise the price of Li ONE despite the phase-out of government’s subsidies. Currently, our Li ONE users can benefit from vehicle-related tax exemptions in China and local government policies in favor of NEVs in certain cities in China, such as no quota limitations for vehicle license plate application and exemption from traffic restrictions.

 

Future Vehicles

 

We plan to launch a full-size premium smart extended-range electric SUV in 2022. It is currently under development and will be equipped with our next-generation EREV powertrain. We believe that this planned SUV will allow us to target a broader market in the premium SUV segment. In September 2020, we entered into a three-way strategic cooperation with NVIDIA Corporation, and NVIDIA’s Chinese partner, Huizhou Desay SV Automotive, through which our planned full-size premium smart extended-range electric SUV will be equipped with the powerful NVIDIA Orin SoC (system on a chip) chipset.

 

In the future, we plan to develop new vehicles with new generations of BEV or EREV powertrain and smart technologies to target an even broader market.

 

Technology

 

EREV Powertrain

 

We have developed our proprietary EREV technology and applied it to our first model, Li ONE. An EREV is purely electric-driven by its electric motor, but its energy source and power come from both its battery pack and range extension system. A range extension system generates electricity with a dedicated ICE designed with high fuel consumption efficiency, an electric generator, and a speed reducer to connect them.

 

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Li ONE’s energy can be replenished by slow charging, fast charging, and refueling. Li ONE can operate even when users have no access to charging infrastructure, thereby completely eliminating range anxiety. To offer the same driving range as BEVs of a similar class, Li ONE requires much less battery capacity. A smaller battery pack not only is less costly, but also contributes to a more cost-efficient body structure design, which results in less usage of costly aluminum parts for the vehicle body and suspension system. As a result, the BOM cost of Li ONE is close to that of an ICE vehicle and is much lower than that of a BEV of a similar class.

 

Benefiting from its all-electric-driven propulsion, Li ONE offers a similarly high quality driving experience to that of BEVs, such as smooth acceleration and superior NVH performance. The overall energy consumption level of Li ONE is much lower than that of ICE vehicles in a similar class, as a result of its high energy efficiency range extension system. Our Li ONE users enjoy lower total running costs compared with ICE vehicle owners, including lower aftermarket service costs and energy consumption costs. In addition, our Li ONE users can also benefit from vehicle-related tax exemptions in China and local government policies in favor of NEVs in certain cities in China, such as no quota limitations for vehicle license plate application and exemption from traffic restrictions.

 

With all of the foregoing, we believe that our EREV technology will help accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in China and contribute to China’s national initiatives to build a low-carbon-emission society. For consumers, we believe that Li ONE has a competitive advantage over not only BEVs but also ICE vehicles in terms of performance, economy, and user experiences.

 

Li ONE’s EREV powertrain primarily consists of an electric propulsion system and a range extension system.

 

·                  Electric propulsion system.  The electric propulsion system consists of front and rear dual electric motors and a battery pack. Li ONE is equipped with a front electric motor with a maximum of 100 kilowatts of power and 240 Newton meters of torque, and a rear electric motor with a maximum of 140 kilowatts of power and 290 Newton meters of torque. Li ONE uses a 40.5-kilowatt hour lithium-ion battery pack, placed between the front and rear axles.

 

·                  Range extension system.  The range extension system consists of a generator, a turbo-charged engine, and a fuel tank. It has a 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder, turbo-charged engine that can deliver a maximum of 96 kilowatts of power to propel the generator. The 100-kilowatt generator can propel the vehicle or charge the battery pack. The fuel tank has 45 liters of capacity. The range extension system consumes fuel and generates electricity.

 

With our proprietary EREV technology, we are able to customize and continuously optimize the vehicle control strategies under different scenarios. We currently offer three driving modes. The driver can freely switch between the three modes at any time while driving based on the driver’s needs to prioritize either saving fuel or maintaining the battery’s state of charge.

 

·                  E-Power Mode.  This mode is designed for users with convenient access to charging infrastructure. Under this mode, our vehicle will drain power from the battery without activating the range extension system for about 150 kilometers (NEDC standard), essentially operating like a BEV. The range extension system will power up when the battery’s displayed state of charge is around 17%, and propel our vehicle and maintain the dynamic balance of the battery’s state of charge. When the fuel tank is empty, the range extension system will cease to operate, and our vehicle may continue to drive approximately 30 kilometers (NEDC standard) draining power from the battery.

 

·                  Hybrid Mode.  This mode is designed for users who can occasionally access the charging infrastructure. Under this mode, our vehicle will drain power from the battery without activating the range extension system for about 35 kilometers, operating like a BEV. The range extension system will power up earlier than under the E-Power mode, and propel our vehicle. Then the hybrid energy of the petrol and the electricity from battery can offer a balanced experience between NVH performance and fuel efficiency. When the fuel tank is empty, the range extension system will cease to operate, and our vehicle may continue to drive approximately 30 kilometers draining power from the battery.

 

·                  E-Hold Mode.  This mode is designed for users with virtually no practical access to charging infrastructure. Under this mode, our vehicle will drain power from the battery without activating the range extension system for about 60 kilometers, again operating like a BEV. The range extension system will power up earlier than under the E-Power Mode, and propel our vehicle and maintain the dynamic balance of the battery’s state of charge at a higher level than that under the Hybrid Mode to preserve more power. When the fuel tank is empty, the range extension system will cease to operate, and our vehicle can continue to drive approximately 120 kilometers draining power from the battery.

 

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Each EREV driving mode is optimized to balance the NVH performance, powertrain output, and energy consumption, so that users with varying access to charging infrastructure can have similar driving experiences with our Li ONE.

 

The EREV powertrain is able to deliver propulsion at higher efficiency than ICE powertrains. The engine in the range extension system is used solely to propel the generator and never propels the vehicle directly. Therefore, the engine can constantly operate at the most efficient status regardless of the road conditions and vehicle speed, unlike the engine in an ICE vehicle that will operate at fluctuating efficiency to adjust to the changing road conditions and vehicle speed. The EREV powertrain thus avoids the energy loss typically associated with ICE vehicle powertrains during urban driving.

 

We are able to apply FOTA upgrades to refine the EREV operating strategies and control firmware and software. We are also able to leverage our cloud capabilities to remotely diagnose the status of the system with users’ permission.

 

Smart Interactive Systems

 

We design our vehicles to provide premium user experiences to families in China through smart interaction and connectivity.

 

Four-display interactive system

 

The signature four-display interactive system delivers convenient, user-friendly services to drivers and passengers via the instrument panel cluster, central information display, front passenger display, and central control panel. We use a Linux-Android Automotive dual system architecture, and the two sets of systems are connected but can still operate independently. The Linux-based system is primarily used for the vehicle driving control, and the Android Automotive-based system is primarily used for in-car entertainment and interaction. We apply Android-based hibernation and activation algorithms to ensure quick activation of the four displays and their systems. We also equip Li ONE with a high-performance Qualcomm 820A chip.

 

Full-coverage in-car voice control system

 

We also deploy full-coverage in-car voice control system that uses four omni-directional high-sensitivity digital microphones.

 

This voice control system provides a comprehensive solution for in-car interaction. Passengers can check routes, make phone calls, listen to music and other audio programs, configure system settings, control the vehicle windows, and initiate other activities by talking naturally in the vehicle. The system is smart enough to respond swiftly to frequently used commands. The advanced natural language processing algorithms are able to analyze the human voice with adequate accuracy to enhance the interaction quality of the system.

 

FOTA upgrades

 

Our vehicle systems are designed with extendibility through FOTA upgrades, which improve system performance and enable users to access new features. Our FOTA upgrades can also automatically roll back if there are issues during the upgrading process and retry later. Our FOTA upgrades support concurrent upgrading and driving to provide maximum flexibility to users. Through FOTA upgrades, we are able to add more features to our in-car interactive and entertainment systems, improve powertrain performance, and optimize vehicle and system control algorithms. In December 2020, we introduced our 2.0 vehicle system update for Li ONE via FOTA upgrade, which included a variety of comprehensive improvements in performance, functionalities and user experience with respect to smart interactive systems, ADAS, and other vehicle controls and functions.

 

Autonomous Driving

 

Li ONE is equipped with ADAS, our enhanced Level 2 autonomous driving solution. We selectively use autonomous driving hardware from leading global suppliers, including a vision chip, a millimeter-wave radar and 12 ultrasonic sensors, and the electronic stability program and iBooster 2.0 electronic braking systems from Bosch. Our ADAS is optimized and adapted based on the complex road conditions in China. Our current ADAS solution includes over 10 driver assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, automatic parking assist, forward collision warning, intelligent headlight control, lane change assist, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and side view assist.

 

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Research and Development

 

As an emerging automaker, we heavily rely on research and development to establish and strengthen our market position. We conduct our research and development activities relating to vehicle and smart technology primarily in our headquarters in Beijing, China. In February 2021, we announced the establishment of a new research and development center in Shanghai, China. Our Beijing and Shanghai teams are developing cutting-edge electric vehicle technologies, such as next-generation EREV powertrain system, high-voltage platforms, high C-rate battery, ultra-fast charging technologies, autonomous driving technologies, next generation intelligent cockpits, operating systems and computing platforms. We also maintain a production engineering and technology center in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China. As of December 31, 2020, we had 1,424 employees engaging in research and development, including over 711 for smart technology development.

 

Vehicle

 

Our vehicle research and development team covers all areas of vehicle design, development, and production from concept to completion, including interior and exterior design, body design and engineering, electrical engineering and integration, battery engineering, EREV powertrain technology, vehicle integration, performance testing, and technology and patent management.

 

Members of our vehicle research and development team have an average industry experience of approximately ten years in their respective fields, many of whom come from leading global and domestic automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, and SAIC Motor.

 

Intelligence System

 

Our intelligence system research and development team supports our multidisciplinary research efforts on intelligence, connectivity, user interface design, and autonomous driving. We have implemented a comprehensive plan of developing our proprietary autonomous driving technology for our vehicles. Leveraging our capabilities in system development, algorithms, simulation, solutions development, and system integration, we plan to advance from Level 2 autonomous driving, ultimately to Level 4 autonomous driving.

 

Vehicle Design and Engineering

 

We have developed significant in-house capabilities in the design and engineering of EREVs and various components and systems. Our vehicle styling team, which consists of experienced designers from reputable global automakers, has defined “halo” as the design language for our Li Auto vehicle family. We have in-house vehicle development capabilities with core competence in EREV powertrain architecture, chassis, and battery, motor, and electric control systems. In particular, we have developed substantial expertise in design, development, and manufacturing of battery management systems and vehicle control units. We utilize computer-aided engineering simulation analytics throughout our design and engineering process and conduct performance validation and reliability testing in our seven laboratories. Furthermore, our engineering and manufacturing teams work alongside our suppliers and partners in designing key components in order to achieve cost optimization throughout the research and development process and thereafter.

 

Sales and Marketing

 

Digitalized Sales and Marketing

 

We have developed our own integrated online and offline platform to interact directly with users, from sales leads to user reviews.

 

We bring a steady stream of sales leads through three channels: retail stores, media platforms and user word-of-mouth. We convert these leads to registered users in our Li Auto system, which consists of our official website, the Li Auto App, and our WeChat official account. The system automatically establishes a user behavior model, records and analyzes the conversion efficiency of each user from lead to registration, and to transaction. Through our data analytics, we constantly optimize the sources of sales leads, product presentation and sales processes. At the same time, through user engagement within our online system, we encourage owners of our vehicles to voluntarily promote our vehicles, generating high-quality sales leads. As a result, a flywheel is formed, leading to higher conversion efficiency and lower user acquisition costs.

 

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Once the user places an order, we provide the user with delivery, finance, and after-sales service through our sales and servicing network. By collecting user behavior and feedback in the closed-loop process, we improve the quality and efficiency of our services, reduce personnel-related expenses and investment in stores and delivery centers, and ultimately reduce offline service costs.

 

Direct Sales and Servicing Network

 

We build and operate our own sales and distribution infrastructure and sell our vehicles directly to our users. We believe that our direct sales model not only improves economic and operational efficiency significantly, but also provides our users with superior purchasing experiences consistent with our values and brand image.

 

As of December 31, 2020, we had 52 retail stores across major cities in China. Users visit a store for vehicle check-up, test-drive, and order placement. In 2020, we began to open our galleries, which are smaller than our retail stores and focus on product demonstration, service experience, and brand awareness enhancement. We locate our stores and galleries in selected shopping malls where our targeted users are likely to patronize, instead of central business districts or landmark buildings.

 

As of December 31, 2020, we had 30 delivery centers and 23 servicing centers across major cities in China. Delivery and servicing centers perform in-person delivery and maintenance and repairs, and are generally located in the suburbs with convenient transportation.

 

Prospective users can place orders by paying a deposit of RMB5,000, which becomes non-refundable after two days, via our Li Auto App or our website. Their orders also automatically become confirmed orders after two days following the deposit payment, and no additional deposits are required from the user prior to delivery. Our delivery specialists will then follow up with the users about pre-delivery matters, such as financing and home charger installations. Once the vehicles arrive at logistics centers, our delivery specialists will contact the users to arrange delivery. For users from cities without a Li Auto delivery and servicing center, we can also provide remote delivery services.

 

Marketing

 

We have been able to generate significant media coverage of our company and our vehicles. Our principal marketing goals are to build brand awareness and loyalty, generate sales leads, and integrate user input into the product development process.

 

We focus our marketing efforts on generating word-of-mouth referrals and creating content for marketing on new media and short-video social media platforms with the goal of increasing our product exposure and building our reputation. Our marketing content includes high-quality videos developed in-house which elaborate on our product specifications and technology. We also publish voluntary referrals from our users and videos created by key opinion leaders in areas across technology, travel, and maternal and infant products, all of which represent real user experiences and enhance the popularity of our vehicles. We also leverage the data-driven features of short-video social media platforms to accurately target users by marketing on leading platforms such as Douyin and Kuaishou. The popularity, efficiency and interactive nature of short-video enable wide reach of our content marketing within a short period of time. We believe that the combination of our high quality content and the optimization of our marketing channels, in addition to the strong word-of-mouth referrals of our users and our digitalized direct sales system, form a virtuous cycle from content marketing to sales leads, and in turn to word-of-mouth referrals, which enables us to achieve continued brand exposure and attract high-quality potential users at relatively low marketing spending.

