Category: Li Auto

Li Auto files for Li L9 variant without LiDAR

The price of the Li L9 without LiDAR could be at least RMB 40,000 less than the Li L9 Max at RMB 459,800.

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

When (NASDAQ: LI) launched its flagship SUV, the Li L9, a year ago, it was only offered in the Max variant. Now, a lower-priced version may not be far off from release.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology announced on June 15 the latest batch of models that will soon be allowed to be sold, as well as details on configuration changes to some existing models, with a Li Auto model included in the latter.

The public can submit feedback between June 16 and June 25.

The model number for the Li Auto vehicle is LXA6520SHEVX4, which is the same as the model number in the previous filing for the Li L9.

In the model's latest filing, LiDAR becomes optional, while other information remains the same.

Li Auto's naming of its models is similar to Apple's naming of the iPhone, using Max, Pro, and Air to distinguish different versions of the same model.

On June 21, 2022, Li Auto launched the Li L9, the company's second model after the Li ONE SUV.

Li Auto founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang mentioned the model name Li L9 Max at the end of the launch event at the time when announcing the price, implying that the company could launch other variants based on it in the future, a report by CnEVPost at the time noted.

The other two Li Auto models currently on sale are the Li L8 and Li L7, both offered in Max, Pro and Air versions, with only the Max version equipped with a roof-mounted LiDAR supplied by Hesai Technology.

Both the Max version of the Li L8 and Li L7 cost RMB 40,000 ($5,620) more than the Pro version, while the Pro version is RMB 20,000 more expensive than both Air versions.

This means that the Li L9 without LiDAR, which may be launched in the future, will cost at least RMB 40,000 less than the Max version at RMB 459,800.

The current Max version of Li Auto vehicles use two Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chips as the cockpit chip, while its assisted driving system is based on two Nvidia Orin X chips, with a total computing power of 508 TOPS.

The Li L8 Pro's cockpit uses two Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chips and uses one Horizon Robotics Journey 5 chip in the assisted driving system.

The cockpits of the Li L8 Air, Li L7 Pro, and Li L7 Air all use one Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 chip for the cockpit and one Journey 5 chip for the assisted driving system.

Li Auto says confident it will outsell German luxury brands in China in 2024

 

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Li Auto says confident it will outsell German luxury brands in China in 2024

CEO looks down on local peers, arguing that their sales are so low that they don't deserve to be taken seriously.

Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI), the buzzy Chinese car-making startup, has set an ambitious goal -- to outsell German luxury brands in 2024.

"With the delivery of the all-electric model and next year's Li L6, we are confident that we will surpass BBA in our total sales in 2024," the company said on Weibo yesterday while sharing insurance registration figures for last week.

"BBA" in China refers to German luxury brands Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi, and Li Auto appears to be aiming to outsell one of those three brands in China next year, though it didn't specify.

For reference, BMW Brilliance, BMW's joint venture in China, had retail sales of 653,976 units in 2022, essentially unchanged from 651,236 units in 2021 and ranked 14th in the China Passenger Car Association's (CPCA) top 15 sales ranking.

and FAW-Volkswagen are the top two in the ranking, with 1,804,624 and 1,779,077 units sold in 2022, respectively. Mercedes-Benz and Audi did not make the list.

From January to May this year, BMW Brilliance's retail sales were 274,763 units, up 9.1 percent from 251,880 units in the same period last year, placing it at No. 9 in the CPCA's latest top 10 sales ranking. Mercedes-Benz and Audi are still not on the list.

Li Auto yesterday shared vehicle insurance registration figures showing it sold 8,400 vehicles in the week of June 5 to June 11, bringing the cumulative sales so far this month to 11,900.

As of June 11, Li Auto had sold more SUVs than any of the "BBA" brands in China this month with just three SUVs, it said.

All of Li Auto's models currently on sale are extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), essentially plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs), including the five-seat Li L7 and the six-seat Li L9 and Li L8.

The company is expected to launch its first all-electric model by the end of the year, which will be an MPV (multi-purpose vehicle, or van) powered by the latest Qilin Battery from Chinese power cell giant .

On September 22, 2022, in a warm-up for the Li L8's launch in a few days, Li Auto said it will also launch the Li L6, a midsize five-seat SUV priced within RMB 300,000 yuan ($41,850).

As it eats into the German luxury carmaker's market, Li Auto is continuing to learn from the strengths of these established luxury brands.

