Li Auto Inc.（理想汽车）plans to manufacture vehicles in Kazakhstan through an expanded partnership with local automotive group Allur, establishing the Chinese automaker’s first production base outside China.
The plan, disclosed on July 17, will bring production of the Li L6, Li L8 and Li L9 to Allur’s plant in Kostanay. Kazakhstan will become the first overseas market to manufacture Li Auto vehicles, while Allur will become the company’s first foreign partner authorized to undertake series production at its own facility.
Li Auto said it selected the plant after assessing its production lines, equipment, manufacturing processes, quality-control systems and engineering workforce. The project will require Allur to introduce additional capabilities in electronic-system configuration, equipment calibration and quality control for high-technology components.
The companies have not disclosed the investment amount, planned production capacity, start date or assembly format. It is therefore too early to characterize the operation as either completely knocked-down or semi-knocked-down assembly. No plans have been announced to export the Kazakhstan-produced vehicles to other members of the Eurasian Economic Union.
The manufacturing agreement builds on an existing commercial relationship. Li Auto formally entered Kazakhstan in August 2025 through a partnership with Allur, which subsequently opened authorized sales and service locations for the brand in Astana and Almaty. The Kostanay plan expands that cooperation from vehicle distribution to local production.
Allur describes itself as Kazakhstan’s leading automaker and already manufactures vehicles for brands including Kia, Chevrolet, JAC, Jetour and Škoda. Its existing industrial base allows Li Auto to establish an overseas manufacturing presence through a local partner rather than constructing a wholly owned plant from the ground up.
Li Auto has built its core business around premium extended-range electric SUVs, in which electric motors drive the vehicle while an internal-combustion engine generates electricity to extend its range. Although the company has begun developing sales and service networks in several overseas markets, its manufacturing operations have until now remained concentrated in China.
The Kazakhstan project therefore represents a significant change in Li Auto’s international strategy: it moves the company beyond exporting finished vehicles and dealership expansion toward localized production. However, its eventual scale and regional role will depend on details that have yet to be announced, including production volume, local content, component sourcing and whether vehicles made in Kostanay will serve markets beyond Kazakhstan.