Li Auto Launches Li L9 Pro: Lidar-Free, $4,200 Cheaper, Deliveries Starting This Month

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Li Auto (NASDAQ: LI) has unveiled the latest addition to its lineup, the Li L9 Pro, featuring advanced AD Pro assisted driving and a Lidar-free design. By replacing the LiDAR technology with the locally-developed Journey 5 chip from Horizon Robotics, the Li L9 Pro offers a more affordable option, starting at RMB 30,000 ($4,200) below the previously available Li L9 Max, priced at RMB 429,800.

Li Auto Launches Li L9 Pro: Lidar-Free, $4,200 Cheaper, Deliveries Starting This Month - Car News - 1

(Image: Li Auto L9)

The AD Pro, powered by Journey 5 with 128 TOPS of computing power, relies on vision-based sensing for navigation, eliminating the need for LiDAR technology. In contrast, the AD Max, available in the Li L9 Max, combines 1 AT128 LiDAR from Hesai Technology and 2 Nvidia Orin X chips, providing a total computing power of 508 TOPS.

Apart from these distinctions, the Li L9 Pro and Li L9 Max share identical configurations, as specified in the model’s spec sheet. Li Auto’s naming convention, featuring Air, Pro, and Max, aims to distinguish various versions of its models, following a similar strategy as Apple does with its iPhones.

The Li L9 Pro is now available for customer orders, and deliveries are set to begin in August. Li Auto, known for its extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs), also offers the Li L7 with five seats and the Li L8 with six seats, all showcasing advanced driving systems.

Li Auto Launches Li L9 Pro: Lidar-Free, $4,200 Cheaper, Deliveries Starting This Month - Car News - 2

(Image: Li Auto L9 Interior)

As Li Auto continues to compete in the market, it faces a challenging task of managing capacity constraints. Despite its market share of 22 percent in premium SUVs, analysts suggest that the company may have reached its near-term limit, with German luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi hovering around 20 percent each.

Li Xiang, Li Auto’s founder, chairman, and CEO, acknowledged the capacity bottleneck in an August 1 Weibo post, emphasizing its current unsolvability in the current quarter. However, looking ahead, the company aims to achieve a milestone of 40,000-unit monthly deliveries by the fourth quarter, signaling its determination to meet the growing demand for its flagship Li L9 series.