Li Auto Inc. is battling to win back its sales momentum with the rollout of its third purely electric vehicle (EV), the i6 — a model the company frames as a make-or-break offering amid growing pressure from cutthroat rivals and decelerating expansion.
The SUV was revealed on Sept. 26 with an aggressive promotional price of 239,800 yuan ($33,100), packaged with a number of optional extras. That pricing approach makes the i6 the firm’s lowest-margin offering, founder and CEO Li Xiang said in a livestream after the debut.
Li Auto Inc. is a Chinese electric-vehicle maker striving to restore sales momentum. Its newest pure-electric SUV, the i6, is a critical launch following difficulties with earlier EV offerings. Confronted with fierce competition and slowing expansion, Li Auto’s sales rose only 2.3% in Q2 2025, well below industry growth. Nevertheless, the company retains a substantial cash buffer and prospects in autonomous driving.
Xiaomi’s pure-electric SUV, the SU7, is a formidable competitor in the hotly contested pure-electric SUV segment. The SU7 is highlighted as a strong rival to Li Auto’s newly launched i6, underscoring the fierce competition in China’s EV industry.
Tesla competes in the pure-electric SUV market. Its Model Y leads this category, which Li Auto’s i6 seeks to penetrate. The i6 debut comes at an especially competitive time in China’s auto market.
- March 2024: Li Auto’s first pure EV, the MEGA multipurpose vehicle, had a troubled launch.
- First half of 2025: Industry-wide growth for new-energy vehicles hit 40.3%.
- Second quarter of 2025: Li Auto delivered 111,000 vehicles, a year-on-year rise of 2.3%.
- By end of second quarter 2025: Li Auto finished Q2 with a cash balance of 106.9 billion yuan.
- September 2025: Dozens of new car models entered the Chinese market, called the busiest month for new car launches in China’s history.
- Sept. 26, 2025: Li Auto unveiled its third pure EV, the i6 SUV, with a promotional price of 239,800 yuan.
- Sept. 26, 2025: Li Auto’s U.S.-listed shares fell 5.6% to close at $24.4 following the i6 launch.
Auto and lifestyle writer who loves simplifying complex topics into easy-to-understand insights.
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