"In the offensive ground game, the role models are of course the BBA, which are the best sellers in the market priced at RMB 300,000 and up. we learned from them how to open 4S stores, how to choose locations, and reduce customer acquisition costs to 1/5 of stores located in malls," Li Auto founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang said on Weibo yesterday.

Li Auto also learned from these German luxury car companies how to operate in Shanghai, which does not offer free NEV license plates for EREVs, and boosted the company's sales in Shanghai to a peak in 2022 in one month's time, he said.

Before this year, Shanghai offered free license plates to consumers who bought NEVs, including battery electric vehicles (BEVs) as well as PHEVs.

Starting this year, only consumers who purchase BEVs will receive free license plates in Shanghai, while PHEVs, including EREVs, will not be eligible for the benefit.

In Li Auto's view, its only competitors are German luxury car companies, and local brands are not worth mentioning.

After the company shared its insurance figures for last week yesterday, it was accused by a Weibo user of the move as a continued attack on its local peers.

In response to the Weibo user, Li said that the sales of these local peers are so low that they are not worth mentioning, and that its core focus has always been on the market where BBA is located.

Li used the Chinese saying "three watermelons and two dates (仨瓜俩枣)" to describe the sales of its local counterparts, implying that they were too far behind Li Auto.

Li Auto's two main peers, (NYSE: NIO) and (NYSE: XPEV), both registered around 1,500 units of insurance last week, with 2,800 and 2,200 units from June 1 to June 11, respectively.

It is worth noting that both NIO and XPeng currently offer only BEVs, a fast-growing but currently small market in China.

In January-May, China's passenger vehicle retail sales were 7.63 million units, with NEVs contributing 2.42 million units, or 31.7 percent, according to the CPCA's figures.

BEVs sold 1.64 million units from January to May, contributing 21.5 percent of all passenger car sales.

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CPCA rankings: Top-selling automakers in China in May

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China NEV insurance registrations for week ending Jun 11: Tesla 16,400, Li Auto 8,400, NIO 1,500

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From June 1-11, sold 2,800 units and 26,000 units.

(NASDAQ: LI) continued to flex its muscles, showing strong sales last week while its two local peers, NIO (NYSE: NIO) and (NYSE: XPEV), remained weak.

For the week of June 5 to June 11, Li Auto sold a record 8,400 units, the company said today on Weibo.

That's far more than other new car-making brands and more than the second, third and fourth places on the list combined, it said, adding that Li Auto had sold 11,900 units this month as of June 11.

Li Auto continues to rank in the top five luxury brands sold in the Chinese market and is the highest-ranked Chinese brand on the list, it said.

The company has maintained its focus on premium family customers and has made a strong showing in the segment with its L series models, it said.

With the company's all-electric model and the delivery of the Li L6 next year, Li Auto is confident it will surpass one of the German luxury brands BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi in total sales in 2024, it said.

Li Auto did not explain on what basis that weekly sales were tallied, but apparently, they were insurance registrations. The company had suspended sharing those numbers in May, but has later resumed sharing them.

All of the models Li Auto is currently selling are extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), essentially plug-in hybrids, including the five-seat Li L7 and the six-seat Li L9 and Li L8.

The EREV maker guided a month ago for second-quarter deliveries of between 76,000 and 81,000 units, meaning June deliveries are expected to be between 22,042 and 27,042 units, considering it delivered 25,681 and 28,277 units in April and May, respectively.

Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) sold 16,400 units last week, putting the June 1-11 cumulative total at 26,000, according to Li Auto. In the previous week, May 29-June 4, Tesla's figure was 14,500 units.

NIO (NYSE: NIO) had 1,500 units last week and 2,800 units this month as of June 11. Its figure for the previous week was 1,700 units.

XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) was at 1,500 units last week and 2,200 units for the month as of June 11. XPeng's figure for the previous week was 2,100 units.

was at 1,500 units last week and 2,400 units this month as of June 11. Its figure for the previous week was 2,100 units.

Leapmotor was 3,000 units last week and 4,400 units this month as of June 11. Its figure for the previous week was 3,400 units.

was at 1,900 units last week and 2,800 units this month through June 11. Its figure for the previous week was 2,900 units.

Data table: China NEV weekly insurance registrations

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Li Auto to hold 1st ‘Family Tech Day’ on Jun 17

's poster hints that it may announce developments related to its assisted driving system NOA, and a battery that supports ultra-fast charging.  |  Li Auto US | Li Auto HK

(NYSE: NIO) and (NYSE: XPEV) both have their own signature annual events, NIO Day and 1024 Tech Day, respectively and now Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) is creating a similar one.