 

Servicing and Warranty

 

We offer a five-year or 100,000-kilometer limited warranty for new vehicles, and an eight-year or 120,000-kilometer limited warranty for battery packs, electric motors, and electric motor controllers. Currently, we also offer each initial owner extended lifetime warranty for RMB4,999 (or lower amount when on sale), except that those who made reservations before May 31, 2019 and then confirm the order before December 31, 2020 would be provided with such extended lifetime warranties for initial owners for free, subject to certain conditions. We also provide owners of Li ONE free roadside assistance during the warranty coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 

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Owners can have their vehicles serviced either in our servicing centers or Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops. We had a network of 114 servicing centers and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops covering 83 cities in China as of December 31, 2020.

 

Value-Added Services

 

We offer a suite of value-added services to serve our users’ needs and keep them engaged.

 

To enrich the ownership experiences of our users, we have launched our Li Plus paid membership program. Membership benefits span after-sale services, third-party in-car entertainment services, and life style components. The program currently has five categories of benefits, including paid regular servicing of the vehicle, free vehicle pick-ups and deliveries, unlimited high-speed data plan, Li music membership, and discounts on our service and products offerings. Currently, we also award membership points for successful referrals, which can be used to redeem merchandise in our online store. After we deliver more vehicles, collect more data, and have a better understanding of our users’ needs, we may continuously add more services into the program.

 

We also offer certain services embedded within the sale of vehicles, including installation of charging stalls, and vehicle internet connection services.

 

We cooperate with several commercial banks to facilitate auto finance for our users. We do not charge any financing service fees and are not obligated to facilitate any financing. A month prior to delivery, our delivery specialist will open the auto finance applications, if needed, and the users can complete the procedures on our Li Auto App. As the commercial banks handle the auto finance applications, our users can track the status of their applications on our Li Auto App. Users can also make payments for their purchases on the Li Auto App.

 

We work with auto insurance companies to facilitate our users’ purchase of a variety of auto insurance products, which can be handled by the delivery specialist assigned to each user.

 

Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Quality Control

 

Manufacturing

 

We are listed in the catalog of vehicle manufacturers of the MIIT and we manufacture Li ONE in our own state-of-the-art Changzhou factory. The Changzhou manufacturing base covers an area of 50 hectares and has constructed shop floor space of approximately 185,000 square meters. It consists of four workshops, stamping, welding, painting, and assembly, and an office building. The current production capacity is 21JPH (jobs per hour) or 100,000 units per year and it can be expanded to 40JPH or 200,000 units per year with additional machinery and production line installation.

 

The production in our factory is highly automated. We use linear seven-axis robots for our stamping line, which is capable of switching tooling with the press of a button and mixed production of steel and aluminum parts. In the stamping workshop, the high-speed flexible manufacturing line first produces large body panels before fully-automated, quality inspection blue-ray scanning performs 100% of the dimensional inspections on them. In the welding workshop, we achieve 100% automation for all welding spots. In the painting workshop, we use 28 painting robots that ensure consistency of coatings on the body.

 

Our production management related IT systems and automated production equipment work together, which significantly improve our operating efficiency. For example, screw tightening is critical component for the quality of Li ONE. There are over 1,300 tightening points on Li ONE, of which over 500 are critical. All tightening values are monitored and controlled by the systems to ensure perfect matching of torque value and angle for tightening and the vehicle model. All tightening values and data are uploaded to our manufacturing execution system for monitoring, which can be traced back for over ten years.

 

Supply Chain

 

We collaborate with over 150 suppliers for 1,916 sourced parts to build our Li ONE. We expect to benefit from economies of scale with our production volume ramp-up. We have developed close partnership with suppliers for key parts, such as CATL for battery packs, BorgWarner for electric motors, Inovance for electric motor controllers, Saint-Gobain for windshields, and SDS for multi-mode hybrid transmissions.

 

We make sourcing decisions taking into account quality, cost, and lead-time. Our supplier quality engineers are responsible for managing the production processes of suppliers to ensure that our quality standards are met. APQP (Advanced Product Quality Planning) and PPAP (Production Part Approval Process) procedures are executed with high standard.

 

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We implemented a supplier relationship management system to collaborate with our suppliers for forecasting, ordering, receipt and return of goods. Our supply management team works closely with suppliers to ensure the availability of required supply.

 

Quality Control

 

Benchmarking the best-in-class practices in the industry, we have developed our own quality management system spanning the full lifecycle of a vehicle, from product design to after-sale services, covering hardware, software, and service.

 

For Li ONE testing and validation, we have maintained over 1,700 vehicle testing measures, including over 500 critical testing measures, to ensure high quality. As of March 31, 2020, we had performed over 8.3 million kilometers of road tests including enhanced reliability test on proving grounds and vehicle durability test on roads for general users. The tests cover road environment tests under extreme working conditions such as extreme temperatures and humidity as well as high altitudes and tests of ADAS performance. We not only resolve quality issues as they emerge, but also preemptively assess and prevent issues. We studied over 1,000 issues frequently seen in market recalls and confirmed our solutions are adequate. Before the volume production of Li ONE, we conducted special inspection and prevented 19 issues that other automakers have encountered.

 

Data Security and Protection

 

With the level of intelligence and connectivity of vehicles, and our highly integrated system that interacts with the users, we place strong emphasis on data security and protection. We have implemented procedures to regulate our employees’ actions in relation to user data in order to protect user privacy and data security. We also have adopted a strict access control mechanism to protect user privacy while meeting business requirements. In addition, we employ a variety of technical solutions to prevent and detect risks in user privacy and data security, such as encryption and log audit. Our internal cloud data security team as well as external data security experts constantly examine and test our data security system to ensure that any vulnerability identified is fixed immediately.

 

Competition

 

The China automotive market is highly competitive and we expect that it will become even more competitive in the future. We believe that our vehicles compete with premium SUVs regardless of powertrain technology. We believe the primary competitive factors in our markets are: technological innovation, product quality and safety, product pricing, sales efficiency, manufacturing efficiency, branding, and design and styling. We believe that positive factors pertaining to our competitive position include precise consumer targeting and product positioning, innovative design and technology, BOM cost management, distribution cost management, and general management efficiency as a company. See “Item 3. Key Information—Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—We may not be successful in the highly competitive China automotive market, especially its premium SUV segment.” for risks related to competition in our industry.

 

Intellectual Property

 

We believe that we have significant capabilities in the areas of vehicle engineering, development, and design. As a result, our success depends, at least in part, on our ability to protect our core technology and intellectual property. To accomplish this, we rely on a combination of patents, patent applications, trade secrets, including employee and third party nondisclosure agreements, copyright laws, trademarks, intellectual property licenses and other contractual rights to establish and protect our proprietary rights in our technology. As of December 31, 2020, we had 827 issued patents and 691 pending patent applications, 391 registered trademarks, and 30 pending trademark applications in China. As of December 31, 2020, we also held or otherwise had the legal right to use 45 registered copyrights for software or work of art and 64 registered domain names, including lixiang.com. We intend to continue to file additional patent applications with respect to our technology.

 

Vehicle Delivery

 

The following table sets forth our cumulative vehicle delivery data as of the end of the periods indicated.

 

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		November 2019		December 2019		March 2020		June 2020		September 2020		December 2020		January 2021		February 2021
Li ONE delivered (1)		—		973		3,869		10,473		19,133		33,597		38,976		41,276

 

Note:

 

(1)         Excludes vehicles delivered for testing and other non-sales purposes.

 

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the first, second, third, and fourth quarter of 2020, January 2021, and February 2021, a total of 973, 2,896, 6,604, 8,660, 14,464, 5,379, and 2,300 Li ONEs were delivered, respectively.

 

Regulation

 

This section sets forth a summary of the most significant rules and regulations that affect our business activities in China.

 

Regulations and Approvals Covering the Manufacturing of Battery Electric Passenger Vehicles

 

Pursuant to the Provisions on Administration of Investment in Automotive Industry, which was promulgated by the NDRC and became effective on January 10, 2019, enterprises are encouraged to, through equity investment and production capacity cooperation, facilitate mergers and restructuring, enter into strategic alliances, carry out joint research and development of products, organize joint manufacturing, and increase industrial integration. The leading resources in production, education, research, application, and other areas are encouraged to be integrated, and core enterprises in the automotive industry are encouraged to form industrial alliance and industrial consortium. In addition, these provisions categorize EREV as electric vehicles.

 

Pursuant to the Administrative Rules on the Admission of New Energy Vehicle Manufacturers and Products, to be included in the Vehicle Manufacturers and Products Announcement, our vehicles must satisfy certain conditions, including, among others, meeting certain standards set out therein, meeting other safety and technical requirements specified by the MIIT, and passing inspections conducted by a state-recognized inspection institution. After these conditions are met and the application has been approved by the MIIT, the qualified vehicles will be included in the Vehicle Manufacturers and Products Announcement by the MIIT. If an NEV manufacturer manufactures or sells any model of an NEV without prior approval of the competent authorities, including the inclusion in the Vehicle Manufacturers and Products Announcement by the MIIT, it may be subject to penalties, including fines, forfeiture of any illegally manufactured and sold vehicles and spare parts, and revocation of its business licenses.

 

Regulations on Compulsory Product Certification

 

Pursuant to the Administrative Regulations on Compulsory Product Certification that was promulgated by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, or the QSIQ (which has been merged into the SAMR), and became effective on September 1, 2009, and the List of the First Batch of Products Subject to Compulsory Product Certification that was promulgated by the QSIQ in association with the State Certification and Accreditation Administration Committee and became effective on May 1, 2002, the QSIQ is responsible for the regulation and quality certification of automobiles. Automobiles and parts and components cannot be sold, exported, or used in operating activities until they are certified by designated PRC certification authorities as qualified products and granted certification marks.

 

Regulations on Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

 

Pursuant to the Guidance Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating the Promotion and Application of the New Energy Vehicles, which became effective on July 14, 2014, the Guidance Opinions of the General Office of the State Council on Accelerating the Development of Charging Infrastructures of the Electric Vehicles, which became effective on September 29, 2015, and the Guidance on the Development of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (2015-2020), which became effective on October 9, 2015, the PRC government encourages the construction and development of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, such as charging stations and battery swap stations, and only centralized charging and battery replacement power stations are required to obtain approvals for construction permits from the relevant authorities. The Circular on Accelerating the Development of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructures in Residential Areas promulgated on July 25, 2016 further provides that the operators of electric vehicle charging and battery swap infrastructure are required to carry liability insurance for the safety of their facilities. The manufacturers of charging and battery swap facilities and electric vehicle manufacturers are encouraged to purchase liability insurance on charging safety to protect individual users.

 

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Regulations on Automobile Sales

 

Pursuant to the Administrative Measures on Automobile Sales promulgated by the Ministry of Commerce, which became effective on July 1, 2017, automobile suppliers and dealers are required to file with the relevant authorities through the national automobile circulation information system operated by the competent commerce department within 90 days after the receipt of a business license. Where there is any change to the information filed, automobile suppliers and dealers must update such information within 30 days after such change.

 

Regulations on the Recall of Defective Automobiles

 

On October 22, 2012, the State Council promulgated the Administrative Provisions on Defective Automotive Product Recalls, which became effective on January 1, 2013 and was amended on March 2, 2019. The product quality supervision department of the State Council is responsible for the supervision and administration of recalls of defective automotive products nationwide. Pursuant to these administrative provisions, manufacturers of automotive products are required to take measures to eliminate defects in the products they sell and recall all defective automotive products. Failure to recall such products may result in a compulsory order to recall the defective products from the quality supervisory authority of the State Council. If an operator conducting sales, leasing, or repairs of vehicles discovers any defect in any automotive products, it must cease to sell, lease, or use the defective products and must assist manufacturers in the recall of those products. Manufacturers must recall their products through publicly available channels and publicly announce the defects. Manufacturers must take measures to eliminate or cure defects, including rectification, identification, modification, replacement, or return of the products. Manufacturers that attempt to conceal defects or do not recall defective automotive products in accordance with the relevant regulations will be subject to penalties, including fines, forfeiture of any income earned in violation of law, and revocation of licenses.

 

Pursuant to the Implementation Rules on the Administrative Provisions on Defective Automotive Product Recalls, which became effective on January 1, 2016 and were recently amended on October 23, 2020, if a manufacturer is aware of any potential defect in its automobiles, it must investigate in a timely manner and report the results of such investigation to the SAMR. Where any defect is found during the investigation, the manufacturer must cease to manufacture, sell, or import the relevant automotive products and recall such products in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

 

On November 25, 2020, the SAMR issued the Circular on Further Improving the Regulation of Recall of Automobile with OTA Technology, pursuant to which automobiles manufacturers that provide technical services through OTA are required to complete filing with the SAMR and those who have provided such services through OTA must complete such filing before December 31, 2020. In addition, if an automaker uses OTA technology to eliminate defects and recalls their defective products, it must make a recall plan and completes a filing with the SAMR.

 

Regulations on Product Liability

 

Pursuant to the PRC Product Quality Law, which was promulgated on February 22, 1993 and amended on July 8, 2000, August 27, 2009, and December 29, 2018, a manufacturer is prohibited from producing or selling products that do not meet applicable standards and requirements for safeguarding human health and ensuring human and property safety. Products must be free from unreasonable dangers threatening human and property safety. Where a defective product causes personal injury or property damage, the aggrieved party may make a claim for compensation from the manufacturer or the seller of the product. Manufacturers and sellers of non-compliant products may be ordered to cease the production or sale of the products and could be subject to confiscation of the products and fines. Earnings from sales in violation of such standards or requirements may also be confiscated, and in severe cases, an offender’s business license may be revoked.

