Source: Li Auto

Li Auto officially released two images of its first pure electric SUV, the Li i8, showing the front and rear design alongside the Li L9 (on the left) and the Li MEGA (on the right).

CEO Li Xiang explained the naming strategy of the i series on Weibo, noting that "L" stands for "Leading" in the range-extended SUV series, while "i" stands for "intelligence" in the pure electric SUV series.

The "i" series will be positioned alongside the range-extended "L" series and the flagship MPV "MEGA" series, forming a three-product matrix for Li Auto.

The Li i8's exterior design is similar to the MEGA, featuring the family-style bar light below the windshield. Unlike the MEGA, the Li i8 has yellow marker lights on both sides of the bar light.

Source: Li Auto

Additionally, the Li i8's LiDAR components are significantly smaller. The long-term LiDAR supplier, Hesai Technology, introduced a compact 120° ultra-high-definition long-range LiDAR product, "ATX," in 2024. Some BYD models also feature this product.

While official images of the Li i8's side profile are not available, it is speculated to have a streamlined body similar to the MEGA.

Source: Li Auto

Meanwhile, the rear design of the Li i8 leans more towards a traditional SUV rear like the Li L8 with a narrower upper and wider bottom compartments.

Perhaps Li Auto has learned from the design controversies surrounding the MEGA and opted for a more conventional design language.

In fact, the fully electric MEGA MPV model fell short from the company’s expectations, having only sold 11,605 units since debut as of January 2025.

The MEGA initially planned to sell 8,000 units per month, or a total of 80,000 MEGA in 2024. The company later reduced that target to between 50,000 to 60,000 units.

The MEGA received 3,000 orders in the first 24 hours of launch and 4,000 orders by mid-March with an initial production capacity of 5,000 units monthly.

The Li i8 is approximately five meters in length and is positioned as a six-seater pure electric large SUV.

The SUV will feature Li Auto's self-developed SiC power module supporting 5C fast charging, capable of replenishing 500 kilometers of range in 12 minutes (under CLTC conditions).

At the 2024 Beijing Auto Show, Li Xiang said that the Li i8, codenamed M8, can be viewed as a travel version of the Tesla Model X, designed to better address third-row seating space.

He noted that the new vehicle is not an MPV, and if the section after the C-pillar is removed, it is similar to the Model Y and Model X SUVs.

The Li i8's pricing has not yet been announced. For reference, the range-extended Li L8 is priced between 321,900 and 379,800 yuan. The Li i8 is expected to debut at the 2025 Shanghai Auto (April 23 to May 2). After its launch, the new car will be produced at Li Xiang's Beijing Shunyi factory.

Based on the product pipeline communicated in 2024, Li Auto planned to launch 5 extended-range models, 1 super flagship model (MEGA), and 5 pure electric models.

Considering that the current product line already features 4 EREVs (L6/7/8/9) and the battery electric vehicle (MEGA), Li Auto is expected to launch one more EREV model and 5 BEV models, including the i8.

As of February 23, 2025, the company has built 1,862 Li Auto Supercharging Stations (9,940 charging piles) nationwide, covering 31 provinces and 214 cities.

During the AI Talk event in 2024, Li Xiang shared that he aims to achieve L3-level intelligent driving in 2025 and enter L4-level within three years.

To achieve the L4 target, the company must meet three conditions: a fleet size of over 5 million vehicles, mastery of the VLA basic model, and sufficient capital to recruit top talent and acquire computing power.

As of the end of 2024, Li Auto's training computing power reached 8.1 EFLOPS.

As of January 31, 2025, Li Auto's cumulative vehicle delivery volume reached 1.164 million units.