Li Auto will hold its first Family Tech Day event on Saturday, June 17, starting at 20:00, the extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) maker announced on its social media accounts yesterday.

The company's poster yesterday mentioned the words "5C" and "NOA," hinting that it may announce progress on a battery that supports ultra-fast charging, as well as its NOA (Navigation on ADAS) system.

"Li Auto's Family Tech Day launch ushers in the era of dual-energy," its poster reads.

Li Auto has been targeting family users, and the three SUV models currently on sale -- Li L7, Li L8 and Li L9 -- are designed to cater to such groups.

On April 18, Li Auto unveiled its all-electric solution on the first day of the Shanghai auto show, saying that the company has officially entered the dual-energy era, a phase in which the EREV and battery electric vehicle (BEV) product lines are developing in parallel.

The company's all-electric solution is based on an 800 V high-voltage platform that enables a BEV to get 400 kilometers of range on a 10-minute charge, it said at the time.

By 2025, Li Auto's product array will include a super flagship model, five EREVs, and five BEVs, it said.

Li Auto's first all-electric model will be the world's first to feature 's 4C Qilin Battery, it said at the launch in April. The model is expected to be an MPV to be released by the end of the year.

C refers to the battery's charging multiplier, and 4C means that the pack can theoretically be fully charged in a quarter of an hour.

It's worth noting that when Li Auto previewed its Family Tech Day on May 31, it poster showed text that included "4C".

In the poster released yesterday, that text was changed to "5C," perhaps implying that it will use a faster-charging CATL battery.

In terms of assisted driving software, Li Auto announced its latest generation of assisted driving system, AD Max 3.0, on April 18, and said the software will be free for life.

Li Auto's current assisted driving systems include AD Max and AD Pro. AD Max 2.0 is powered by NVIDIA's Orin X chip and Hesai's LiDAR, while AD Pro 2.0 is powered by Horizon Robotics' Journey 5 chip.

AD Max 3.0's all-scenario NOA will begin internal testing this quarter and will cover more than 100 cities by the end of the year, Li Auto previously said.

Li Auto delivers record 28,277 vehicles in May, surpassing RMB 10 billion in monthly revenue for 1st time

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Q1 earnings: How does NIO compare to XPeng and Li Auto?

and both saw net losses in the first quarter, while posted net income.

With the release of NIO's (NYSE: NIO) financial results, the trio of US-listed Chinese electric vehicles all reported first-quarter earnings.

With this article, we try to give readers a quick look at how the financials of NIO, XPeng (NYSE: XPEV), and Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) compare in a few charts.

It should be noted that NIO and XPeng currently offer only battery electric vehicles (BEVs), a fast-growing but small market in China that currently accounts for about 30 percent of all passenger car sales.

Li Auto's full range of vehicles are extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), essentially plug-in hybrids, targeting a much larger market.

In terms of quarterly deliveries, all three companies are essentially continuing to grow in 2020-2021.

In the first quarter of 2022 so far, NIO and XPeng have had a weak delivery performance, while Li Auto's has continued to grow, especially in the last two quarters.

In the first quarter of the year, Li Auto delivered 52,584 vehicles, while NIO and XPeng delivered 31,041 and 18,230, respectively.

Since all three companies derive their revenue primarily from car sales, the change in deliveries essentially corresponds to the change in revenue.

In the first quarter, Li Auto's revenue was RMB 18.8 billion, NIO was RMB 10.7 billion and XPeng was RMB 4.03 billion.

Their gross margins have been relatively stable over the past two years, with NIO and XPeng declining significantly over the past two quarters due to promotional activities.

Li Auto's gross margin has rebounded over the past two quarters after seeing a decline in the third quarter of last year.

NIO and XPeng has been continuing to face net losses while Li Auto has been profitable for multiple quarters.

In the first quarter, NIO had a net loss of RMB 4.74 billion, XPeng had a net loss of RMB 2.34 billion, and Li Auto achieved net income of RMB 934 million.

NIO Q1 earnings miss expectations, gross margin drops to 1.5%

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Li Auto Beijing plant expected to start production in Aug, report says

's Beijing plant is expected to see its first vehicle roll off the line by September, a local media report said in March.  |  Li Auto US | Li Auto HK

(Image credit: CnEVPost)

Li Auto's (NASDAQ: LI) Beijing plant, which is expected to be used first to produce its first all-electric model, doesn't appear to be far from the start of production.