 

Favorable Government Policies Relating to NEVs in China

 

Government Subsidies for NEV Purchasers

 

On April 22, 2015, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, and the NDRC jointly issued the Circular on the Financial Support Policies on the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles in 2016-2020, which became effective on the same day. This circular provides that those who purchase NEVs specified in the Catalogue of Recommended New Energy Vehicle Models for Promotion and Application by the MIIT from 2016 to 2020 may obtain subsidies from the PRC government. Pursuant to this circular, a purchaser may purchase an NEV from a seller by paying the original price minus the subsidy amount, and the seller may obtain the subsidy amount from the government after such NEV is sold to the purchaser. Li ONE was added to this catalogue by the MIIT on June 11, 2019 and is eligible for such subsidies. The circular also provided a preliminary phase-out schedule for the provision of subsidies.

 

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On December 29, 2016, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, and the NDRC jointly issued the Circular on Adjusting the Subsidy Policy for the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles, which became effective on January 1, 2017, to adjust the existing subsidy standard for NEV purchasers by capping the local subsidies at 50% of the national subsidy amount and further specifying that the national subsidies for purchasers of certain NEVs (except for fuel cell vehicles) from 2019 to 2020 will be reduced by 20% from the 2017 subsidy standards.

 

The subsidy standard is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. On April 23, 2020, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, and the NDRC jointly issued the Circular on Improving the Subsidy Policy for the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles, pursuant to which, the original end date of subsidies for NEV purchasers will be extended by two years to the end of 2022 and the national subsidies for NEVs will be reduced in 10% increments each year, commencing from 2020. Only NEVs with an MSRP of RMB300,000 or less before subsidies are eligible for such subsidies starting from July 2020, and the MSRP of Li ONE is higher than the threshold. In addition, the circular also limits the number of vehicles eligible for subsidies each year to approximately 2 million. On December 31, 2020, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, and the NDRC jointly issued the Circular on Further Improving the Subsidy Policies for the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles, which became effective on January 1, 2021. Pursuant to this circular, the national subsidies for NEVs will be reduced in 20% increments in 2021 compared with that of 2020.

 

Exemption of Vehicle Purchase Tax

 

On December 26, 2017, the Ministry of Finance, the SAT, the MIIT, and the Ministry of Science and Technology jointly issued the Announcement on Exemption of Vehicle Purchase Tax for New Energy Vehicle, pursuant to which, from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020, the vehicle purchase tax applicable to ICE vehicles is not imposed on purchases of qualified NEVs listed in the Catalogue of New Energy Vehicle Models Exempt from Vehicle Purchase Tax issued by the MIIT, including NEVs listed before December 31, 2017. Li ONE was added to this catalogue in the 25th batch on June 12, 2019, and the purchasers of Li ONE thus may enjoy this tax exemption.

 

On April 16, 2020, the Ministry of Finance, the SAT, and the MIIT jointly issued the Announcement on Exemption Policy of Vehicle Purchase Tax for New Energy Vehicle, which became effective on January 1, 2021, pursuant to which the exemption of vehicle purchase tax for the NEVs will be extended to 2022.

 

Non-Imposition of Vehicle and Vessel Tax

 

Pursuant to the Preferential Vehicle and Vessel Tax Policies for Energy-Saving and New Energy Vehicles and Vessels jointly promulgated by the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Transport, the SAT, and the MIIT on July 10, 2018, NEVs, including battery electric commercial vehicles, plug-in (including extended-range) hybrid electric vehicles, fuel cell commercial vehicles are exempt from vehicle and vessel tax, whereas BEVs and fuel cell passenger vehicles are not subject to vehicle and vessel tax. The qualified vehicles are listed in the Catalogue of New Energy Vehicle Models Exempt from Vehicle and Vessel Tax issued by the MIIT and SAT from time to time. Li ONE was listed in this catalogue issued by the MIIT and SAT on July 1, 2019 and is thus exempt from vehicle and vessel tax.

 

NEV License Plates

 

In recent years, in order to control the number of motor vehicles on the road, certain local governments in China, such as Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Hangzhou, have issued restrictions on the issuance of vehicle license plates. These restrictions generally do not apply to the issuance of license plates for NEVs (including EREVs), which makes it easier for NEV purchasers to obtain license plates. For example, in Shanghai, local authorities will issue new license plates to qualified NEV purchasers pursuant to the Implementation Measures on Encouraging Purchase and Use of New Energy Vehicles in Shanghai, without requiring such qualified purchasers to go through certain license-plate bidding processes and to pay license-plate purchase fees as compared with ICE vehicle purchasers. However, in Beijing, EREVs are treated as ICE vehicles for the purposes of obtaining license plates under the Administration Rules on Encouraging Implementation of New Energy Vehicles in Beijing. Potential EREV purchasers in Beijing must participate in a lottery for a purchase permit, instead of applying for the NEV license plates based on the quota determined by the local authorities in Beijing. Pursuant to the Implementation Measures on Encouraging and Using New Energy Vehicles in Shanghai issued by the local counterpart of the NDRC and other four governmental authorities in Shanghai in February 2021, EREVs will not be considered as the NEVs which are exempt from the license plate restrictions starting from January 1, 2023.

 

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Policies Relating to Incentives for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

 

On January 11, 2016, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the MIIT, the NDRC, and the National Energy Administration jointly promulgated the Circular on Incentive Policies on the Charging Infrastructures of New Energy Vehicles and Strengthening the Promotion and Application of New Energy Vehicles During the 13th Five-year Plan Period, which became effective on January 11, 2016. Pursuant to this circular, the central finance department is expected to provide certain local governments with funds and subsidies for the construction and operation of charging facilities and other relevant charging infrastructure.

 

Certain local governments have also implemented incentive policies for the construction and operation of charging infrastructure. For example, pursuant to the Circular on Implementation of Interim Rules on the Examination and Support of the Operation of Electronic Vehicles Charging Infrastructures for Public Use in Beijing, from September 25, 2018 to December 31, 2020, certain operators of charging facilities for public use may be eligible for subsidies based on their charging capacity and operation review results. Likewise, such subsidies were also implemented in the Implementation Rules on the Examination and Support of the Operation of Electronic Vehicles Charging Infrastructures for Public Use from 2018 to 2019 in Beijing that became effective on September 28, 2018.

 

CAFC and NEV Credit Schemes for Vehicle Manufacturers and Importers

 

On September 27, 2017, the MIIT, the Ministry of Finance, the PRC Ministry of Commerce, the PRC General Administration of Customs and the QSIQ jointly promulgated the Measure for the Parallel Administration of the Corporate Average Fuel Consumption and New Energy Vehicle Credits of Passenger Vehicle Enterprises, pursuant to which, each of the vehicle manufacturers and vehicle importers above a certain scale is required to maintain its new energy vehicles credits, or NEV credits, above zero, regardless of whether NEVs or ICE vehicles are manufactured or imported by it, and NEV credits can be earned only by manufacturing or importing NEVs. Therefore, NEV manufacturers will enjoy preferences in obtaining and calculating of NEV credits.

 

NEV credits equal to the aggregate actual scores of a vehicle manufacturer or a vehicle importer minus its aggregate targeted scores. The targeted scores shall be the product obtained by multiplying annual production/import volume of fuel energy vehicles of a vehicle manufacturer or a vehicle importer by the NEV credit ratio set by the MIIT, while the actual scores are to be the product obtained by multiplying the score of each new energy vehicle type by respective new energy vehicle production/import volume. Excess positive NEV credits are tradable and may be sold to other enterprises through a credit management system established by the MIIT. Negative NEV credits can be offset by purchasing excess positive NEV credits from other manufacturers or importers. As a manufacturer that will only manufacture new energy vehicles, after we obtain our own manufacturing license, we will be able to earn NEV credits by manufacturing new energy vehicles through our future manufacturing plant on each vehicle manufactured, and may sell our excess positive NEV credits to other vehicle manufacturers or importers. On June 15, 2020, the MIIT, the Ministry of Finance, the PRC Ministry of Commerce, the PRC General Administration of Customs and the QSIQ jointly promulgated the Amendment to Measure for the Parallel Administration of the Corporate Average Fuel Consumption and New Energy Vehicle Credits of Passenger Vehicle Enterprises. The newly erected measures, which will become effective on January 1, 2021, adjusts the calculation methods of credits of new energy passenger vehicles and provides the requirements of NEV credits from 2021 to 2023.

 

Regulations on Foreign Investment in China

 

Regulations on Foreign Investment Restrictions

 

Investment activities in China by foreign investors are principally governed by the Guidance Catalog of Industries for Foreign Investment, or the Foreign Investment Catalog, which was promulgated and is amended from time to time by the Ministry of Commerce and the NDRC. The latest version of the Foreign Investment Catalog became effective on July 28, 2017 and classifies industries into three categories with regard to foreign investment: (i) “encouraged,” (ii) “restricted,” and (iii) “prohibited.” The latter two categories are included in a negative list, which was first introduced into the Foreign Investment Catalog in 2017 and specified the restrictive measures for the entry of foreign investment.

 

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On June 28, 2018, the Ministry of Commerce and the NDRC jointly promulgated the Special Administrative Measures (Negative List) for Foreign Investment Access, or the 2018 Negative List, which replaced the negative list attached to the Foreign Investment Catalog in 2017 and lifted restrictions on foreign investment in NEV manufacturers. In June 2019, the Ministry of Commerce and the NDRC jointly promulgated the 2019 Negative List, which became effective and replaced the 2018 Negative List in July 2019. In June 2019, the Ministry of Commerce and the NDRC also jointly promulgated the Encouraged Foreign Investment Industry Catalog (2019), which became effective and replaced the “encouraged” category under the Foreign Investment Catalog in 2017. Industries that are not listed in the 2019 Negative List are permitted areas for foreign investments and are generally open to foreign investment unless specifically restricted by other PRC regulations. Some restricted industries are limited to equity or contractual joint ventures, while in some cases Chinese partners are required to hold majority interests in such joint ventures. In addition, projects in the restricted category may be subject to higher-level government approval requirements. Foreign investors are not allowed to invest in industries in the prohibited category. The provision of value-added telecommunications services falls in the restricted category under the 2019 Negative List and the percentage of foreign ownership cannot exceed 50%, except for e-commerce, domestic multi-party communications, and store-and-forward call centers. On June 23, 2020, the Ministry of Commerce and the NDRC jointly published the Special Administrative Measures for Market Access of Foreign Investment 2020, which became effective on July 23, 2020 and replaced the 2019 Negative List.

 

Pursuant to the Provisions on Administration of Foreign-Invested Telecommunications Enterprises promulgated by the State Council in December 2001 and most recently amended in February 2016, the ultimate foreign equity ownership in a value-added telecommunications services provider cannot exceed 50%. Moreover, for a foreign investor to own any equity interest in a value-added telecommunication business in China, it must satisfy a number of stringent performance and operational experience requirements, and obtain approvals from the MIIT and the Ministry of Commerce or their authorized local counterparts, which retain considerable discretion in granting approvals. The MIIT issued the Circular on Strengthening the Administration of Foreign Investment in and Operation of Value-Added Telecommunications Business in July 2006, which reiterate the regulations on foreign investment in telecommunications businesses and require foreign investors to set up FIEs and obtain telecommunications business operating licenses to conduct any value-added telecommunications business in China.

 

To comply with PRC laws and regulations, we expect to rely on contractual arrangements with our VIEs to operate value-added telecommunications services in China in the future. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—We rely on contractual arrangements with our VIEs and their respective shareholders to exercise control over our business, which may not be as effective as direct ownership in providing operational control.”

 

Foreign Investment Law

 

On March 15, 2019, the National People’s Congress promulgated the Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020 and replaced three existing laws on foreign investments in China, namely, the PRC Equity Joint Venture Law, the PRC Cooperative Joint Venture Law, and the Wholly Foreign-Owned Enterprise Law, together with their implementation rules and ancillary regulations. The Foreign Investment Law embodies an expected PRC regulatory trend to rationalize its foreign investment regulatory regime in line with prevailing international practice and the legislative efforts to unify the corporate legal requirements for both foreign- and domestic-invested enterprises in China. The Foreign Investment Law establishes the basic framework for the access to, and the promotion, protection, and administration of foreign investments in view of investment protection and fair competition.

 

Pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law, “foreign investment” refers to investment activities directly or indirectly conducted by one or more natural persons, business entities, or otherwise organizations of a foreign country within China, or foreign investors, and the investment activities include the following situations: (i) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, establishes an FIE in China; (ii) a foreign investor acquires stock shares, equity shares, shares in assets, or other similar rights and interests of an enterprise within China; (iii) a foreign investor, individually or collectively with other investors, invests in a new project in China; and (iv) investments in other means as provided by laws, administrative regulations, or the State Council.

 

Pursuant to the Foreign Investment Law, the State Council will publish or approve to publish a catalogue for special administrative measures, or a “negative list.” The Foreign Investment Law grants national treatment to FIEs, except for those FIEs that operate in industries deemed to be either “restricted” or “prohibited” in the “negative list.” Because the “negative list” has yet to be published, it is unclear whether it will differ from the current special administrative measures for market access of foreign investment (Negative List). The Foreign Investment Law provides that FIEs operating in foreign restricted or prohibited industries will require market entry clearance and other approvals from relevant PRC governmental authorities.

 

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Furthermore, the Foreign Investment Law provides that FIEs established according to the existing laws regulating foreign investment may maintain their structure and corporate governance within five years after the implementation of the Foreign Investment Law.

 

In addition, the Foreign Investment Law also provides several protective rules and principles for foreign investors and their investments in China, including, among others, that local governments must abide by their commitments to the foreign investors; FIEs are allowed to issue stocks and corporate bonds; expropriation or requisition of the investment of foreign investors is prohibited except for special circumstances, in which case statutory procedures must be followed and fair and reasonable compensation must be made in a timely manner; mandatory technology transfer is prohibited; and the capital contributions, profits, capital gains, proceeds out of asset disposal, licensing fees of intellectual property rights, indemnity or compensation legally obtained, or proceeds received upon settlement by foreign investors in China may be freely remitted inward and outward in Renminbi or foreign currencies. Also, foreign investors or FIEs should be imposed legal liabilities for failing to report investment information in accordance with the requirements.

