Benjamin Baum, senior exterior design director at Li Auto, introduces the Li i6, known as the Li 6 in Europe, on the opening day of the Paris auto show on October 12, 2026. Credit: Li Auto
- The European version of the Li i6, named Li 6, was originally scheduled to go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year.
- Li Auto also plans to introduce extended-range models in Europe and adapt their hardware and software for local markets.
Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) has debuted its Li i6 battery electric SUV in Europe, with sales and deliveries set to begin in Norway and the Netherlands in the first quarter of 2027.
The company announced the plans on Monday, at the 2026 Paris Motor Show. The model, named Li 6 in Europe, will gradually expand to other European countries.
The event confirmed Li Auto’s first European markets and delivery schedule, providing a clearer roadmap for the Chinese automaker’s overseas expansion following its entry into Central Asia.
Li Auto said during its earnings call in August that it planned to begin selling the i6 in Europe in the fourth quarter of this year. The newly announced sales and delivery schedule is later, in the first quarter of 2027.
Li Auto also said it would introduce extended-range models in Europe, with extensive hardware and software adaptations for local markets, though it has yet to name the models or provide a launch timeline.
The plans build on Li Auto’s strategy of tailoring its overseas product offerings by region. The company previously said it would prioritize battery electric vehicles in Europe and extended-range models in the Middle East and Central Asia.
Responding to discussion about the pace of its overseas expansion, Li Auto founder, chairman and CEO Li Xiang said on Weibo today that the company would “adapt to local conditions and enter when ready,” offering products suited to each market.
Li said narrow streets in historic European cities, limited parking and frequent cross-border road trips made the i6’s dimensions, interior space and smart features well suited to local families’ travel needs.
Li Auto established its first overseas research and development center in Munich in January 2025 and launched the Li L9 extended-range SUV in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan in July this year.
The Li i6 is Li Auto’s first battery electric model developed for global markets. Li said deliveries in China had exceeded 190,000 units in the year since its launch, providing a foundation for taking the model overseas.
In China, the 2026 i6 is scheduled to launch on October 28, with test drives available the same day and deliveries expected to begin in early November. The updated model will feature an in-house-developed 5C battery and Mach M100 assisted-driving chip.
Li Auto said the 2026 i6 was developed to meet Euro NCAP’s five-star safety standards and would undergo formal testing after its European launch. That does not mean the model has already received a five-star rating.
The European expansion comes as Li Auto’s domestic deliveries face renewed pressure. The company delivered 31,817 vehicles in September, down 6.29% year-on-year and 15.56% from August, failing to sustain its return to year-on-year growth in August.
Li Auto delivered 293,436 vehicles in the first 9 months of this year, down 1.25% year-on-year, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.
Li Auto has several solid-state battery projects underway and has validated prototypes in eyewear products.
