Li Auto is delaying the launch of its Mega MPV until March, while rival XPeng said its X9 minivan will officially launch on Jan. 1.
Li Auto had planned to launch in December, with deliveries starting in late February. Now the EV maker will launch the Mega MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) on March 1, with deliveries starting a few days later, the company said on Dec. 31.
The Mega will be Li Auto's first battery electric vehicle (BEV). It currently sells the extended-range SUVs, essentially plug-in hybrids.
Li Auto unveiled the Li Mega on Nov. 17 at the Guangzhou auto show.
The pre-sale price will be above RMB 500,000 but below RMB 600,000 ($84,500).
XPeng X9 Launch
XPeng will officially launch the its X9 MPV Monday night Beijing time, saying it's received more than 30,000 pre-orders since its Nov. 17 unveiling.
X9 deliveries will start in January, the company has said. The pre-sale starting price is RMB 388,000 ($54,650).
The China EV minivan space, which had been relatively sparse a little over a year ago, is increasingly crowded.
The Denza D9, which began deliveries in late 2022, starts modestly below the XPeng X9. Denza is a premium brand of China EV and battery giant BYD. The D9 comes in BEV and plug-in hybrid variants, with the PHEV D9 accounting for most of the sales.
Li Auto, XPeng and Nio will release December, fourth-quarter and 2023 EV deliveries on Monday, Jan. 1. BYD will report on Monday or Tuesday.
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