On July 17, Li Auto officially announced that its new model, the Li i8, is open for pre-order. The official estimated price range is 350,000 yuan to 400,000 yuan, and the final price will be officially announced at the product launch on July 29. The small order policy has attracted market attention, and Li Xiang, CEO of Li Auto, simultaneously explained the booking strategy through social platforms.
Image source: Ideal
Li Xiang, CEO of Li Auto, issued a rare analysis of the industry’s pre-sale rules: “The vast majority of car companies in China have small orders. We temporarily lack the popularity of Xiaomi, and we can’t skip the small order and order it directly; It is also not up to Tesla’s level, without any reservations and press conferences, and the official website is directly on sale. He put forward a long-term goal: through team efforts, the model of “no large and small orders, no press conferences, and direct sales on the official website” will be realized in the future. This statement was interpreted by some netizens as a reflection on the current marketing system.
From the perspective of the industry background, the small order model is usually used by car companies to warm up the market in the early stageCapacityPlanning. Consumers lock in the priority right to pick up the car through a small deposit, and car companies can use this to predict market demand and adjust the production rhythm.
As a brand new serial product, the ideal i8’s pricing strategy and market feedback have attracted much attention. The pre-sale range of 350,000-400,000 yuan covers the mid-to-high-endNew energyIn the SUV market, direct competitors include NIO ES6, Wenjie M8 and other models. Industry analysts believe that the competition in this price segment has become fierce, and the final price adjustment may become a key factor affecting consumer decision-making.
It is worth noting that the “official website direct sales” model mentioned by Li Xiang has been tried by some new power brands in recent years. Tesla, NIO and other companies have reduced operating costs by simplifying the sales process, but this model has extremely high requirements for brand appeal and user stickiness. Li Auto chose to retain the small order link at this stage, which is not only in line with the industry’s regular operation, but also reflects its prudent assessment of market risks.
As the press conference on July 29 approaches, the product details of the ideal i8 will be gradually revealed. In addition to the final price, the disclosure of core technical parameters such as cruising range, intelligent configuration and charging solutions may further affect consumers’ willingness to book. atNew energy vehiclesIn the context of slowing market growth, whether Li Auto can consolidate its market position through the i8 model still needs to be verified by the follow-up market.