On September 8, various industry insiders disclosed that Li Auto is on the verge of bringing in a third power battery supplier—CALB (China Aviation Lithium Battery)—with the initial intention of incorporating it into its pure electric vehicle lineup. As per reliable sources, the Ideal i6 is poised to be the inaugural model to integrate CALB batteries. The 2026 Ideal i6 has already made its appearance in the MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) announcement, listing Shandong Li Auto Battery Co., Ltd. as one of the battery assembly manufacturers, while the cell manufacturers are identified as Sunwoda and CALB, respectively. In comparison, the battery suppliers for the 2025 Ideal i6 are CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited) and Sunwoda. The Ideal i6 stands as Li Auto's top-selling model, with over 120,000 units delivered in the first half of this year, representing more than half of the company's total sales. CALB, the third-largest domestic power battery supplier in terms of shipment volume, specializes in ternary lithium battery technology. It has previously supplied batteries to XPENG Motors and Leapmotor, and has also penetrated the supply chains of HiMo Smart Travel and Xiaomi Auto. Having already established partnerships with CATL and Sunwoda as suppliers, Li Auto's decision to introduce CALB is driven by the objective of ensuring supply chain security and achieving cost reductions, aligning with common industry practices of diversifying suppliers to mitigate risks and enhance competitiveness.