delivered 26,524 units in the third quarter, above the recently lowered guidance of about 25,500 units.

Li Auto delivered 11,531 vehicles in September, bringing third quarter deliveries above the latest guidance as its flagship SUV, the Li L9, surpassed 10,000 units in its first full delivery month.

The company's deliveries in September were up 62.55 percent from 7,094 vehicles in the same month last year and 152 percent from 4,571 in August, figures released today show.

That includes 10,123 Li L9s and 1,408 Li ONEs. Li Auto officially launched the Li L9 on June 21, and its deliveries began on August 30.

Li Auto delivered 26,524 units in the third quarter, up 5.61 percent from 25,116 units in the same period last year and down 7.54 percent from 28,687 units in the second quarter.

The company on September 26 lowered its outlook for third-quarter deliveries to about 25,500 vehicles, down from 27,000 to 29,000 vehicles previously.

Li Auto's cumulative deliveries through September 30, 2022, stand at 211,015 vehicles.

"Our delivery of over 10,000 Li L9s in September marks the first time a domestic branded premium model priced above RMB 400,000 has achieved this monthly delivery milestone, establishing Li L9 as one of the top choices of full-size SUV for family users in China," said Shen Yanan, co-founder and president of Li Auto.

"Li L8 showroom models will start to arrive at Li Auto retail stores nationwide today, and we welcome everyone to visit our retail stores for a closer look. The delivery of Li L8 will commence in November," Shen added.

On September 30, Li Auto officially launched its new six-seat mid to large-size SUV, the Li L8, with prices starting at RMB 359,800 ($50,730) and deliveries to begin in late November.

In addition to the Li L8, Li Auto also briefly introduced the five-seat mid to large-size SUV Li L7 and open for reservations with prices starting at RMB 339,800. Deliveries of the model will begin at the end of February 2023.

As of September 30, 2022, Li Auto had 271 retail stores in 119 cities, as well as 316 servicing centers and Li Auto-authorized body and paint shops operating in 226 cities.

Li Auto officially launches Li L8, starts taking pre-orders for Li L7