The Li L6, which is smaller than the Li L7, will be powered by LFP batteries and will be Li Auto's first model to carry lower-cost batteries.
(Photo of Li L6 from a regulatory filing.)
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) is filing for a new model, the Li L6, as well as revisions to three existing models as they get closer to release.
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) today released its latest catalog of models that will be allowed to be sold for public comment, and a number of Li Auto's models are included.
The public can submit feedback between January 16 and January 22. Entry into the catalog is the last major regulatory process before a model can be allowed to be sold in China.
The Li L6 is still an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV), like the Li L7, Li L8 and Li L9 that Li Auto currently sells.
(Photo of Li L6 from a regulatory filing.)
It's worth noting that all three of Li Auto's current models are built at the company's Changzhou plant in Jiangsu province, but the Li L6 will be built at both the Changzhou plant and at the company's new plant in Beijing.
Beijing-based Li Auto filed in July 2023 that it will produce the three current models at its Beijing plant. In addition to the Li L6, the filing pages for the refreshed Li L7, Li L8, and Li L9 show that their production addresses also include the Changzhou and Beijing plants.
The Li L6 has a length, width and height of 4,925 mm, 1,960 mm and 1,735 mm, respectively, and a wheelbase of 2,920 mm, according to its filing page.
(Photo of Li L6 from a regulatory filing.)
For comparison, the Li L7 is 5,050 mm long, 1,995 mm wide, 1,750 mm high and has a wheelbase of 3,005 mm. The dimensions of the refreshed Li L7 remain unchanged in Li Auto's latest filing.
The Li L6 has an engine with a displacement of 1,496 ml as a range-extender with 113 kW. The engine is manufactured by Li Auto Xinchen, a joint venture between Li Auto and Xinchen China Power.
The Li L6 will be powered by lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries from suppliers including Sunwoda and CATL, and will be Li Auto's first model to feature LFP batteries. Its other models have been powered by lithium ternary batteries.
(Photo of Li L6 from a regulatory filing.)
LFP batteries typically cost less than lithium batteries, which are expected to help the Li L6 offer lower prices.
The Li L6 will be the first Li Auto model to be priced under RMB 300,000 ($41,800) and will go on sale in April, the company's senior vice president, Zou Liangjun, said in a January 12 interview with local media.
The Li L6 aims to challenge monthly sales of 30,000 units, Zou said, adding that Li Auto will launch three BEV models based on the high-voltage platform in the second half of the year.
In addition to the Li L6, Li Auto has also filed for the new Li L7, Li L8 and Li L9.
They don't have any major changes in core specifications, although the Li L7 has a slightly tweaked rear setup with the license plate moved up, similar to the Li L9.
(Photo of Li L7 from a regulatory filing.)
Li Auto said on January 11 that it will update the configurations of the L-series models, and that the 2024 models will be released and deliveries will begin in March.
Zou said in the interview that Li Auto's mainstay models are Li L7, Li L8, and Li L9, which will soon see 2024 model year updates to remain competitive.
"We will work hard to ensure that these three models do not decline in market share. They sold 376,000 units in 2023, and the Li L7, Li L8, and Li L9 should sell at least 400,000 units in 2024," Zou said.
(Photo of Li L7 from a regulatory filing.)
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