Li Auto's plant in Beijing's Shunyi district is expected to be ready for production in August, and the company's first all-electric model, internally codenamed W01, will be built there, local media outlet Meiren Auto reported today.

The extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) maker is conducting mass hiring for the plant, though many candidates will need to start work in August after the plant's production lines are installed, according to the report.

The plant currently has more than 50 people on the shop floor, including more than 20 welders and 30 final assembly workers, the report said, citing a person already on board.

Li Auto, when asked about the plant, did not deny the report, saying the company is indeed actively preparing for the plant, according to the National Business Daily report.

The plant was originally Hyundai's first factory in China, but production had been halted since April 2019.

Li Auto began building its own facility based on the plant in October 2021, with a total area of 270,000 square meters for conversion and expansion and a total project investment of more than 6 billion yuan ($843 million), with production scheduled to begin in late 2023, according to a government announcement at the time.

Upon reaching production, the plant will achieve an annual capacity of 100,000 units of pure-play electric vehicles, the Shunyi district government said in the announcement at the time.

On March 15, an article posted on a WeChat account owned by local media outlet Beijing Daily said the Li Auto Beijing plant is expected to see its first vehicle roll off the line by September this year.

The Beijing plant is used to produce all-electric models with a design capacity of 100,000 units per year, Li Auto management said in a call with analysts following the company's first-quarter earnings announcement on May 10, adding that the company will optimize its production lines and production efforts in the future in response to more model launches and demand.

Li Auto's plant in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, has two production lines, one of which is used to produce the Li L9 and Li L8, with a capacity of 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles per month in double-shift production, its management said during the call.

The other line, which produces the Li L7 and Li L8, is currently a single-shift line with a capacity of 10,000 to 12,000 per month. Further capacity can be ramped up later, depending on the demand for deliveries, the company said.

Li Auto delivered 28,277 vehicles in May, up 145.97 percent year-on-year and up 10.11 percent from April, the third consecutive month to exceed the 20,000-unit mark.

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Li Auto delivers record 28,277 vehicles in May, surpassing RMB 10 billion in monthly revenue for 1st time

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Li Auto rumored to open larger stores in sales network expansion

is preparing to open so-called "central stores" in select Chinese cities, moving away from its current model of opening only experience stores in shopping malls, local media said.

(Image credit: Li Auto)

Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) is said to be opening larger stores that resemble traditional dealership stores as part of an effort to expand its sales network.

The extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) maker is preparing to open so-called "central stores" in some Chinese cities, moving away from its existing model of opening only experience stores in shopping malls, local auto media outlet Yiche said in a report today.

These larger stores, similar to traditional car dealership stores, would offer a more comprehensive range of services, the report said, citing unnamed industry sources.

Li Auto is seeking proposals from supporters for sites to build such stores in 26 priority cities, including four first-tier cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen -- and smaller cities including Nantong, Xinyang and Yangzhou, according to an image in the report.

Li Auto's requirements for venues are to be located in automotive markets, with luxury brands in around them preferred, and an area of 700-1500 square meters, according to the image.

For Li Auto, its original stores located in shopping malls seem to be inadequate as more models become available.

The company currently sells three models -- the five-seat Li L7, the six-seat Li L8 and the Li L9 -- all of them SUVs. It is expected to launch its first all-electric model, which will be an MPV, by the end of the year.

In terms of its retail store network, Li Auto was continuing to add new retail centers as it launches multiple models, the company's management said in a May 10 analyst call following its first-quarter earnings announcement.

Li Auto is also working quickly on store upgrades, replacing stores that used to be small with larger stores that support multiple models, the company said at the time.

Since the launch of Li L9 last June, Li Auto has optimized a total of nearly 50 existing stores and added more than 50 new stores through location changes and space expansions, the company previously said.

Li Auto opened 16 new retail stores and expanded two stores in May, according to information it announced on June 5.

As of May 31, 2023, Li Auto had 314 retail centers in China, covering 124 cities. It has 319 after-sales repair centers and authorized sheet metal spray centers, covering 222 cities.

Li Auto delivers record 28,277 vehicles in May, surpassing RMB 10 billion in monthly revenue for 1st time

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China NEV insurance registrations for week ending Jun 4: Tesla 14,500, Li Auto 6,600, NIO 1,700

launched the new ES6 on May 24, though the model is likely still in the process of climbing capacity and not contributing much to sales.

