Li Auto Prices 2026 i6 at ¥249,800 as Its Pure-EV Bet Widens

Li Auto has opened the order books on the 2026 Li i6, a five-seat battery-electric SUV tagged at CN¥249,800 (roughly US$37,470) in standard trim. First customer handovers are scheduled to start within a week — an unusually tight window between launch and delivery for the Chinese maker.

The i6 slots into the company’s i-series, sitting alongside the six-seat Li i8 SUV and the Li Mega MPV. That family runs parallel to the extended-range L-series SUVs that built Li Auto’s business in China.

Why the i6 matters more than its price tag

Li Auto made its name selling vehicles with a petrol engine on board to top up the battery. Going fully electric is a different proposition — different charging expectations, different buyer hesitations, different cost structure. The i-series is the company’s answer to that question, and the i6 is its volume play.

Key Specs: Five-seat SUV · CN¥249,800 (US$37,470) standard configuration · Deliveries within one week of launch

The lineup now covers an MPV and two SUVs on the battery-electric side. That is a modest footprint next to the L-series, but it gives Li Auto a presence in the segment where China’s price war is fiercest.

The positioning problem

Li Auto describes itself as a leading player in China’s new energy vehicle market — an umbrella that takes in battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and extended-range models alike. Its shares trade on Nasdaq and on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which means every launch like this one gets read as a signal about whether the extended-range formula translates to pure EVs.

The short gap between launch and handover is worth watching. It suggests the i6 was ready to ship before it was announced, and that Li Auto wants units on the road — and in front of shoppers — as quickly as possible.

Whether the i6 can pull buyers away from the L-series habit is the open question. The price sits in a crowded band of Chinese electric SUVs, and brand loyalty in this market has been tested hard over the past two years.