 

On December 26, 2019, the PRC State Council approved the Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law, which came into effect on January 1, 2020. The Implementation Rules of Foreign Investment Law restates certain principles of the Foreign Investment Law and further provides that, among others, (i) if the legal form or the governing structure of an FIE established prior to the effective date of the Foreign Investment Law does not comply with the compulsory provisions of the PRC Company Law or the PRC Partnership Enterprises Law, such FIE should complete amendment registration accordingly no later than January 1, 2025; if it fails to do so, the enterprise registration authority will not process other registration matters of the FIE and may publicize such non-compliance; and (ii) the provisions regarding transfer of equity interests, distribution of profits and remaining assets as stipulated in the joint venture contracts of an existing FIE may survive the Foreign Investment Law during its joint venture term.

 

For a detailed discussion of the risk associated with the Foreign Investment Law, see “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of newly enacted 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.”

 

Regulations on Value-Added Telecommunications Services

 

In 2000, the State Council promulgated the PRC Telecommunications Regulations, which was most recently amended in February 2016 and provides a regulatory framework for telecommunications services providers in China. The Telecommunications Regulations categorize all telecommunications businesses in China as either basic or value-added telecommunications services. Value-added telecommunications services are defined as telecommunications and information services provided through public network infrastructure. Pursuant to the Classified Catalogue of Telecommunications Services, an attachment to the Telecommunications Regulations, which was most recently updated in June 2019 by the MIIT, internet information services, or ICP services, are classified as value-added telecommunications services. Under the Telecommunications Regulations and relevant administrative measures, commercial operators of value-added telecommunications services must first obtain an ICP license from the MIIT or its provincial level counterparts. Otherwise, such an operator might be subject to sanctions, including rectification orders and warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, and, in case of significant infringement, orders to close the website.

 

Pursuant to the Administrative Measures on Internet Information Services, promulgated by the State Council in 2000 and amended in 2011, “internet information services” refer to the provision of information through the internet to online users, and are divided into “commercial internet information services” and “non-commercial internet information services.” A commercial ICP service operator must obtain an ICP license before engaging in any commercial ICP services in China, while the ICP license is not required if the operator will only provide internet information on a non-commercial basis.

 

In addition to the regulations and measures above, the provision of commercial internet information services on mobile internet applications are regulated by the Administrative Provisions on Information Services of Mobile Internet Applications, promulgated by the State Internet Information Office in June 2016. Information services providers of mobile internet applications are subject to these provisions, including acquiring relevant qualifications and being responsible for the management of information security.

 

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We expect to provide information and services to our users through our websites and mobile application, which may be deemed as commercial internet information services as defined in the above provisions. Beijing Chelixing Information Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beijing CHJ, has obtained an ICP License that will remain effective until May 29, 2024.

 

Regulations on Consumer Rights Protection

 

Our business is subject to a variety of consumer protection laws, including the PRC Consumer Rights and Interests Protection Law, which was amended in 2013 and became effective on March 15, 2014. It imposes stringent requirements and obligations on business operators. Failure to comply with these consumer protection laws could subject us to administrative sanctions, such as the issuance of a warning, confiscation of illegal income, imposition of fines, an order to cease business operations, revocation of business licenses, and potential civil or criminal liabilities.

 

Regulations on Internet Information Security and Privacy Protection

 

In November 2016, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Cyber Security Law, which became effective on June 1, 2017. The Cyber Security Law requires that network operators, including internet information services providers, take technical measures and other necessary measures in accordance with applicable laws and regulations and the compulsory requirements of the national and industrial standards to safeguard the safe and stable operation of its networks. We are subject to such requirements as we are operating a website and mobile application and providing certain internet services mainly through our mobile application. The Cyber Security Law further requires internet information services providers to formulate contingency plans for network security incidents, report to the competent departments immediately upon the occurrence of any incident endangering cyber security, and take corresponding remedial measures.

 

Internet information services providers are also required to maintain the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of network data. The Cyber Security Law reaffirms the basic principles and requirements specified in other existing laws and regulations on personal data protection, such as the requirements on the collection, use, processing, storage, and disclosure of personal data, and internet information services providers being required to take technical and other necessary measures to ensure the security of the personal information they have collected and prevent the personal information from being divulged, damaged, or lost. Any violation of the Cyber Security Law may subject an internet information services provider to warnings, fines, confiscation of illegal gains, revocation of licenses, cancellation of filings, shutdown of websites, or criminal liabilities.

 

Regulations on E-Commerce

 

On August 31, 2018, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC E-Commerce Law, which became effective on January 1, 2019. The E-Commerce Law establishes the regulatory framework for the e-commerce sector in China for the first time by laying out certain requirements on e-commerce platform operators. Pursuant to the E-Commerce Law, e-commerce platform operators are required to prepare a contingency plan for cybersecurity incidents and take technological measures and other measures to prevent online illegal and criminal activities. The E-Commerce Law also expressly requires e-commerce platform operators to take necessary actions to ensure fair dealing on their platforms to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers, including to prepare platform service agreements, transaction information record-keeping, and transaction rules, to prominently display such documents on the platform’s website, and to keep such information for no less than three years following the completion of a transaction. Where the e-commerce platform operators conduct self-operated business on their platforms, they need to distinguish and mark their self-operated business from the businesses of the business operators using the platform in a clear manner and should not mislead consumers. The e-commerce platform operators should bear civil liability of a commodity seller or service provider for the business marked as self-operated, pursuant to the law.

 

Regulations on Land and the Development of Construction Projects

 

Regulations on Land Grants

 

Under the Interim Regulations on Assignment and Transfer of the Rights to the Use of the State-Owned Urban Land, which was promulgated by the State Council on May 19, 1990 and amended on November 29, 2020, a system of assignment and transfer of the right to use state-owned land was adopted. A land user must pay land premiums to the state as consideration for the assignment of the right to use a land site within a certain term, and the land user who obtained the right to use the land may transfer, lease out, mortgage, or otherwise commercially exploit the land within the term of use. Under the Interim Regulations on Assignment and Transfer of the Rights to the Use of the State-Owned Urban Land and the PRC Urban Real Estate Administration Law, the local land administration authority may enter into an assignment contract with the land user for the assignment of land use rights. The land user is required to pay the land premium as provided in the assignment contract. After the full payment of the land premium, the land user must register with the land administration authority and obtain a land use rights certificate that evidences the acquisition of land use rights.

 

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Regulations on Planning of a Construction Project

 

Pursuant to the Regulations on Planning Administration Regarding Assignment and Transfer of the Rights to Use of the State-Owned Land in Urban Area promulgated by the Ministry of Construction in December 1992 and amended in January 2011, a construction land planning permit should be obtained from the municipal planning authority with respect to the planning and use of land. Pursuant to the PRC Urban and Rural Planning Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on October 28, 2007 and amended on April 24, 2015 and April 23, 2019, a construction work planning permit must be obtained from the competent urban and rural planning government authority for the construction of any structure, fixture, road, pipeline, or other engineering project within an urban or rural planning area.

 

After obtaining a construction work planning permit, subject to certain exceptions, a construction enterprise must apply for a construction work commencement permit from the construction authority under the local people’s government at the county level or above pursuant to the Administrative Provisions on Construction Permit of Construction Projects promulgated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on June 25, 2014, implemented on October 25, 2014, and amended on September 28, 2018.

 

Pursuant to the Administrative Measures for Reporting Details Regarding Acceptance Examination upon Completion of Buildings and Municipal Infrastructure promulgated by the Ministry of Construction on April 4, 2000 and amended on October 19, 2009, and the Provisions on Acceptance Examination upon Completion of Buildings and Municipal Infrastructure promulgated and implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on December 2, 2013, upon the completion of a construction project, the construction enterprise must submit an application to the competent government department at or above county level where the project is located for examination upon completion of building and for filing purpose, and to obtain the filing form for acceptance and examination upon completion of construction project.

 

Regulations on Environmental Protection and Work Safety

 

Regulations on Environmental Protection

 

Pursuant to the PRC Environmental Protection Law promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on December 26, 1989, amended on April 24, 2014, and effective on January 1, 2015, any entity which discharges or will discharge pollutants during the course of operations or other activities must implement effective environmental protection safeguards and procedures to control and properly treat waste gas, waste water, waste residue, dust, malodorous gases, radioactive substances, noise, vibrations, electromagnetic radiation, and other hazards produced during such activities.

 

Environmental protection authorities impose various administrative penalties on persons or enterprises in violation of the Environmental Protection Law. Such penalties include warnings, fines, orders to rectify within a prescribed period, orders to cease construction, orders to restrict or suspend production, orders to make recovery, orders to disclose relevant information or make an announcement, imposition of administrative action against relevant responsible persons, and orders to shut down enterprises. Any person or entity that pollutes the environment resulting in damage could also be held liable under the PRC Tort Law. In addition, environmental organizations may also bring lawsuits against any entity that discharges pollutants detrimental to the public welfare.

 

Regulations on Work Safety

 

Under relevant construction safety laws and regulations, including the PRC Work Safety Law, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on June 29, 2002, amended on August 27, 2009 and August 31, 2014, and effective on December 1, 2014, production and operating business entities must establish objectives and measures for work safety and improve the working environment and conditions for workers in a planned and systematic way. A work safety protection scheme must also be set up to implement the work safety job responsibility system. In addition, production and operating business entities must arrange work safety training and provide their employees with protective equipment that meets the national or industrial standards. Automobile and components manufacturers are subject to such environment protection and work safety requirements.

 

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Regulations on Fire Control

 

Pursuant to the PRC Fire Safety Law, which was promulgated by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress on April 29, 1998, amended on October 28, 2008 and April 23, 2019, and effective on April 23, 2019, and the Interim Provisions on Administration of Fire Control Design Review and Acceptance of Construction Project promulgated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on April 1, 2020, which became effective on June 1, 2020, the construction entity of a large-scale crowded venue (including the construction of a manufacturing plant whose size is over 2,500 square meters) and other special construction projects must apply for fire prevention design review with fire control authorities, and complete fire assessment inspection and acceptance procedures after the construction project is completed. The construction entity of other construction projects must complete the filing for fire prevention design and the fire safety completion inspection and acceptance procedures within five business days after passing the construction completion inspection and acceptance. If the construction entity fails to pass the fire safety inspection before such venue is put into use or fails to conform to the fire safety requirements after such inspection, it will be subject to (i) orders to suspend the construction of projects, use of such projects, or operation of relevant business, and (ii) a fine between RMB30,000 and RMB300,000.

 

Regulations on Intellectual Property Rights

 

Patent Law

 

According to the PRC Patent Law (2008 Revision), the State Intellectual Property Office is responsible for administering patent law in China. The patent administration departments of the provincial, autonomous region, or municipal governments are responsible for administering patent law within their respective jurisdictions. The PRC patent system adopts a first-to-file principle, which means that when more than one person files different patent applications for the same invention, only the person who files the application first is entitled to obtain a patent of the invention. To be patentable, an invention or a utility model must meet three criteria: novelty, inventiveness, and practicability. A patent is valid for twenty years in the case of an invention and ten years in the case of utility models and designs.

 

Regulations on Copyright

 

The PRC Copyright Law, which became effective on June 1, 1991 and was amended in 2001 and in 2010, provides that Chinese citizens, legal persons, or other organizations own copyright in their copyrightable works, whether published or not, which include, among others, works of literature, art, natural science, social science, engineering technology, and computer software. Copyright owners enjoy certain legal rights, including right of publication, right of authorship, and right of reproduction. The Copyright Law as revised in 2010 extends copyright protection to Internet activities, products disseminated over the Internet, and software products. In addition, the Copyright Law provides for a voluntary registration system administered by the China Copyright Protection Center. Pursuant to the Copyright Law, an infringer of copyrights is subject to various civil liabilities, which include ceasing infringement activities, apologizing to the copyright owners, and compensating the loss of the copyright owners. Infringers of copyright may also be subject to fines and/or administrative or criminal liabilities in severe situations.

 

Pursuant to the Computer Software Copyright Protection Regulations promulgated by the State Council on December 20, 2001 and amended on January 30, 2013, the software copyright owner may go through the registration formalities with a software registration authority recognized by the State Council’s copyright administrative department. The software copyright owner may authorize others to exercise that copyright and is entitled to receive remuneration.

 

Trademark Law

 

Trademarks are protected under the PRC Trademark Law, which was adopted on August 23, 1982 and subsequently amended in 1993, 2001, 2013, and 2019, respectively, and the Implementation Regulations of the PRC Trademark Law adopted by the State Council in 2002 and most recently amended on April 29, 2014. The Trademark Office under the SAMR (formally known as the State Administration for Industry and Commerce) handles trademark registrations. The Trademark Office grants a ten-year term to registered trademarks and the term may be renewed for another ten-year period upon request by the trademark owner. A trademark registrant may license its registered trademarks to another party by entering into trademark license agreements, which must be filed with the Trademark Office for the record. As with patents, the Trademark Law has adopted a first-to-file principle with respect to trademark registration. If a trademark applied for is identical or similar to another trademark which has already been registered or subject to a preliminary examination and approval for use on the same or similar kinds of products or services, such a trademark application may be rejected. Any person applying for the registration of a trademark may not injure existing trademark rights first obtained by others, nor may any person register in advance a trademark that has already been used by another party and has already gained a “sufficient degree of reputation” through such party’s use.

 

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Regulations on Domain Names

 

The MIIT promulgated the Measures on Administration of Internet Domain Names on August 24, 2017, which became effective on November 1, 2017 and replaced the Administrative Measures on China Internet Domain Names promulgated by the MIIT on November 5, 2004. Pursuant to these measures, the MIIT is in charge of the administration of PRC internet domain names. The domain name registration follows a first-to-file principle. Applicants for registration of domain names must provide the true, accurate, and complete information of their identities to domain name registration service institutions. The applicants will become the holder of such domain names upon the completion of the registration procedure.