(NASDAQ: LI) kept sales strong last week, while its two local peers, NIO (NYSE: NIO) and (NYSE: XPEV), remained weak.

With 6,600 units sold in the week of May 29 to June 4, Li Auto continues to lead the pack among China's new car-making brands, the company said today on Weibo.

That's far more than other new car brands and more than the second and third places combined, Li Auto said.

Li Auto has delivered more than 20,000 units for three consecutive months, and this month the company will aim to reach its 30,000-unit monthly sales target, it added.

Li Auto didn't explain what the weekly sales are based on, but apparently, they are insurance registrations. The company had suspended sharing those numbers in May, but has now resumed sharing them.

All of Li Auto's models currently on sale are extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), essentially plug-in hybrids that are targeting a broader market, including the five-seat Li L7 and the six-seat Li L9 and Li L8.

NIO and XPeng, on the other hand, offer only purely electric models and face a growing but much smaller market space.

NIO sold 1,700 units last week, according to figures shared by Li Auto. This is slightly higher than the previous week's 1,600 units.

Last week included the last three days of May and the first four days of June. The insurance data represents the number of vehicles registered in China.

NIO launched the new ES6 on May 24, although the model is likely still in the process of climbing capacity and thus still not contributing much to sales.

The electric vehicle (EV) maker delivered 6,155 vehicles in May, down 7.55 percent from April and down 12.37 percent year-on-year, according to data released on June 1.

NIO will finish climbing capacity for the new ES6 in June to deliver vehicles as early as possible, Jim Wei, the company's senior vice president of user operations, said in announcing May delivery figures on the NIO App on June 1.

In a research note sent to investors yesterday, Morgan Stanley analyst Tim Hsiao's team said that NIO's overall new order intake hit a year-to-date high thanks to the launch of the new ES6.

(NASDAQ: TSLA) sold 14,500 units last week, up from 12,800 the week before, according to figures shared by Li Auto.

Tesla sold 77,695 China-made vehicles in May, including those exported, data released yesterday by the China Passenger Car Association (CPCA) showed.

This was up 2.44 percent from 75,842 vehicles in April and up 141.55 percent from 32,165 vehicles in the same month last year.

XPeng (NYSE: XPEV) sold 2,100 units last week, unchanged from the previous week.

The company delivered 7,506 vehicles in May, down 25.87 percent year-on-year, but up 6.03 percent from April.

XPeng will begin pre-sales of the G6, the new SUV designed to compete with Tesla's Model Y, on June 9.

sold 2,100 units last week, up from 1,900 units the week before.

The company delivered 8,678 vehicles in May, up 100.42 percent from 4,330 in the same month last year and up 7.12 percent from 8,101 in April.

This is the fourth consecutive increase in monthly deliveries for Zeekr, which will begin deliveries of its third model, the Zeekr X, later this month.

Leapmotor sales were 3,400 units last week, down from 3,600 the week before. was 2,900 units last week, up from 2,100 the week before.

https://cnevdata.com/2023/06/06/china-nev-weekly-insurance-registrations-0606/

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Li Auto delivers record 28,277 vehicles in May

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's revenue exceeded RMB 10 billion ($1.4 billion) in May, the first time it has achieved that level of monthly revenue.

Li Auto provided guidance for second-quarter deliveries of 76,000 to 81,000 units when it reported first-quarter earnings on May 10.

The May deliveries announced today mean that it is expected to deliver between 22,042 and 27,042 units in June.

Li Auto's revenue exceeded RMB 10 billion ($1.4 billion) in May, the first time it has achieved that level of monthly revenue, said Li Xiang, founder, chairman, and CEO of Li Auto, adding that it lays a solid foundation for the company to surpass its revenue target of RMB 100 billion in 2023.

From January to May, Li Auto delivered 106,542 vehicles, up 124.87 percent from 47,379 vehicles in the same period last year.

By the end of May, Li Auto's cumulative deliveries since its inception were 363,876 units.

Li said on May 24 on Weibo that he set a goal for his team to reach 20,000 monthly sales of the company's five-seat SUV, Li L7, in October.

"Vendor partners, please trust us to keep up with capacity! " Li wrote.

On May 30, he said on Weibo that Li Auto's order and delivery volume exceeded 1,000 units per day for three consecutive weeks.

Li Auto's next major task is to boost supply chain availability, as the supply target set at the beginning of the year was a bit low, he said at the time.

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