Chinese Li Auto Launches Six-Seater Electric SUV Model i8

Although categorized as an electric SUV, the Li i8 stands out with its MPV-style body structure and is set to strengthen the brand’s position in the industry as its second electric vehicle.

Chinese automaker Li Auto has officially unveiled its first electric SUV model, the Li i8, expanding its presence in the electric vehicle market. Launched at the company’s headquarters in Beijing, the starting price for the Li i8 has been set at approximately $44,830.

Li Auto is offering the Li i8 model in three different trim levels: Pro, Max, and Ultra. The Li i8, which features a three-row seating configuration, has a length of 5,085 mm, a width of 1,960 mm, a height of 1,740 mm, and a wheelbase of 3,050 mm.

The Li i8 comes with a 5C fast-charging supported NMC battery. The entry-level version offers a 90.1 kWh battery capacity, providing a range of 670 kilometers according to China’s CLTC standards, while the other two versions can reach a range of 720 kilometers with a 97.8 kWh battery. The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds, powered by two electric motors that produce a total of 400 kW of power and 660 Nm of torque.

Along with this launch, Li Auto also announced a significant expansion of its charging station infrastructure. The company had stated its goal to reach 2,500 supercharging stations by the time the vehicle went on sale, but it has now announced that this number has already reached 3,000.

During the launch event, the focus was more on the Li i8’s intelligent driving capabilities and virtual voice assistant system rather than just its technical specifications. The vehicle is equipped with the company’s latest autonomous driving architecture, MindVLA (Vision-Language-Action). This system is stated to offer more advanced driving assistance. The VLA large language model, which powers intelligent driving, will be delivered with the Li i8 and will also be integrated into Li Auto’s AD Max models.

While Li Auto aims to grow in the electric vehicle segment, it faces strong competitors like the Onvo L90 and the Tesla Model Y L, which is expected to be introduced this autumn. The company delivered 203,938 vehicles in the first six months of the year. This represents an increase of only 7.91% compared to the same period last year.

The Li i8 certainly brings interesting features to the electric SUV market, especially with its focus on advanced AI and expanded charging infrastructure. Do you think Li Auto can significantly increase its sales given the intense competition from other EV manufacturers?