The new Chinese carmaker Li Auto has produced 380,000 cars in 2023
- The Chinese carmaker Li Auto, created in 2015, launched its first vehicle on the Chinese market in 2021. Named Li One, the vehicle which adopts the style of a large SUV is powered by a plug-in hybrid gasoline engine (PHEV) and not by a pure electric engine as with most of the new Chinese carmakers that have appeared since 2015.
- Sold at 90,491 units in China in 2021, the Li One ended its commercial career in July 2023, following problems linked to its design. But new SUVs have taken over in 2022 and 2023: the L7, L8 and L9. These models, very close to each other, differ by their length (from 5.05 m to 5.22 m) and their wheelbase (from 3.00 m to 3.10 m) but their engine is common: it is a 1,500 cc turbo petrol delivering 152 hp (113 kW). The electric motor coupled to it can develop a total of 440 hp (330 kW). The empty weight of these three models each exceeds 2.5 tonnes.
- These models allowed the brand to sell 133,000 vehicles in China in 2022 and 376,000 in 2023, proof that Li Auto has managed to find its place in the Chinese market, more quickly than NIO or Leapmotor for example. Over the first two months of 2024, Li Auto sold 52,000 vehicles in China, representing a potential of 312,000 units for the whole year. In terms of production, Li Auto produced 380,000 vehicles in 2023 compared to 146,000 in 2022.
- Li Auto occupies 13.5% of the Chinese PHEV market in 2023, second behind BYD which represents 47.5% of the Chinese PHEV market. If Li Auto wants to increase its market share in China, it would need to complete its range with battery electric models. A large, battery electric minivan is reportedly about to be launched.