Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) provided detailed insight into its product roadmap during its recent earnings call, confirming the launch schedule for its first fully electric SUVs and sharing hints about future sedan ambitions.
The company will introduce its first all-electric SUV, the Li i8, in July 2025, followed by the Li i6, a five-seat electric SUV, scheduled for release in September. The Li i8 will be a larger six-seat SUV model, further diversifying Li Auto’s lineup beyond its current extended-range electric SUVs (EREVs)—the Li L6, Li L7, Li L8, and Li L9—as well as its pure electric MPV, the Li Mega. The Li i8 was first teased in February and recently appeared in a Chinese regulatory catalog, revealing core specifications, while details on the Li i6 remain scarce.
Alongside the Li i8 launch, Li Auto will debut its Visual-Language-Action (VLA) driver model, which will later be available on vehicles equipped with the AD Max smart driving system. Deutsche Bank analysts estimate monthly sales of 5,000 units for the Li i8 and 12,000 for the Li i6, signaling strong market interest.
Sedan models are not currently a priority for Li Auto. CEO Li Xiang noted that the company will consider launching sedans only when annual revenue hits RMB 300 billion (approximately $41.7 billion) and the product portfolio expands further. The company’s 2024 revenue stood at RMB 144.5 billion, reflecting its current focus on SUVs and MPVs, which aligns with China’s vehicle market, where SUVs account for 49 percent of passenger vehicle retail sales, sedans 46 percent, and MPVs a niche 5 percent.
Li Auto aims to outpace China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) market growth for vehicles priced above RMB 200,000 in 2025 but has yet to specify exact sales targets. The company is expanding into less developed fourth- and fifth-tier Chinese cities, targeting over 100,000 additional sales from these regions by 2026. Deutsche Bank forecasts Li Auto’s annual sales to reach 630,000 units in 2025, a 26 percent increase from the prior year, although recent media reports indicate a downward revision of the 2025 sales target from 700,000 to 640,000 units.
Regarding overseas ambitions, Li Auto outlined plans to increase international sales contribution to 30 percent of total volumes, with a focus on expanding in Asian and European markets by recruiting established dealers.