The Li i9 flagship electric SUV, set to launch on September 16, 2026. Credit: Li Auto.
- Li i9 Home features rotating zero-gravity seats and will be Li Auto’s second model to offer a Home version, following the Li Mega MPV.
- Initial deliveries will feature CATL’s 5C batteries, with a subsequent switch to batteries developed in-house by Li Auto.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) will launch its flagship electric SUV (sport utility vehicle), the Li i9, in 1 week, expanding its premium battery-electric lineup with more space and a home-inspired cabin.
The Chinese automaker said Wednesday, September 9, that the launch event will begin at 7:30 pm Beijing Time on September 16. Li i9 display vehicles will be available at stores starting September 11.
Li Auto founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang today showcased the Li i9’s interior, which features rotating zero-gravity seats that allow occupants to sit facing each other.
Li compared the Li Mega Home electric MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) to a suburban villa suited to large families, and the Li i9 Home to a luxury city-center apartment, emphasizing space efficiency, views and comfort.
“There has never been a car like this in the world, but the world really needs one,” he wrote on Weibo.
The Li i9 Home features rotating zero-gravity seats that allow occupants to sit facing each other. Credit: Li Auto.
The Li i9 will become Li Auto’s second model to offer a Home version, following the Li Mega MPV.
The launch comes as Li Auto’s deliveries return to growth. The company delivered 37,679 vehicles in August, up 32.07% year-on-year, ending 3 consecutive months of annual declines.
In the first 8 months of the year, Li Auto delivered 261,619 vehicles, still down 0.60% from a year earlier, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
Li Auto Monthly Deliveries 2024-2026
Month
2024
2025
2026
January
31,165
29,927
27,668
February
20,251
26,263
26,421
March
28,984
36,674
41,053
April
25,787
33,939
34,085
May
35,020
40,856
33,350
June
47,774
36,279
30,895
July
51,000
30,731
30,468
August
48,122
28,529
37,679
September
53,709
33,951
October
51,443
31,767
November
48,740
33,181
December
58,513
44,246
Li Auto monthly deliveries
2024
2025
2026
The Li i9 will further expand its battery electric vehicle (BEV) lineup, which currently includes the Li Mega and 2 SUVs, the Li i8 and Li i6.
According to regulatory filings released in July, the Li i9 is a 6-seat SUV measuring 5,225 mm in length with a wheelbase of 3,168 mm, making it Li Auto’s largest SUV yet.
By comparison, the Li i8 measures 5,085 mm in length with a wheelbase of 3,050 mm. The larger dimensions underpin the Li i9’s focus on family space.
The Li i9 in the filings features a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, with maximum outputs of 150 kW at the front and 250 kW at the rear, for a combined 400 kW.
Battery supply will change in phases. Li Auto said on September 7 that initial Li i9 deliveries will feature 5C ternary lithium batteries from CATL (HKEX: 3750).
Once production of its in-house batteries ramps up, the Li i9 will switch entirely to that option. The company plans to gradually extend its in-house batteries to all models.
Li Auto clarified on September 8 that it develops and manufactures battery packs itself, while its internally developed cells are manufactured by partners.
The company said it leads battery product definition, performance specifications, quality standards and system integration, while partners handle manufacturing and other tasks.
The new products and technology investments are also intended to improve financial performance. Li Auto’s vehicle margin was 9.4% in the second quarter, down from 19.4% a year earlier.
Management said on its August earnings call that battery-electric vehicles are expected to account for a larger share of sales in the second half as new models including the Li i9 arrive.
The new-generation Li Mega comes only in the Home version, priced at 509,800 yuan ($75,160), 50,000 yuan less than the previous Home version.
