Stock prices for Li Auto dive following the introduction of the Li i8 electric SUV
In a crowded battery electric vehicle (BEV) market, Li Auto's latest offering, the Li i8, made its debut in Beijing yesterday evening. The starting price of the six-seat vehicle is RMB 321,800 ($44,850), with deliveries set to begin on August 20.
However, the launch has been met with investor disappointment. The Li i8's price point is higher than some key rivals, such as Nio's Onvo L90, priced at 279,900 yuan ($38,988). The Onvo L90, which will officially go on sale on July 31, offers battery swapping, more advanced tech features, and enhanced safety systems.
The premium pricing strategy in a market increasingly sensitive to affordability pressures has raised concerns among investors. Despite the Li i8 offering competitive specs like a 720 km range and fast charging, the focus on driver assistance systems and voice assistant, with little mention of other technologies, has not been enough to assuage these concerns.
The Li i8 faces stiff competition not only from the Onvo L90 but also from other Chinese BEVs like Xiaomi’s YU7 and offerings from BYD and XPeng. These competitors cater to more price-sensitive customers. Furthermore, Li Auto's lack of battery-swap options, a differentiator some competitors leverage, could also pose a challenge.
The slowing growth in the market, coupled with recent declines in Li Auto’s sales figures, has further exacerbated investor concerns. Li Auto delivered 203,938 vehicles in the first six months of the year, marking a year-on-year increase of 7.91 percent. However, this represents a 24.1% year-over-year delivery drop in June 2025.
As a result, Li Auto's shares plummeted after the launch of the Li i8. As of press time, Li Auto's shares in Hong Kong had fallen 10.34 percent to 107.5 Hong Kong dollars.
The exchange rate is $1 = RMB 7.1747.
[1] Source: TechCrunch [2] Source: Reuters [3] Source: South China Morning Post
- The Li i8's price, at RMB 321,800 ($44,850), is higher than Nio's Onvo L90, priced at 279,900 yuan ($38,988), causing investor disappointment.
- In the crowded battery electric vehicle market, Li Auto's latest offering, the Li i8, faces stiff competition from Nio's Onvo L90, Xiaomi’s YU7, offerings from BYD, XPeng, and others, who cater to more price-sensitive customers.
- Despite the Li i8's competitive specs like a 720 km range and fast charging, and its focus on driver assistance systems and voice assistant, investor concerns remain due to its premium pricing and lack of battery-swap options, a feature some competitors leverage.
- Li Auto's sales figures have been declining, with a 24.1% year-over-year drop in June 2025, contribuing to the investor uncertainty following the Li i8's launch.
- As a result of these factors, Li Auto's shares plummeted after the launch, with a 10.34 percent decrease to 107.5 Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to approximately $14,848 according to the exchange rate of $1 = RMB 7.1747.
