At the Beijing International Automotive Exhibition, known as Auto China 2024, held on April 25, 2024, Li Auto showcased its Li L6 vehicle. The event, featuring a display from Li Auto, took place in Beijing, China, with photographer Tingshu Wang capturing the moment for Reuters.
Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturers, including Li Auto and Zeekr, achieved record-breaking deliveries in September, based on data released by the companies on Tuesday.
The classification of new energy vehicles encompasses both hybrids and fully battery-powered vehicles. Notably, this category constituted more than half of the new passenger car sales in China during July and August, as per industry statistics.
Li Auto reported a record of 53,709 deliveries in September, surpassing its previous high reached in July by over 5%. The vehicles produced by Li Auto are equipped with a fuel tank designed to extend the battery’s driving range.
Geely-owned electric car manufacturer Zeekr also set a record with 21,333 deliveries in September.
Other Chinese new energy vehicle companies, such as Nio, BYD, Xiaomi, and Aito (co-developed by Huawei), had not yet disclosed their September delivery figures as of Tuesday afternoon.
The financial markets in mainland China and Hong Kong were closed on Tuesday due to a holiday. Hong Kong markets were scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, while mainland markets were set to resume trading on October 8.
Xpeng reported a record 21,352 electric car deliveries in September, which included more than 10,000 units of its mass-market Mona brand’s M03 coupe, launched in late August.
Several new models introduced this year by Chinese manufacturers, including Xpeng’s M03 coupe, are priced lower than comparable models from Tesla. The Tesla Model Y SUV is priced at 249,900 yuan ($35,630), and the brand’s most affordable car, the Model 3, starts at 231,900 yuan. Despite earlier price reductions this year, Tesla has maintained its prices throughout the summer.
The record deliveries in September position Li Auto and Xpeng to potentially exceed their previously announced delivery forecasts. However, Zeekr fell a few thousand vehicles short of the average monthly minimum required to meet its reported annual goal.
