Li Auto appears to be competing primarily with the internal combustion engine-powered SUVs of Mercedes-Benz and BMW, and is already clearly ahead in sales.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI), whose current models on sale, the Li L9 and Li L8, are both plug-in hybrids, appears to be competing primarily with the internal combustion engine-powered SUVs of Mercedes-Benz and BMW, and is already clearly ahead in sales.
The Li L9 had 10,608 insured registrations in China in December, the highest among large SUVs, Li Auto said in a January 10 article citing data from the China Automotive Technology and Research Center (CATARC).
This is the fourth consecutive month that the Li L9 has topped the list of large SUVs sold in China, ahead of the Mercedes-Benz GLS at 1,792 units and the BMW X7 at 747 units, according to the data.
Launched on June 21, 2022, the Li L9 extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) is a large, six-seat SUV with first deliveries on August 30. The model is available only in Max version with a starting price of RMB 459,800 ($67,900).
On September 30, 2022, Li Auto made the six-seat mid to large-size SUV Li L8 available, with first deliveries on November 10. Li L8 is available in Pro and Max variants, starting at RMB 359,800 and 399,800 respectively.
Li Auto delivered 21,233 vehicles in December, another single-month delivery record, with deliveries of the Li L9 and Li L8 both exceeding 10,000 units, the company said on January 1.
The Li L8, with 10,254 insurance registrations in December, ranked as the No. 1 in the Chinese market in terms of mid to large-size SUV sales, data shared by Li Auto yesterday showed.
For comparison, the BMW X5 was at 8,457 units, the AITO M7 at 4,432 units, the Nio ES7 at 4,378 units, the Porsche Cayenne at 4,001 units and the Mercedes-Benz GLE at 2,713 units.
In addition to the Li L9 and Li L8, Li Auto also plans to launch a new SUV, the Li L7, next month to solidify its position in the SUV market.
Li Auto will hold a launch event for the Li L7 on February 8, and show cars and cars for test drives will start arriving at Li Auto's retail centers on February 9, it announced on December 30.
The Li L7 is Li Auto's first five-seat model, and it's worth the anticipation and wait, the company previously said.
(Chart from Li Auto)
