Source: Li Auto

On September 26, 2025, Li Auto (NASDAQ:LI; HKG:2015) officially launched the i6, its new five-seat all-electric SUV, priced at 249,800 yuan (c. $35,000).

Deliveries began the following day, with showroom display models already available nationwide. The company also appointed actor and singer Jackson Yee (Yi Yangqianxi) as its first brand ambassador, marking a shift toward a younger market demographic.

At the launch event in Hong Kong, founder and CEO Li Xiang warned that strong demand could exceed production capacity this year. “If you are interested in the i6, you can buy with confidence,” he said. “But it is better to purchase early, because capacity this year will likely not meet demand.”

Despite substantial production preparation, he acknowledged the challenge of keeping pace with order volumes. Early indications support this view: within half a day of launch, the i6 received more than 20,000 confirmed large deposits.

Source: Li Auto

The i6 enters one of the most competitive segments of the Chinese EV market, priced between 240,000 and 300,000 yuan. This range is already contested by Tesla’s (NASDAQ:TSLA) Model Y, Xiaomi’s (HKG:1810) YU7, NIO’s (NYSE:NIO) ES6, XPeng’s (NYSE:XPEV) G6/G7, and Huawei-backed AITO M7.

Strategically, the i6 is pivotal. After setbacks with the earlier MEGA and i8 all-electric models, Li Auto urgently needed a volume-selling battery-electric vehicle to demonstrate competitiveness beyond its core extended-range hybrid (EREV) models.

The company has set a target of 9,000 to 10,000 monthly i6 deliveries, aiming for combined BEV sales (i6 and MEGA) of 18,000 to 20,000 per month by year-end.

In a post-launch livestream, Li Xiang described the i6 as “the lowest-margin model in Li Auto’s history,” underscoring the company’s willingness to trade profit for volume in this crowded price bracket.

Technically, the i6 is built on an 800V high-voltage platform and comes in a single configuration. It features an 87.3 kWh 5C lithium iron phosphate battery pack, enabling up to 720 km (c. 450 miles) CLTC range on a full charge.

At dedicated ultra-fast charging stations, the vehicle can replenish 500 km (c. 310 miles) of range in just 10 minutes. Li Auto operates more than 3,300 such charging stations nationwide, with an average spacing of 150 km on highways and coverage across major cities.

Source: Li Auto

The battery and thermal management system are designed to retain more than 70% of range even at –7°C, addressing a common winter limitation for EVs.

Inside, the i6 emphasizes versatility and comfort. Its dimensions are 4,950 mm × 1,935 mm × 1,655 mm, with a 3,000 mm wheelbase that delivers over 3.3 meters of longitudinal cabin space.

Seats can fold fully flat to create a two-row bed, marketed as “single-bed mode,” while privacy blinds and noise-cancelling systems transform the cabin into a quiet, enclosed personal space.

Standard features include Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated and heated seating, ten-point front-row massage, and a “queen’s seat” configuration in the rear.

The i6 comes standard with the AD Max advanced driver assistance system, supported by ATL all-weather lidar and NVIDIA Thor-U processors. Its control is powered by Li Auto’s proprietary VLA driver large model, trained on real driving data to handle complex urban environments.

Complementing this is the MindGPT voice assistant, capable of contextual memory, multi-dialect communication, and A2A (“agent-to-agent”) integration, allowing tasks such as ordering food or paying parking fees via AI-to-AI interaction.

Pricing is set at 249,800 yuan (c. $35,000), slightly below the previously signaled 250,000–300,000 yuan range. Customers placing a confirmed order by October 31 receive a 10,000 yuan (c. $1,400) discount, reducing the effective price to 239,800 yuan (c. $33,600). Similar to the Li i8 SUV, the i6 is offered in a single trim specification.

The i6’s launch signals a strategic gamble: Li Auto is prepared to compress margins in exchange for securing a foothold in the crowded mid-to-high-end EV segment.

Strong early demand suggests the gamble may pay off, but execution will depend on whether production capacity, supply chains, and the company’s fast-charging network can keep pace.

The i6’s performance over the next 12 months will be a critical indicator of whether Li Auto can establish a sustainable second growth curve in the pure EV market.

Conversion rate: 1 USD = 7.14 CNY as of September 29, 2025