 

Regulations on Foreign Exchange

 

General Administration of Foreign Exchange

 

Under the PRC Foreign Currency Administration Rules promulgated on January 29, 1996 and most recently amended on August 5, 2008 and various regulations issued by SAFE, and other relevant PRC government authorities, Renminbi is convertible into other currencies for current account items, such as trade-related receipts and payments and payment of interest and dividends. The conversion of Renminbi into other currencies and remittance of the converted foreign currency outside China for capital account items, such as direct equity investments, loans, and repatriation of investment, requires the prior approval from SAFE or its local office.

 

Payments for transactions that take place in China must be made in Renminbi. Unless otherwise approved, PRC companies may not repatriate foreign currency payments received from abroad or retain the same abroad. FIEs may retain foreign exchange in accounts with designated foreign exchange banks under the current account items subject to a cap set by SAFE or its local branch. Foreign exchange proceeds under the current accounts may be either retained or sold to a financial institution engaged in settlement and sale of foreign exchange pursuant to relevant SAFE rules and regulations. For foreign exchange proceeds under the capital accounts, approval from SAFE is generally required for the retention or sale of such proceeds to a financial institution engaged in settlement and sale of foreign exchange.

 

Pursuant to the Circular of SAFE on Further Improving and Adjusting Foreign Exchange Administration Policies for Direct Investment, which was promulgated on November 19, 2012, became effective on December 17, 2012, and was further amended on May 4, 2015, October 10, 2018, and December 30, 2019, approval of SAFE is not required for opening a foreign exchange account and depositing foreign exchange into the accounts relating to the direct investments. This circular also simplifies foreign exchange-related registration required for foreign investors to acquire equity interests of PRC companies and further improve the administration on foreign exchange settlement for FIEs.

 

The Circular on Further Simplifying and Improving the Foreign Currency Management Policy on Direct Investment, or SAFE Circular 13, which became effective on June 1, 2015 and was amended on December 30, 2019, cancels the administrative approvals of foreign exchange registration of direct domestic investment and direct overseas investment and simplifies the procedure of foreign exchange-related registration. Pursuant to SAFE Circular 13, investors should register with banks for direct domestic investment and direct overseas investment.

 

The Circular on Reforming the Management Approach Regarding the Settlement of Foreign Capital of Foreign-Invested Enterprise, which was promulgated on March 30, 2015, became effective on June 1, 2015, and was amended on December 30, 2019, provides that an FIE may, according to its actual business needs, settle with a bank the portion of the foreign exchange capital in its capital account for which the relevant foreign exchange administration has confirmed monetary capital contribution rights and interests (or for which the bank has registered the injection of the monetary capital contribution into the account). Pursuant to this circular, for the time being, FIEs are allowed to settle 100% of their foreign exchange capital on a discretionary basis; an FIE should truthfully use its capital for its own operational purposes within the scope of its business; where an ordinary FIE makes domestic equity investment with the amount of foreign exchanges settled, the FIE must first go through domestic re-investment registration and open a corresponding account for foreign exchange settlement pending payment with the foreign exchange administration or the bank at the place where it is registered.

 

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The Circular on Reforming and Regulating Policies on the Control over Foreign Exchange Settlement of Capital Accounts, which was promulgated and became effective on June 9, 2016, provides that enterprises registered in China may also convert their foreign debts from foreign currency into Renminbi on a self-discretionary basis. This circular also provides an integrated standard for conversion of foreign exchange under capital account items (including, but not limited to, foreign currency capital and foreign debts) on a self-discretionary basis, which applies to all enterprises registered in China.

 

On January 26, 2017, SAFE promulgated the Circular on Further Improving Reform of Foreign Exchange Administration and Optimizing Genuineness and Compliance Verification, which stipulates several capital control measures with respect to the outbound remittance of profit from domestic entities to offshore entities, including: (i) banks should check board resolutions regarding profit distribution, the original version of tax filing records, and audited financial statements pursuant to the principle of genuine transactions; and (ii) domestic entities should hold income to account for previous years’ losses before remitting the profits. Moreover, pursuant to this circular, domestic entities should make detailed explanations of the sources of capital and utilization arrangements, and provide board resolutions, contracts, and other proof when completing the registration procedures in connection with an outbound investment.

 

On October 25, 2019, SAFE promulgated the Notice for Further Advancing the Facilitation of Cross-border Trade and Investment, which, among other things, allows all FIEs to use Renminbi converted from foreign currency-denominated capital for equity investments in China, as long as the equity investment is genuine, does not violate applicable laws, and complies with the negative list on foreign investment. However, since this circular is newly promulgated, it is unclear how SAFE and competent banks will carry it out in practice.

 

Pursuant to the Circular of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange on Optimizing Foreign Exchange Administration to Support the Development of Foreign-related Business promulgated and effective on April 10, 2020 by SAFE, the reform of facilitating the payments of incomes under the capital accounts will be promoted nationwide. Under the prerequisite of ensuring true and compliant use of funds and compliance and complying with the prevailing administrative provisions on use of income from capital projects, enterprises which satisfy the criteria are allowed to use income under the capital account, such as capital funds, foreign debt, and overseas listing, for domestic payment, without the need to provide proof materials for veracity to the bank beforehand for each transaction.

 

According to the Administrative Rules on the Company Registration, which were promulgated by the State Council on June 24, 1994, became effective on July 1, 1994, and were amended on February 6, 2016, and other laws and regulations governing FIEs and company registrations, the establishment of an FIE and any capital increase and other major changes in an FIE should be registered with the SAMR or its local counterparts and filed via the enterprise registration system.

 

Pursuant to SAFE Circular 13 and other laws and regulations relating to foreign exchange, when setting up a new FIE, the enterprise should register with the bank located at its registered place after obtaining the business license, and if there is any change in capital or other changes relating to the basic information of the FIE, including, without limitation, any increase in its registered capital or total investment, the FIE must register such changes with the bank located at its registered place after obtaining approval from or completing the filing with relevant authorities. Pursuant to the relevant foreign exchange laws and regulations, such foreign exchange registration with the banks will typically take less than four weeks upon the acceptance of the registration application.

 

Based on the foregoing, if we intend to provide funding to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries through capital injection at or after their establishment, we must register the establishment of and any follow-on capital increase in our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries with the SAMR or its local counterparts, file such via the enterprise registration system, and register such with the local banks for the foreign exchange related matters.

 

Loans by the Foreign Companies to Their PRC Subsidiaries

 

A loan made by foreign investors as shareholders in an FIE is considered foreign debt in China and is regulated by various laws and regulations, including the PRC Regulation on Foreign Exchange Administration, the Interim Provisions on the Management of Foreign Debts, the Statistical Monitoring of Foreign Debt Tentative Provisions, the Detailed Rules for the Implementation of Provisional Regulations on Statistics and Supervision of Foreign Debt, and the Administrative Measures for Registration of Foreign Debt. Under these rules and regulations, a shareholder loan in the form of foreign debt made to a PRC entity does not require the prior approval of SAFE. However, such foreign debt must be registered with and recorded by SAFE or its local branches within fifteen business days after the entering of the foreign debt contract. Pursuant to these rules and regulations, the balance of the foreign debts of an FIE cannot exceed the difference between the total investment and the registered capital of the FIE.

 

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On January 12, 2017, the PBOC promulgated the Notice of the People’s Bank of China on Matters concerning the Macro-Prudential Management of Full-Covered Cross-Border Financing, or PBOC Notice No. 9. Pursuant to PBOC Notice No. 9, within a transition period of one year from January 12, 2017, FIEs may adopt the currently valid foreign debt management mechanism, or the mechanism as provided in PBOC Notice No. 9 at their own discretions. PBOC Notice No. 9 provides that enterprises may conduct independent cross-border financing in Renminbi or foreign currencies as required. Pursuant to PBOC Notice No. 9, the outstanding cross-border financing of an enterprise (the outstanding balance drawn, here and below) will be calculated using a risk-weighted approach and cannot exceed certain specified upper limits. PBOC Notice No. 9 further provides that the upper limit of risk-weighted outstanding cross-border financing for enterprises is 200% of its net assets, or the Net Asset Limits. Enterprises must file with SAFE in its capital item information system after entering into the relevant cross-border financing contracts and prior to three business days before drawing any money from the foreign debts.

 

Based on the foregoing, if we provide funding to our wholly foreign-owned subsidiaries through shareholder loans, the balance of such loans cannot exceed the difference between the total investment and the registered capital of the subsidiaries and we will need to register such loans with SAFE or its local branches in the event that the currently valid foreign debt management mechanism applies, or the balance of such loans will be subject to the risk-weighted approach and the Net Asset Limits and we will need to file the loans with SAFE in its information system in the event that the mechanism as provided in PBOC Notice No. 9 applies. Pursuant to PBOC Notice No. 9, after a transition period of one year from January 11, 2017, the PBOC and SAFE would determine the cross-border financing administration mechanism for the FIEs after evaluating the overall implementation of PBOC Notice No. 9. As of the date hereof, neither the PBOC nor SAFE has promulgated and made public any further rules, regulations, notices, or circulars in this regard. It is uncertain which mechanism will be adopted by the PBOC and SAFE in the future and what statutory limits will be imposed on us when providing loans to our PRC subsidiaries.

 

Offshore Investment

 

Under the Circular of SAFE on Issues Concerning the Foreign Exchange Administration over the Overseas Investment and Financing and Round-Trip Investment by Domestic Residents via Special Purpose Vehicles, or SAFE Circular 37, effective on July 4, 2014, PRC residents are required to register with the local SAFE branch prior to the establishment or control of an offshore special purpose vehicle, which is defined as an offshore enterprise directly established or indirectly controlled by PRC residents for investment and financing purposes, with the enterprise assets or interests PRC residents hold in China or overseas. The term “control” means to obtain the operation rights, right to proceeds, or decision-making power of a special purpose vehicle through acquisition, trust, holding shares on behalf of others, voting rights, repurchase, convertible bonds, or other means. An amendment to registration or subsequent filing with the local SAFE branch by such PRC residents is also required if there is any change in the basic information of the offshore company or any material change with respect to the capital of the offshore company. At the same time, SAFE has issued the Operation Guidance for the Issues Concerning Foreign Exchange Administration over Round-Trip Investment regarding the procedures for SAFE registration under SAFE Circular 37, which became effective on July 4, 2014 as an attachment of SAFE Circular 37.

 

Under the relevant rules, failure to comply with the registration procedures set forth in the SAFE Circular 37 may result in bans on the foreign exchange activities of the relevant onshore company, including the payment of dividends and other distributions to its offshore parent or affiliates, and may also subject relevant PRC residents to penalties under PRC foreign exchange administration regulations.

 

As of the date of this annual report, our founder, Mr. Xiang Li, and 11 other PRC residents known to us that currently hold direct or indirect ownership interests in our company have completed the initial registrations with SAFE as required by SAFE regulations. Mr. Xiang Li and four other co-founders or directors are planning to update the registrations with respect to the capital of their respective offshore holding vehicles. We cannot assure you that all of our shareholders or beneficial owners that are PRC residents, including the beneficiaries of certain trusts directly or indirectly holding interests in our company, have complied with, and will in the future make, obtain, or update any applicable registrations or approvals required by, SAFE regulations. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—PRC regulations relating to offshore investment activities by PRC residents may limit our PRC subsidiaries’ ability to increase their registered capital or distribute profits to us or otherwise expose us or our PRC resident beneficial owners to liability and penalties under PRC law.”

 

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Regulations on Dividend Distribution

 

The principal laws and regulations regulating the distribution of dividends by FIEs in China include the PRC Company Law, as amended in 2004, 2005, 2013, and 2018, and the 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules. Under the current regulatory regime in China, FIEs in China may pay dividends only out of their retained earnings, if any, determined in accordance with PRC accounting standards and regulations. A PRC company is required to set aside as statutory reserve funds at least 10% of its after-tax profit, until the cumulative amount of such reserve funds reaches 50% of its registered capital unless laws regarding foreign investment provide otherwise. A PRC company cannot distribute any profits until any losses from prior fiscal years have been offset. Profits retained from prior fiscal years may be distributed together with distributable profits from the current fiscal year.

 

Regulations on Taxation

 

Enterprise Income Tax

 

On March 16, 2007, the National People’s Congress promulgated the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, which was amended on February 24, 2017 and December 29, 2018. On December 6, 2007, the State Council enacted the Regulations for the Implementation of the Enterprise Income Tax Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008 and amended on April 23, 2019. Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law and the relevant implementation regulations, both resident enterprises and non-resident enterprises are subject to tax in China. Resident enterprises are defined as enterprises that are established in China in accordance with PRC laws, or that are established in accordance with the laws of foreign countries but are actually or in effect controlled from within China. Non-resident enterprises are defined as enterprises that are organized under the laws of foreign countries and whose actual management is conducted outside China, but have established institutions or premises in China, or have no such established institutions or premises but have income generated from inside China. Under the Enterprise Income Tax Law and relevant implementing regulations, a uniform corporate income tax rate of 25% is applied. However, if non-resident enterprises have not formed permanent establishments or premises in China, or if they have formed permanent establishment or premises in China but there is no actual relationship between the relevant income derived in China and the established institutions or premises set up by them, enterprise income tax is set at the rate of 10% with respect to their income sourced from inside the PRC.

 

Value-Added Tax

 

The PRC Provisional Regulations on Value-Added Tax were promulgated by the State Council on December 13, 1993, which became effective on January 1, 1994 and were subsequently amended from time to time. The Detailed Rules for the Implementation of the PRC Provisional Regulations on Value-Added Tax (2011 Revision) was promulgated by the Ministry of Finance on December 25, 1993 and subsequently amended on December 15, 2008 and October 28, 2011. On November 19, 2017, the State Council promulgated the Decisions on Abolishing the PRC Provisional Regulations on Business Tax and Amending the PRC Provisional Regulations on Value-Added Tax. Pursuant to these regulations, rules and decisions, all enterprises and individuals engaged in sale of goods, provision of processing, repair, and replacement services, sales of services, intangible assets, real property, and the importation of goods within the PRC territory are VAT taxpayers. On March 21, 2019, the Ministry of Finance, the SAT, and the General Administration of Customs jointly issued the Announcement on Relevant Policies on Deepen the Reform of Value-Added Tax. Pursuant to this announcement, the generally applicable VAT rates are simplified as 13%, 9%, 6%, and 0%, which became effective on April 1, 2019, and the VAT rate applicable to the small-scale taxpayers is 3%.

