• The Li i8 will be officially launched on July 29, and the model will redefine pure electric SUV, said Li Auto founder Li Xiang.

• Li explained why the Li i8 looks like an MPV.

Li i8. Image credit: Li Auto

Just as Zeekr (NYSE: ZK) was introducing its first hybrid model Zeekr 9X SUV (sport utility vehicle), Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) announced that its first pure electric SUV will be launched in 20 days.

The Li i8 will officially hit the market on July 29, and the model will redefine pure electric SUV, Li Auto founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang announced today on Weibo.

Li Auto is one of the major extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) players in China. The current models on sale are mainly L series extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), including Li L6, Li L7, Li L8, Li L9, all of which are SUVs.

On March 1, 2024, the Li Mega MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) will be launched, and it is Li Auto's first battery electric vehicle (BEV) model.

The six-seater Li i8 will be its first pure electric SUV, and second BEV model. The company has unveiled the exterior of the model, showing its appearance different from the conventional box SUVs.

Tesla's Model X was the first product to redefine the pure electric SUV, Li said today. When it first came out, many people thought it didn't look like an SUV, he said.

The Li i8 makes more extreme use of space than the Model X, so it is normal that the appearance will cause a lot of discussion, he said.

The Li Auto CEO said that the company's internal team had a lot of different opinions on the fact that the Li i8 looks like an MPV (multi-purpose vehicle).

But in the end, the company believed that making passengers more comfortable, reducing wind resistance, increasing driving range, and strengthening body safety were more important.

To support the launch of the Li i8, Li Auto has accelerated the construction of charging infrastructure in the past year. The company previously said it would have more than 2,500 supercharging stations in China by the time the Li i8 is launched.

Li Auto currently has 2,826 supercharging stations, according to data from its charging map.

On June 19, Li said on Weibo that preparations for the production, training, and delivery of the Li i8 have reached the final stage.