appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Daniel Ren

Chinese carmaker Li Auto launched a pre-emptive strike against US rival Tesla by offering a new six-seat, fully electric SUV to affluent families on the mainland, as competition in the world’s largest automotive market continues to escalate.
Beijing-based Li Auto, one of the only three profitable electric vehicle (EV) makers in mainland China, on Tuesday unveiled the Li i8 – built with autonomous driving technology and a digital cockpit – that would be priced from 321,800 yuan (US$44,889) to 369,800 yuan, with its basic edition able to travel as far as 720km on a single charge.
The Li i8 also comes installed with custom refrigerators and plush sofa-like seats, which are expected to elevate passenger comfort and add another dimension to the features inside a luxury EV.
“Li Auto wants to make itself distinct from other carmakers,” founder and CEO Li Xiang told the online audience at the Li 18’s virtual launch. “We envision building a mobile home for our clients, creating a comfortable space for them when driving.”
Li Auto, founded in 2015, will start delivering the new vehicle to mainland customers from August 20.
The launch puts the Chinese carmaker ahead in this market segment against Tesla, which said earlier this month that its first Shanghai-made six-seat Model Y variant would be available this autumn to local clients.

“Both Tesla and its Chinese rivals have invested in new models or upgraded variants, as they try to attract more customers,” said Gao Shen, an independent analyst in Shanghai. “Six-seat SUVs have become a new battleground for Tesla and premium Chinese EV makers.”
Tesla has yet to unveil prices for its refreshed SUV model, known as the Model Y L, which has a driving range of more than 800km. With three rows of seats, this model would represent Tesla’s most substantial update to its Chinese-made EVs.
Prices for the existing five-seat Model Y start at 263,500 yuan.
Li Auto has been Tesla’s closest competitor in mainland China’s premium EV segment since 2023.
The company’s large SUVs, which offer extended-range technology, have been well received on the mainland, where thousands of wealthy clients were lured away from premium-car assemblers such as BMW and Audi.
These vehicles – known as extended-range EVs, a subcategory of plug-in hybrids – are equipped with a small internal-combustion engine that generates additional power to charge the electric battery when needed, in addition to being able to be charged via a power cable.

Such extended-range cars can typically travel as far as 1,000km on a single charge, while also costing about 10 per cent less than pure-electric alternatives.
The Li i8 will be Li Auto’s second pure electric model, following the launch of its Li Mega multipurpose vehicle in March 2022.
Both Tesla and Li Auto, however, face slowing sales on the mainland this year.
Li Auto reported 36,279 deliveries in June, down 24 per cent from a year ago. In the first half of 2025, it recorded a 7.9 per cent year-on-year increase in sales to 203,938 units. In 2024, the company posted sales growth of 33 per cent.
In June, Tesla’s Gigafactory in Shanghai delivered 61,484 vehicles to Chinese buyers, up 3.8 per cent year on year.
Before that, Tesla was stuck in a downward spiral in mainland China, which is also the world’s largest EV market, since late 2024. The US carmaker’s deliveries declined for eight consecutive months from October last year to May.


Tesla auditing Chinese suppliers ahead of Optimus roll-out: sources

US firm Waymo to launch robotaxi service in Singapore in 2028

Tesla revives China discounts; Iran war drives shift to electric cars: 7 EV reads

China’s five-year plan for the new-energy vehicle sector

Electric & new energy vehicles

Li Auto launches 6-seat electric SUV in pre-emptive strike against Tesla in China

Li Auto’s new Li i8 premium electric SUV. Photo: Handout

Li Auto’s new Li i8 electric SUV provides plush seats. Photo: Handout

The various iterations of Li Auto’s new Li i8 fully electric SUV. Photo: Handout

Tesla seeks a comeback in China with refreshed Model 3 and Model Y

People check Tesla Model Y cars in Beijing. Photo: AFP

Robotaxis: Pony.ai sets mass production target with eye on overseas expansion

Pony.ai’s self-driving taxi is seen in Beijing’s  Daxing district. Photo: EPA-EFE

Pony.ai co-founder Lou Tiancheng speaks at a conference in Singapore on July 9. Photo: Reuters

Chinese EV maker Zeekr plugs in to hybrids to tap into soaring sales, expand model range

The 9X SUV is Zeekr’s first plug-in hybrid SUV. Photo: Reuters

Leapmotor rolls out smart EV at half the price of Tesla’s Model 3 in push for global sales

A Leapmotor B01 electric midsize sedan on display during the launch ceremony in Hangzhou on Thursday. Photo: Daniel Ren

An aerial view of Tesla’s Megafactory in Shanghai, February 8, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

Xpeng launches G7 ‘Super AI’ SUV, taking on Xiaomi YU7 and Tesla Model Y

Xpeng’s G7 sits next to a model of the company’s slef-developed AI chip. Photo: Weibo

A Xiaomi YU7 on display in Beijing on July 1, 2025. Photo: AFP

Business

China Business

China EVs

Companies

Money

Tech

Tech Trends

Economy

China Economy

News

China Future Tech

The Beijing-based carmaker will start delivering the premium Li i8 electric vehicle to mainland customers from August 20


The Beijing-based carmaker will start delivering the premium Li i8 electric vehicle to mainland customers from August 20.


Li Auto launches 6-seat electric SUV in pre-emptive strike against Tesla in China

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The Beijing-based carmaker will start delivering the premium Li i8 electric vehicle to mainland customers from August 20

The Beijing-based carmaker will start delivering the premium Li i8 electric vehicle to mainland customers from August 20