Chinese automaker Li Auto broke new records and became the first high-end electric vehicle (EV) brand in China to deliver more than 25,000 vehicles in a single month. This achievement allowed Li Auto to throw off rivals Xpeng Motors, NIO, and Tesla.
Li Auto stated on May 1, 2023 that the company delivered more than 25,000 cars in April, the highest in history, and more than five times more than in 2022.
According to the South China Morning Post, Li Auto remains on the sidelines of the recent price war between Tesla and local Chinese automakers. It is worth noting that the performance of Li Auto is stable. The company has delivered more than 20,000 vehicles in March 2023, and April marks the second consecutive month for Li Auto to deliver more than 20,000 vehicles - or perhaps more than 25,000 vehicles.
In contrast, Xpeng Motors will deliver 7,079 vehicles in April 2023, which is the same as in March 2023. NIO delivered 6,658 vehicles, down 36% from March 2023. The latest statistics show that Li Auto has become the closest competitor to Tesla in China's high-end EV market. Ideally, nearly 77,000 vehicles will be delivered in March 2023.
Li Auto said that the strong delivery volume is due to the company's L7 model. The five-seater flagship SUV was launched in February 2023 and accounted for nearly 40% of the delivery volume in April. Chairman and CEO Li Xiang said the company delivered more than 10,000 Li L7s in the first month of delivery.
This model has not only become the first choice of luxury five-seater SUV for Chinese families, but also the first time that the price of a five-seater SUV of a Chinese local brand has exceeded CNY300,000.
L7 offers Air, Pro and Max versions, priced at CNY319,800, CNY339,800 and CNY379,800 respectively. The model can travel 1,315 kilometers on a single charge and uses range-extending batteries made by Chinese company Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery and Honeycomb Energy. Li Auto uses this battery to expand its customer base and attract more buyers at the top of the pyramid.
At the Shanghai Auto Show in April 2023, Li Auto announced a product blueprint. It is expected to conduct a beta test of the Li AD Max 3.0 autonomous driving system in the second quarter of 2023, and hopes to launch it in 100 cities in China by the end of 2023.