 

Dividend Withholding Tax

 

The Enterprise Income Tax Law provides that since January 1, 2008, an income tax rate of 10% will normally be applicable to dividends declared to non-PRC resident investors that do not have an establishment or place of business in China, or that have such establishment or place of business but the relevant income is not effectively connected with the establishment or place of business, to the extent such dividends are derived from sources within China.

 

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Pursuant to the Arrangement Between the Mainland of China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital, and other applicable PRC laws, if a Hong Kong resident enterprise is determined by the competent PRC tax authority to have met the relevant conditions and requirements under this arrangement and other applicable laws, the 10% withholding tax on the dividends the Hong Kong resident enterprise receives from a PRC resident enterprise may be reduced to 5%. However, based on the Circular on Certain Issues with Respect to the Enforcement of Dividend

 

Provisions in Tax Treaties issued on February 20, 2009, if the relevant PRC tax authorities determine, in their discretions, that a company benefits from such reduced income tax rate due to a structure or arrangement that is primarily tax-driven, such PRC tax authorities may adjust the preferential tax treatment. Pursuant to the Circular on Several Questions regarding the “Beneficial Owner” in Tax Treaties, which was issued on February 3, 2018 by the SAT and became effective on April 1, 2018, when determining the applicant’s status as the “beneficial owner” regarding tax treatments in connection with dividends, interests, or royalties in the tax treaties, several factors, including, without limitation, whether the applicant is obligated to pay more than 50% of his or her income in twelve months to residents in third country or region, whether the business operated by the applicant constitutes the actual business activities, and whether the counterparty country or region to the tax treaties does not levy any tax or grant any tax exemption on relevant incomes or levy tax at an extremely low rate, will be taken into account, and such factors will be analyzed according to the actual circumstances of the specific cases. This circular further provides that an applicant who intends to prove his or her status as the “beneficial owner” must submit the relevant documents to the relevant tax bureau pursuant to the Announcement on Issuing the Measures for the Administration of Non-Resident Taxpayers’ Enjoyment of the Treatment under Tax Agreements.

 

Tax on Indirect Transfer

 

On February 3, 2015, the SAT issued the Circular on Issues of Enterprise Income Tax on Indirect Transfers of Assets by Non-PRC Resident Enterprises, or SAT Circular 7. Pursuant to SAT Circular 7, an “indirect transfer” of assets, including equity interests in a PRC resident enterprise, by non-PRC resident enterprises, may be recharacterized and treated as a direct transfer of PRC taxable assets, if such arrangement does not have a reasonable commercial purpose and was established for the purpose of avoiding payment of PRC enterprise income tax. As a result, gains derived from such indirect transfer may be subject to PRC enterprise income tax. When determining whether there is a “reasonable commercial purpose” in the transaction arrangement, features to be taken into consideration include, inter alia, whether the main value of the equity interest of the relevant offshore enterprise derives directly or indirectly from PRC taxable assets; whether the assets of the relevant offshore enterprise mainly consists of direct or indirect investment in China or if its income is mainly derived from China; and whether the offshore enterprise and its subsidiaries directly or indirectly holding PRC taxable assets have a real commercial nature which is evidenced by their actual function and risk exposure. Pursuant to SAT Circular 7, where the payer fails to withhold any or sufficient tax, the transferor shall declare and pay such tax to the tax authority by itself within the statutory time limit. Late payment of applicable tax will subject the transferor to default interest. SAT Circular 7 does not apply to transactions of sale of shares by investors through a public stock exchange where such shares were acquired on a public stock exchange. On October 17, 2017, the SAT issued the Circular on Issues of Tax Withholding Regarding Non-PRC Resident Enterprise Income Tax, or SAT Circular 37, which was amended by the Announcement of the State Administration of Taxation on Revising Certain Taxation Normative Documents issued on June 15, 2018 by the SAT. SAT Circular 37 further elaborates the relevant implemental rules regarding the calculation, reporting, and payment obligations of the withholding tax by the non-resident enterprises. Nonetheless, there remain uncertainties as to the interpretation and application of SAT Circular 7. SAT Circular 7 may be determined by the tax authorities to be applicable to our offshore transactions or sale of our shares or those of our offshore subsidiaries where non-resident enterprises, being the transferors, were involved.

 

Regulations on Employment and Social Welfare

 

Labor Contract Law

 

The PRC Labor Contract Law, which became effective on January 1, 2008 and amended on December 28, 2012, primarily aims at regulating rights and obligations of employer and employee relationships, including the establishment, performance, and termination of labor contracts. Pursuant to the Labor Contract Law, labor contracts must be executed in writing if labor relationships are to be or have been established between employers and employees. Employers are prohibited from forcing employees to work above certain time limits and employers must pay employees for overtime work in accordance with national regulations. In addition, employee wages must not be lower than local standards on minimum wages and must be paid to employees in a timely manner.

 

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Social Insurance

 

As required under the Regulation of Insurance for Labor Injury implemented on January 1, 2004 and amended in 2010, the Provisional Measures for Maternity Insurance of Employees of Corporations implemented on January 1, 1995, the Decisions on the Establishment of a Unified Program for Old-Aged Pension Insurance of the State Council issued on July 16, 1997, the Decisions on the Establishment of the Medical Insurance Program for Urban Workers of the State Council promulgated on December 14, 1998, the Unemployment Insurance Measures promulgated on January 22, 1999, and the PRC Social Insurance Law implemented on July 1, 2011 and amended on December 29, 2018, employers are required to provide their employees in China with welfare benefits covering pension insurance, unemployment insurance, maternity insurance, work-related injury insurance, and medical insurance. These payments are made to local administrative authorities. Any employer that fails to make social insurance contributions may be ordered to rectify the non-compliance and pay the required contributions within a prescribed time limit and be subject to a late fee. If the employer still fails to rectify the failure to make the relevant contributions within the prescribed time, it may be subject to a fine ranging from one to three times the amount overdue. On July 20, 2018, the General Office of the State Council issued the Plan for Reforming the State and Local Tax Collection and Administration Systems, which stipulated that the SAT will become solely responsible for collecting social insurance premiums.

 

Housing Fund

 

In accordance with the Regulations on the Administration of Housing Funds, which was promulgated by the State Council in 1999 and amended in 2002 and 2019, employers must register at the designated administrative centers and open bank accounts for depositing employees’ housing funds. Employers and employees are also required to pay and deposit housing funds, with an amount no less than 5% of the monthly average salary of the employee in the preceding year in full and on time.

 

Employee Stock Incentive Plan

 

Pursuant to the Notice of Issues Related to the Foreign Exchange Administration for Domestic Individuals Participating in Stock Incentive Plan of Overseas Listed Companies, which was issued by SAFE on February 15, 2012, employees, directors, supervisors, and other senior management who participate in any stock incentive plan of a publicly-listed overseas company and who are PRC citizens or non-PRC citizens residing in China for a continuous period of no less than one year, subject to a few exceptions, are required to register with SAFE through a qualified domestic agent, which may be a PRC subsidiary of such overseas listed company, and complete certain other procedures.

 

In addition, the SAT has issued certain circulars concerning employee stock options and restricted shares. Under these circulars, employees working in China who exercise stock options or are granted restricted shares will be subject to PRC individual income tax. The PRC subsidiaries of an overseas listed company are required to file documents related to employee stock options and restricted shares with relevant tax authorities and to withhold individual income taxes of employees who exercise their stock options or purchase restricted shares. If the employees fail to pay or the PRC subsidiaries fail to withhold income tax in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, the PRC subsidiaries may be subject to sanctions imposed by the tax authorities or other PRC governmental authorities.

 

M&A Rules and Overseas Listing

 

On August 8, 2006, six PRC governmental and regulatory agencies, including the Ministry of Commerce and the CSRC, promulgated the M&A Rules governing the mergers and acquisitions of domestic enterprises by foreign investors, which became effective on September 8, 2006 and was revised on June 22, 2009. The M&A Rules, among other things, require that if an overseas company established or controlled by PRC companies or PRC citizens intends to acquire equity interests or assets of any other PRC domestic company affiliated with the PRC citizens, such acquisition must be submitted to the Ministry of Commerce for approval. The M&A Rules also require that an offshore special purpose vehicle, or a special purpose vehicle formed for overseas listing purposes and controlled directly or indirectly by PRC companies or individuals, shall obtain the approval of the CSRC prior to overseas listing and trading of such special purpose vehicle’s securities on an overseas stock exchange. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—China’s M&A Rules and certain other PRC regulations establish complex procedures for certain acquisitions of PRC companies by foreign investors, which could make it more difficult for us to pursue growth through acquisitions in China.”

 

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C.            Organizational Structure

 

Corporate Structure

 

The following diagram illustrates our corporate structure, including our principal subsidiaries as of the date of this annual report.

 

 

Note:

 

(1)       Includes direct ownership of 33.3% equity interest and indirect ownership of 66.7% equity interest through an intermediate holding company.

 

Contractual Arrangements with Our VIEs and Their Shareholders

 

Current PRC laws and regulations impose certain restrictions or prohibitions on foreign ownership of companies that engage in value-added telecommunication services and certain other businesses. Li Auto Inc. is an exempted company with limited liability incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Wheels Technology is our PRC subsidiary and an FIE under the PRC laws. To comply with PRC laws and regulations, we primarily conduct our business in China through Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information, our VIEs in China, based on a series of contractual arrangements by and among Wheels Technology, our VIEs, and their respective shareholders.

 

Our contractual arrangements with our VIEs and their respective shareholders allow us to (i) exercise effective control over our VIEs, (ii) receive substantially all of the economic benefits of our VIEs, and (iii) have an exclusive option to purchase all or part of the equity interests in our VIEs when and to the extent permitted by the PRC laws.

 

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As a result of our direct ownership in Wheels Technology and the contractual arrangements with our VIEs, we are regarded as the primary beneficiary of our VIEs, and we treat our VIEs and their subsidiaries as our consolidated entities under U.S. GAAP. We have consolidated the financial results of our VIEs and their subsidiaries in our consolidated financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

 

The following is a summary of the currently effective contractual arrangements by and among Wheels Technology, our VIEs, and their respective shareholders.

 

Agreements that provide us with effective control over our VIEs

 

Powers of Attorney and Business Operation Agreement.  Pursuant to the respective power of attorney entered into in January 2021, each shareholder of Beijing CHJ irrevocably authorized Wheels Technology to act as his attorney in-fact to exercise all of his or her rights as a shareholder of Beijing CHJ, including the right to convene shareholder meetings, the right to vote and sign any resolution as a shareholder, the right to appoint directors, supervisors, and officers, and the right to sell, transfer, pledge, and dispose of all or a portion of the equity interest held by such shareholder. These powers of attorney will remain in force for 10 years. Upon request by Wheels Technology, each shareholder of Beijing CHJ shall extend the term of its authorization prior to its expiration.

 

Pursuant to the business operation agreement entered into in April 2019 by and among Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information, Xindian Information will not take any action that may have a material adverse effect on its assets, businesses, human resources, rights, obligations, or business operations without prior written consent of Wheels Technology. Xindian Information and its shareholders further agreed to accept and strictly follow Wheels Technology’s instructions relating to Xindian Information’s daily operations, financial management, and election of directors appointed by Wheels Technology. The shareholders of Xindian Information agree to transfer any dividends or any other income or interests they receive as the shareholders of Xindian Information immediately and unconditionally to Wheels Technology. Unless Wheels Technology terminates this agreement in advance, this agreement will remain effective for 10 years and can be renewed upon request by Wheels Technology prior to its expiration. Xindian Information and its shareholders have no right to terminate this agreement unilaterally. Pursuant to the business operation agreement, each shareholder of Xindian Information has executed a power of attorney in April 2019 to irrevocably authorized Wheels Technology to act as his or her attorney- in-fact to exercise all of his or her rights as a shareholder of Xindian Information. The terms of these powers of attorney are substantially similar to the powers of attorney executed by the shareholders of Beijing CHJ described above.

 

Spousal Consent Letters.  Spouses of three shareholders of Beijing CHJ, who collectively hold 100% of equity interests in Beijing CHJ, have each signed a spousal consent letter. Each signing spouse of the relevant shareholder acknowledges that the equity interests in Beijing CHJ held by the relevant shareholder of Beijing CHJ are the personal assets of that shareholder and not jointly owned by the married couple. Each signing spouse also has unconditionally and irrevocably disclaimed his or her rights to the relevant equity interests and any associated economic rights or interests to which he or she may be entitled pursuant to applicable laws, and has undertaken not to make any assertion of rights to such equity interests and the underlying assets. Each signing spouse has agreed and undertaken that he or she will not carry out in any circumstances any conducts that are contradictory to the contractual arrangements and the spousal consent letter.

 

Spouses of nine shareholders of Xindian Information, who collectively hold 98.1% equity interests in Xindian Information, have each signed a spousal consent letter, which includes terms substantially similar to the spousal consent letter relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

 

Equity Pledge Agreements.  Pursuant to the equity pledge agreement entered into in January 2021 by and between Wheels Technology and the shareholders of Beijing CHJ, the shareholders of Beijing CHJ have agreed to pledge 100% of equity interests in Beijing CHJ to Wheels Technology to guarantee the performance by the shareholders of their obligations under the equity option agreement and the power of attorney, as well as the performance by Beijing CHJ of its obligations under the equity option agreement, the power of attorney, and payment of service fees to Wheels Technology under the exclusive consultation and service agreement. In the event of a breach by Beijing CHJ or any shareholder of contractual obligations under the equity pledge agreement, Wheels Technology, as pledgee, will have the right to dispose of the pledged equity interests in Beijing CHJ and will have priority in receiving the proceeds from such disposal. The shareholders of Beijing CHJ also have undertaken that, without prior written consent of Wheels Technology, they will not dispose of, create, or allow any encumbrance on the pledged equity interests.

