China’s Li Auto aims to deliver over 100,000 EVs in Q3

    • Li Auto's rivals, such as Xpeng Inc (above), BYD and Nio Inc, all reported increased sales in July; Tesla Inc's deliveries, on the other hand, slid 31 per cent from June.
    • Li Auto's rivals, such as Xpeng Inc (above), BYD and Nio Inc, all reported increased sales in July; Tesla Inc's deliveries, on the other hand, slid 31 per cent from June. PHOTO: AFP
    Published Wed, Aug 9, 2023 · 12:02 AM

    CHINESE electric carmaker Li Auto Inc has raised its revenue guidance and said it expects to deliver more than 100,000 vehicles in the third quarter, after reporting better-than-expected quarterly results Tuesday (Aug 8). 

    Li Auto swung to a net profit of 2.7 billion yuan (S$505.6 million) in the three months through June, on revenue of 28.7 billion yuan, it said in a statement. It delivered a record 86,533 vehicles and gross margin hit 21.8 per cent.

    Li Auto said it expects to generate as much as 33.3 billion yuan in revenue in the third quarter, with EV deliveries reaching 100,000 to 103,000 units.  

    Shares of the company traded in the US pared an early drop of as much as 10 per cent. They fell 6.7 per cent to US$43.52 as of 9:36 am in New York. The stock has more than doubled so far this year. 

    Founded in 2015, Li Auto was dependent on a sole model – an extended-range electric sport utility vehicle – before releasing three cars targeting family users in mid-2022. It aims to have a line-up of 11 models by 2025, including five high-voltage pure EVs, and is planning to build 3,000 charging stations.

    Rising sales should help the company achieve its first annual operating profit, said Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Steve Man and Joanna Chen. 

    Li Auto’s Chinese rivals, including BYD Co, Xpeng Inc, and Nio Inc, all increased sales last month, while Tesla Inc’s deliveries slid 31 per cent from June. 

    Data from the Passenger Car Association released Tuesday showed new-energy vehicle sales in China jumped 32 per cent from a year earlier in July to 641,000 units.  BLOOMBERG

    Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services