Li Xiang Acknowledges Li MEGA’s “Appearance Issues” for the First Time
On August 28, during the conference call for Li Auto‘s Q2 2024 financial report, Li Xiang, the chairman of Li Auto, stated that a new pure electric product will be launched in the first half of 2025. ‘Li Auto will address the appearance issues of the battery electric products, and at the time of delivery, we will provide users with access to more than 2,000 supercharging stations. We hope that within two years, Li Auto will enter the first tier of high-end pure electric products.’ This may be the first time Li Xiang has hinted at and acknowledged the ‘appearance issues’ of Li Auto‘s first battery electric product, Li MEGA.
On March 1 this year, Li Auto officially released the battery electric flagship MPV Li MEGA. The MEGA is the first mass-produced battery electric model since Li Auto was founded and is also the highest-priced model in a short period of time. There is only one configuration for the entire series, with an official price of 559,800 yuan. Before the launch, Li Xiang stated that the goal of the MEGA is to become the sales leader among all passenger cars priced above 500,000 yuan, ‘regardless of energy type or body type.’
However, since the release of the Li MEGA, it has been surrounded by controversy. In addition to complaints about its high price, the second point of contention has been its exterior design, which has been widely discussed since its exposure. Due to its unique shape, many photos and videos mocking it have circulated online. While some praise it as unique, others find it unattractive, even criticizing its design as somewhat unlucky. On this point, Li Xiang himself has commented, though the final production model didn’t change much, and Li Xiang’s remarks have been treated as a joke. Nonetheless, this negative publicity has led to a significant drop in Li Auto‘s stock for several days. There are also media reports indicating that the Li MEGA has faced large-scale cancellations as a result.
On the morning of March 11, Li Xiang, the CEO of Li Auto, spoke out again. He posted on social media, stating that although he is in darkness, he still chooses the light. After careful consideration, we have decided to start counterattacking, using light to fight against darkness. For the organized illegal activities present in the incident, we are already addressing them through legal means.
SEE ALSO: Li Auto CEO Li Xiang Speaks Out: Li MEGA Encounters Organized Smear Campaign
Additionally, Li Auto has also expressed to reporters that the large-scale publication, forwarding, and commenting on images, videos, and statements containing the aforementioned insulting information on online platforms have clearly violated Article 1024 of the Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China, infringing on the company’s right to reputation. The company has requested the deletion of the infringing information from various online platforms through notifications of infringement and legal letters. Li Auto reserves the right to pursue legal responsibility for the malicious creation and dissemination of the aforementioned infringing information.