 

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In April 2019, Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information entered into an equity pledge agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the equity pledge agreement relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

 

We have completed the registration of the equity pledge relating to Beijing CHJ and Xindian Information with the competent office of the SAMR in accordance with the PRC Property Law.

 

Agreements that allow us to receive economic benefits from our VIEs

 

Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreements.  Pursuant to the exclusive consultation service agreement entered into in January 2021 by and between Wheels Technology, and Beijing CHJ, Wheels Technology has the exclusive right to provide Beijing CHJ with software technology development, technology consulting, and technical services required by Beijing CHJ’s business. Without Wheels Technology’ prior written consent, Beijing CHJ cannot accept any same or similar services subject to this agreement from any third party. Beijing CHJ agrees to pay Wheels Technology an annual service fee at an amount that is equal to 100% of its quarterly net income or an amount that is adjusted in accordance with Wheels Technology’ sole discretion for the relevant quarter and also the mutually-agreed amount for certain other technical services, both of which should be paid within 10 days after Wheels Technology sends invoice within 30 days after the end of the relevant calendar quarter. Wheels Technology has exclusive ownership of all the intellectual property rights created as a result of the performance of the exclusive consultation and service agreement, to the extent permitted by applicable PRC laws. To guarantee Beijing CHJ’s performance of its obligations thereunder, the shareholders have agreed to pledge their equity interests in Beijing CHJ to Wheels Technology pursuant to the equity pledge agreement. The Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement will remain effective for 10 years, unless otherwise terminated by Wheels Technology. Upon request by Wheels Technology, the term of this agreement can be renewed prior to its expiration.

 

In April 2019, Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information entered into an exclusive consultation and service agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the Exclusive Consultation and Service Agreement relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

 

Agreements that provide us with the option to purchase the equity interests in and assets of our VIEs

 

Equity Option Agreements.  Pursuant to the equity option agreement in January 2021 by and between Wheels Technology, Beijing CHJ, and each of the shareholders of Beijing CHJ, the shareholders of Beijing CHJ have irrevocably granted Wheels Technology an exclusive option to purchase all or part of their equity interests in Beijing CHJ, and Beijing CHJ has irrevocably granted Wheels Technology an exclusive option to purchase all or part of its assets. Wheels Technology or its designated person may exercise such options to purchase equity interests at the lower of the amount of their respective paid-in capital in Beijing CHJ and the lowest price permitted under applicable PRC laws. Wheels Technology or its designated person may exercise the options to purchase assets at the lowest price permitted under applicable PRC laws. The shareholders of Beijing CHJ have undertaken that, without Wheels Technology’s prior written consent, they will not, among other things, (i) transfer or otherwise dispose of their equity interests in Beijing CHJ, (ii) create any pledge or encumbrance on their equity interests in Beijing CHJ, (iii) change Beijing CHJ’s registered capital, (iv) merge Beijing CHJ with any other entity, (v) dispose of Beijing CHJ’s material assets (except in the ordinary course of business), or (vi) amend Beijing CHJ’s articles of association. The equity option agreement will remain effective for 10 years and can be renewed upon request by Wheels Technology.

 

In April 2019, Wheels Technology, Xindian Information, and each of the shareholders of Xindian Information entered into an equity option agreement, which includes terms substantially similar to the equity option agreement relating to Beijing CHJ described above.

 

In the opinion of Han Kun Law Offices, our PRC legal counsel:

 

·                  the ownership structures of our VIEs in China and Wheels Technology are not in violation of any explicit provisions of PRC laws and regulations currently in effect; and

 

·                  each of the agreements listed above among our company, Wheels Technology, our VIEs, and their respective shareholders governed by PRC law is valid, binding, and enforceable in accordance with their terms and applicable laws and regulations currently in effect.

 

However, our PRC legal counsel has also advised us that there are substantial uncertainties regarding the interpretation and application of current and future PRC laws, regulations, and rules. Accordingly, the PRC regulatory authorities may take a view that is contrary to the opinion of our PRC legal counsel. It is uncertain whether any new PRC laws or regulations relating to the VIE structures will be adopted or if adopted, what they would provide. If we or our VIEs are found to be in violation of any existing or future PRC laws or regulations, or fail to obtain or maintain any of the required permits or approvals, the relevant PRC regulatory authorities would have broad discretion to take action in dealing with such violations or failures. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Corporate Structure—If the PRC government deems that our contractual arrangements with our VIEs do not comply with PRC regulatory restrictions on foreign investment in the relevant industries, or if these regulations or the interpretation of existing regulations change in the future, we could be subject to severe penalties or be forced to relinquish our interests in those operations.” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—Substantial uncertainties exist with respect to the interpretation and implementation of newly enacted 2019 PRC Foreign Investment Law and its Implementation Rules and how they may impact the viability of our current corporate structure, corporate governance, and operations.”

 

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D.            Property, Plants and Equipment

 

We are headquartered in Beijing, China. Currently, we own land use rights with respect to one parcel of land in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, China of approximately 185,000 square meters and the ownership with respect to the plants thereon for the term ending on September 11, 2068 and January 23, 2069, respectively.

 

We have also leased a number of our facilities. The following table sets forth the location, approximate size, primary use and lease term of our major leased facilities as of December 31, 2020:

 

Location		Approximate Size (Building) in Square Meters		Primary Use		Lease Term
Beijing		59,954		Headquarters, office, research and development		15 years
Beijing		4,332		Office		2 years to 5 years
Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Wuhan, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Haikou, Jinan, Xi’an, Guiyang, Ha’erbin, Hefei, Nanchang, Nanning, Ningbo, Qingdao, Xiamen, Shenyang, Shijiazhuang, Suzhou, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Changsha, Zhengzhou, Dalian, Dongguan, Foshan, Fuzhou, Huhehaote, Huizhou, Kunming, Lanzhou, Linyi, Nanjing, Nantong, Quanzhou, Taizhou, Taiyuan, Tangshan, Weifang, Wulumuqi, Wuxi, Xining, Yantai, Yinchuan, Yiwu, Zhongshan, and Zibo		98,413.84		Retail stores, Delivery centers and Servicing centers		6 months to 8 years
Changzhou, Chongqing, and Beijing		202,573.26		Vehicle manufacturing, engineering, and design services		3 years and 2 months to 15 years

 

ITEM 4A.       UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

 

Not applicable.

 

ITEM 5.          OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS

 

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 20-F. This discussion may contain forward-looking statements based upon current expectations that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors” or in other parts of this annual report.

 

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A.            Operating Results

 

We are an innovator in China’s new energy vehicle market. We design, develop, manufacture, and sell premium smart electric SUVs. Through our product, technology, and business model innovation, we provide families with safe, convenient, and refined products and services. We are a pioneer to successfully commercialize EREVs in China. Our first model, Li ONE, is a six-seat, large premium electric SUV equipped with a range extension system and cutting-edge smart vehicle solutions. We started the volume production of Li ONE in November 2019 and delivered over 33,500 Li ONEs as of December 31, 2020.

 

Major Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations

 

Our business and results of operations are affected by a number of general factors that impact the China automotive industry, including, among others, overall economic growth in China, any increase in per capita disposable income, growth in consumer spending and consumption upgrade, raw material costs, and the competitive environment. They are also affected by a number of factors affecting the China NEV industry, including laws, regulations, and government policies, battery and other new energy technology development, charging infrastructure development, and increasing awareness of the environmental impacts of tailpipe emissions. Unfavorable changes in any of these general factors could adversely affect demand for our vehicles and materially and adversely affect our results of operations.

 

While our business is influenced by these general factors, our results of operations are more directly affected by the following company-specific factors.

 

Our ability to attract orders and achieve delivery targets

 

Our results of operations depend significantly on our ability to attract orders from users and achieve our vehicle delivery targets, both of which impact our sales volume. Appropriate vehicle pricing is essential for us to remain competitive in the China automotive market while preserving our ability to achieve and maintain profitability in the future. When our premium SUVs compete with comparable premium models of other automakers, an attractive price can help boost orders, which in turn may contribute to our sales volume and revenue growth. In addition, it is critical for us to successfully manage production ramp-up and quality control so as to deliver vehicles to users in adequate volume and high quality. The COVID-19 pandemic caused a delay in our production ramp-up in the first quarter of 2021, which required us to spend more time and resources, including overtime work arrangements, than originally planned to meet the delivery targets. The temporary closure of our retail stores or delivery and servicing centers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the reduced visitor traffic after reopening also had an impact on the timely achievement of our delivery targets. As a new manufacturer of EREVs, we may have challenges in our quality control processes. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Our ability to develop, manufacture, and deliver automobiles of high quality and appeal to users, on schedule, and on a large scale is unproven and still evolving.” and “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—We may be compelled to undertake product recalls or other actions, which could adversely affect our brand image, financial condition, results of operations, and growth prospects.”

 

Our ability to control production and material costs

 

Our cost of sales primarily consists of direct production and material costs. Our future profitability significantly depends on our ability to manufacture our vehicles in an efficient manner. As part of the manufacturing process, we purchase a wide variety of components, raw materials, and other supplies. Due to our adoption of EREV technology, we are able to significantly reduce the battery and body material costs of Li ONE and thus reduce our BOM cost to be comparable to ICE vehicles of a similar class. We expect that our cost of sales will be affected primarily by our production volume. Our cost of sales will also be affected, to a lesser extent, by fluctuations in certain raw material prices, although we typically seek to manage these costs and minimize their volatility through our arrangements with the suppliers. As our business further grows in scale and we establish ourselves as a major player in the China NEV industry, we expect to have higher bargaining power and hence more favorable terms from suppliers, including pricing and payment terms.

 

Our ability to execute effective marketing

 

Our ability to execute effective marketing will affect the growth of our orders. Demand for our vehicles directly affects our sales volume, which in turn contributes to our revenue growth and our ability to achieve and maintain profitability. Vehicle orders may depend, in part, on whether prospective users find it compelling to purchase our vehicles among competing vehicle models as their first, second, or replacement cars, which in turn depends on prospective users’ perception of our brand. We guide our marketing channel selection and marketing expenditure by precisely analyzing the effectiveness of marketing channels based on our needs at various stages of sales and brand awareness. Effective marketing can help amplify our efforts in boosting vehicle sales with efficient costs.

 

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Our ability to maintain and improve operating efficiency

 

Our results of operations are further affected by our ability to maintain and improve our operating efficiency, as measured by our total operating expenses as a percentage of our revenues. This is important to the success of our business and our prospect of gradually achieving profitability. As our business grows, we expect to further improve our operating efficiency and achieve economies of scale.

 

Impact of COVID-19 on Our Operations and Financial Performance

 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the related nationwide precautionary and control measures that were adopted in China starting in January 2020, we postponed the production in our Changzhou manufacturing facility after the Chinese New Year holiday in February 2020, and also experienced short-term delays in our suppliers’ delivery of certain raw materials needed for production. As a result of varying levels of travel and other restrictions for public health concerns in various regions of China, we also temporarily postponed the delivery of Li ONE to our users. Following this temporary closure in February 2020, we reopened our retail stores and delivery and servicing centers and have resumed vehicle delivery to our users. The delay in our production ramp-up and vehicle delivery adversely affected our results of operations for the first quarter of 2020.

 

Currently, our manufacturing facility has gradually increased its production capacity in accordance with anticipated vehicle delivery based on user orders, and we have not experienced significant constraints on our supply chain or significant increases in our supply costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the uncertainties in the global market and economic conditions attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic, we will continue to evaluate the nature and extent of the impact of COVID-19 to our financial condition and liquidity. See also “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Our Business and Industry—Pandemics and epidemics, natural disasters, terrorist activities, political unrest, and other outbreaks could disrupt our production, delivery, and operations, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.”

 

Key Components of Results of Operations

 

Revenues

 

Our revenues consist of vehicle sales and other sales and services revenues. We began recognizing vehicle sales revenues in December 2019, when we began making deliveries of Li ONEs. We also recognize revenues from peripheral products and services, including embedded products and services of vehicle sales such as charging stalls, vehicle internet connection services, FOTA upgrades, and extended lifetime warranties for initial owners, and standalone services such as our Li Plus Membership.

 

Cost of Sales

 

Our cost of sales consists of direct production and material costs, labor costs, manufacturing overhead (including depreciation of assets associated with the production), shipping and logistics costs, and reserves for estimated warranty costs.

 

Operating Expenses

 

Our operating expenses consist of research and development expenses and selling, general and administrative expenses.

 

Research and Development Expenses

 

Our research and development expenses consist of (i) employee compensation for our research and development staff, including salaries, bonuses, and other benefits, (ii) design and development expenses, primarily including consultation fees and validation and testing fees, (iii) depreciation and amortization expenses of equipment and software for our research and development activities and (iv) rental and other expenses. Research and development costs are expensed as incurred.

 

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Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

 

Our selling, general and administrative expenses consist of (i) employee compensation for employees other than research and development staff, including salaries, bonuses, and other benefits, (ii) marketing and promotional expenses, (iii) rental and related expenses primarily for our offices, retail stores and delivery and servicing centers, (iv) depreciation and amortization expenses primarily relating to leasehold improvements, factory buildings, facilities and equipment before the start of production and (v) office supplies and other expenses.

 

Interest Expense

 

Interest expense represents accrued interest with respect to our indebtedness, including convertible debt, financing lease for our manufacturing facility, secured note payable, and borrowings.

 

Investment Income, Net

 

Investment income primarily consists of gain from short-term investments and fair value change of long-term investments.

 

Foreign Exchange (Loss)/Gain, Net

 

Foreign exchange (loss)/gain, net, represent loss or gain resulting from the fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

 

Share of Loss of Equity Method Investees

 

Share of loss of equity method investees primarily consists of our share of loss of a joint venture investee.

 

Change in Fair Falue of Warrants and Derivative Liabilities

 

Change in fair value of warrants and derivative liabilities consists of fair value change of the warrants issued during our Series B-3 financing and Series C financing and the conversion feature bifurcated from our preferred shares.

 

Seasonality

 

The sales volume of passenger vehicles typically declines over January and February, particularly around the Chinese New Year, gradually climbs over the spring and summer months, and typically culminates in the last three months of the calendar year. Our limited operating history makes it difficult for us to judge the exact nature or extent of the seasonality of our business. Also, any unusually severe weather conditions in some markets may impact demand for our vehicles.

 

Taxation

 

Cayman Islands

 

The Cayman Islands currently levies no taxes on individuals or corporations based upon profits, income, gains, or appreciation, and there is no taxation in the nature of inheritance tax or estate duty. There are no other taxes likely to be material to us levied by the government of the Cayman Islands except for stamp duties, which may be applicable on instruments executed in, or brought within the jurisdiction of, the Cayman Islands. In addition, the Cayman Islands does not impose withholding tax on dividend payments.

 

Hong Kong

 

Our subsidiary incorporated in Hong Kong, Leading Ideal HK Limited, is subject to 16.5% Hong Kong profit tax on its taxable income generated from operations in Hong Kong. Under the Hong Kong tax laws, our subsidiary in Hong Kong is exempted from the Hong Kong income tax on our foreign-derived income. In addition, payments of dividends from our subsidiary in Hong Kong to us are not subject to any Hong Kong withholding tax.

 

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China

 

Beijing CHJ is qualified as a high and new technology enterprise under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law and is eligible for a preferential enterprise income tax rate of 15%, while other PRC companies are subject to enterprise income tax at a uniform rate of 25%. The enterprise income tax is calculated based on an entity’s global income as determined under PRC tax laws and accounting standards.

 

Our vehicles sales are subject to value-added tax at a rate of 13%, less the value-added tax we have already paid or borne. We are also subject to surcharges on value-added tax payments in accordance with PRC laws.

 

Dividends paid by our PRC subsidiaries in China to our Hong Kong subsidiary will be subject to a withholding tax rate of 10%, unless the Hong Kong subsidiary satisfies all the requirements under the Arrangement Between China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and Capital and receives approval from the relevant tax authority, in which case dividends paid to the Hong Kong subsidiary will be subject to withholding tax at the standard rate of 5%. Effective from November 1, 2015, the aforementioned approval requirement had been abolished, but a Hong Kong entity is still required to file application package with the relevant tax authority, and to settle overdue taxes if the preferential 5% tax rate is denied based on the subsequent review of the application package by the relevant tax authority.

 

If our holding company in the Cayman Islands or any of our subsidiaries outside of China were deemed to be a “resident enterprise” under the PRC Enterprise Income Tax Law, it would be subject to enterprise income tax on its worldwide income at a rate of 25%. See “Item 3. Key Information—D. Risk Factors—Risks Relating to Doing Business in China—If we are classified as a PRC resident enterprise for PRC income tax purposes, such classification could result in unfavorable tax consequences to us and our non-PRC shareholders or ADS holders.”

 

For more information on tax regulations, see “Item 10. Additional Information—E. Taxation.”

 

Significant Accounting Policies

 

An accounting policy is considered critical if it requires an accounting estimate to be made based on assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain at the time such estimate is made, and if different accounting estimates that reasonably could have been used, or changes in the accounting estimates that are reasonably likely to occur periodically, could materially impact the consolidated financial statements.

 

We prepare our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP, which requires us to make judgments, estimates and assumptions. We continually evaluate these estimates and assumptions based on the most recently available information, our own historical experience and various other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Since the use of estimates is an integral component of the financial reporting process, actual results could differ from our expectations as a result of changes in our estimates. Some of our accounting policies require a higher degree of judgment than others in their application and require us to make significant accounting estimates.

 

The following descriptions of critical accounting policies, judgments and estimates should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and other disclosures included in this annual report. When reviewing our financial statements, you should consider (i) our selection of critical accounting policies, (ii) the judgments and other uncertainties affecting the application of such policies, and (iii) the sensitivity of reported results to changes in conditions and assumptions.

 

Revenue Recognition

 

We recognize revenues from vehicle sales and peripheral products and services. We adopted ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Users, on January 1, 2018 by applying the full retrospective method.

 

Revenue is recognized when or as the control of the goods or services is transferred to a user. Depending on the terms of the contract and the laws that apply to the contract, control of the goods and services may be transferred over time or at a point in time.

 

Contracts with users may include multiple performance obligations. For such arrangements, we allocate revenue to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. We generally determine standalone selling prices based on the prices charged to users. If the standalone selling price is not directly observable, it is estimated using expected cost plus a margin, depending on the availability of observable information. Assumptions and estimations have been made in estimating the relative selling price of each distinct performance obligation, and changes in judgments on these assumptions and estimates may impact the revenue recognition.

 

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Vehicle sales

 

We recognize revenues from sales of vehicles and other embedded products and services. There are multiple distinct performance obligations explicitly stated in the sales contracts including sales of Li ONE, charging stalls, vehicle internet connection services, FOTA upgrades, and extended lifetime warranties for initial owners, subject to certain conditions, which are accounted for in accordance with ASC 606. The standard warranty we provide is accounted for in accordance with ASC 460, Guarantees, and the estimated costs are recorded as a liability when we transfer the control of Li ONE to a user.

 

Users only pay the amount after deducting the government subsidies to which they are entitled for the purchase of NEVs, which are applied on their behalf and collected by us from the government according to the applicable government policy. We have concluded that government subsidies should be considered as a part of the transaction price we charge the users for the NEVs, as subsidies are granted to NEV purchasers and such purchasers remain liable for such amount if the subsidies are not received by us due to the purchasers’ fault.

 

The overall contract price is allocated to each distinct performance obligation based on the relative estimated standalone selling price in accordance with ASC 606. The revenues for sales of vehicles and charging stalls are recognized at a point in time when the control of the products are transferred to users. For vehicle internet connection services and FOTA upgrades, revenues are recognized using a straight-line method over the service period. For the extended lifetime warranties for initial owners, given the limited operating history and lack of historical data, the revenues are recognized over time based on a straight-line method over the extended warranty period initially, and we will continue to monitor the cost pattern periodically and adjust the revenue recognition pattern to reflect the actual cost pattern as it becomes available.

 

As the purchase price for vehicles and all embedded products and services must be paid in advance, which means the payments are received prior to the transfer of products or services by us, we record a contract liability (deferred revenue) for the allocated amount regarding those unperformed obligations.

 

Sales of Li Plus Membership

 

We also sell the Li Plus Membership to users and the total Li Plus Membership fee is allocated to each performance obligation based on the relative estimated standalone selling price. The revenue for each performance obligation is recognized either over the service period or at a point in time when the relevant product or service is delivered or when the membership is expired, whichever is earlier.

 

Customer loyalty points

 

Beginning in January 2020, we offer customer loyalty points, which can be redeemed for merchandise or services in our online store. We determine the value of each customer loyalty point based on the cost of our merchandise or services that can be obtained through redemption of the customer loyalty points.

 

We conclude that the customer loyalty points offered to customers in connection with the purchase of Li ONE is a material right and is considered to be a separate performance obligation according to ASC 606, and should be taken into consideration when allocating the transaction price of the sales of vehicle. The amount allocated to the customer loyalty points as separate performance obligation is recorded as contract liability (deferred revenue) and revenue should be recognized when the customer loyalty points are used or expired.

 

Customers or users of our mobile application can also obtain customer loyalty points through other ways, such as referring new customers to purchase the vehicles via the mobile application. As we offer these customer loyalty points to encourage user engagement and generate market awareness, we account for such points as selling and marketing expenses with a corresponding liability recorded under accruals and other current liabilities upon the points offering.

 

Practical expedients and exemptions

 

We elect to expense the costs to obtain a contract as incurred given the majority of the contract considerations for vehicle sales are allocated to the sales of Li ONE and recognized as revenues upon transfer of control of the vehicles, which is within one year after entering the sales contracts.

 

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Product Warranties

 

We provide product warranties on all new vehicles based on the contracts with our users at the time of sale of vehicles. We accrue a warranty reserve for the vehicles sold, which includes the best estimates of projected costs to repair or replace vehicles under warranties. These estimates are primarily based on the estimates of the nature, frequency, and average costs of future claims. These estimates are inherently uncertain given our relatively short history of sales, and changes to the historical or projected warranty experience may cause material changes to the warranty reserve in the future. The portion of the warranty reserve expected to be incurred within the next 12 months is included within the accrued and other current liabilities while the remaining balance is included within other non-current liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets. Warranty cost is recorded as a component of cost of sales in the consolidated statements of comprehensive loss. We reevaluate the adequacy of the warranty accrual on a regular basis.

 

We recognize the benefit from a recovery of the costs associated with the warranty when specifics of the recovery have been agreed with our suppliers and the amount of the recovery is virtually certain.

 

Consolidation of VIEs

 

Subsidiaries are those entities in which we, directly or indirectly, control more than half of the voting power, have the power to appoint or remove the majority of the members of the board of directors, or to cast a majority of votes at the meeting of the board of directors, or have the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the investee under a statute or agreement among the shareholders or equity holders.

 

A VIE is an entity in which we, or any of our subsidiaries, through contractual arrangements, have the power to direct the activities that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance, bear the risks of and enjoys the rewards normally associated with ownership of the entity, and therefore we or our subsidiary is the primary beneficiary of the entity.

 

All significant intercompany balances and transactions within the group have been eliminated upon consolidation.

 

Share-based Compensation

 

We grant share options to eligible employees, directors and consultants and accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation.

 

Employees’ share-based compensation awards granted with service conditions and the occurrence of an initial public offering as performance condition, are measured at the grant date fair value. Cumulative share-based compensation expenses for the options that have satisfied the service condition are be recorded upon the completion of our initial public offering using the graded-vesting method.

 

The binomial option-pricing model is used to measure the value of share options. The determination of the fair value is affected by the fair value of the ordinary shares as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables, including the expected share price volatility, risk-free interest rates and expected dividends. The fair value of these awards was determined taking into account these factors.

 

The assumptions used in share-based compensation expense recognition represent management’s best estimates, but these estimates involve inherent uncertainties and application of management judgment. If factors change or different assumptions are used, the share-based compensation expenses could be materially different for any period. Moreover, the estimates of fair value of the awards are not intended to predict actual future events or the value that ultimately will be realized by grantees who receive share-based awards, and subsequent events are not indicative of the reasonableness of the original estimates of fair value made by Li Auto Inc. for accounting purposes.

 

In July 2019, our board of directors and members approved the 2019 Plan to secure and retain the services of valuable employees, directors, and consultants and provide incentives for such persons to exert their best efforts for the success of our business. The maximum aggregate number of Class A ordinary shares which may be issued under the 2019 Plan is 141,083,452 as of December 31, 2020.

 

We began to grant share options to employees from 2015. In conjunction with our reorganization in July 2019, we transferred share options from Beijing CHJ to Li Auto Inc. The share options under the 2019 Plan have a contractual term of ten years from the grant date. The options granted have both service and performance condition. The options are generally scheduled to be vested over five years, one-fifth of the awards shall be vested upon the end of the calendar year in which the awards were granted. Meanwhile, the options granted are only exercisable upon the occurrence of our initial public offering.

 

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In July 2020, our board of directors and members adopted the 2020 Plan, which allows us to grant options to our employees, directors, and consultants. The maximum number of Class A ordinary shares that may be issued pursuant to all awards under the 2020 Plan is initially 30,000,000 shares, subject to automatic annual increase.

 

As of December 31, 2018 and 2019, we had not recognized any share-based compensation expenses for options granted, because we consider that it is not probable that the performance conditions will be satisfied until the event occurs. We recorded share-based compensation expenses of RMB142.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, including cumulative share-based compensation expenses recognized upon the completion of our initial public offering.

 

Fair Value of Options

 

For share options for the purchase of ordinary shares granted to employees, directors and consultants classified as equity awards, the related share-based compensation expenses would be measured based on the fair value of the awards on the grant date, which is calculated using the binomial option pricing model. The determination of the fair value is affected by the share price as well as assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables, including the expected share price volatility, actual and projected employee share option exercise behavior, risk-free interest rates and expected dividends. The fair value of the ordinary shares is assessed using the income approach/discounted cash flow method, with a discount for lack of marketability, given that the shares underlying the awards were not publicly traded at the time of grant.

 

The fair value of the options granted is estimated on the dates of grant using the binomial option pricing model with the following assumptions used.

 

		For the Year Ended December 31,
		2018		2019		2020
Exercise price (US$)		0.10		0.10		0.10
Fair value of the ordinary shares on the date of option grant (US$)		0.77 - 0.89		0.90 - 1.45		1.35 - 1.90
Risk-free interest rate		3.69% - 3.92%		1.98% - 3.17%		0.69% - 1.92%
Expected term (in years)		10.00		10.00		10.00
Expected dividend yield		0%		0%		0%
Expected volatility		50% - 51%		47% - 48%		45% - 46%

 

Risk-free interest rate is estimated based on the yield curve of US Sovereign Bond as of the option valuation date. The expected volatility at the grant date and each option valuation date is estimated based on annualized standard deviation of daily stock price return of comparable companies with a time horizon close to the expected expiry of the term of the options. We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on its capital stock, and we do not anticipate any dividend payments in the foreseeable future. Expected term is the contract life of the options.

 

Fair Value of Ordinary Shares

 

The following table sets forth the fair value of our ordinary shares estimated at the grant dates of share options.

 

Valuation Date		Fair Value per Share (US$)		DLOM		Discount Rate
January 1, 2018		0.77		20	%	30.0	%
July 1, 2018		0.89		20	%	28.0	%
January 1, 2019		0.90		15	%	28.0	%
July 1, 2019		1.27		10	%	27.0	%
December 31, 2019		1.45		10	%	26.5	%
March 31, 2020		1.35		10	%	27.0	%
July 1, 2020		1.90		5	%	26.0	%

 

In determining the grant date fair value of our ordinary shares for purposes of recording share-based compensation in connection with employee stock options, we evaluated the use of income approach to estimate the enterprise value of our company and income approach (discounted cash flow, or DCF method) was relied on for value determination. The determination of the fair value of our ordinary shares requires complex and subjective judgments to be made regarding our projected financial and operating results, our unique business risks, the liquidity of our shares and our operating history and prospects at the time of valuation.

 

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