Tesla rival Li Auto breaks sales record

Li Auto, one of China’s top electric vehicle (EV) marques, broke monthly sales record for the sixth straight time this year, riding on robust demand in the world’s largest EV market, buoyed by a bevy of new models and the growing availability of charging stations.

The Beijing-headquartered premium EV maker, often compared to US rival Tesla, delivered 36,060 vehicles in September, representing a 3.3 per cent increase from the previous month and a 212.7 per cent rise year on year.

The manufacturer shipped 105,108 vehicles in the third quarter, up 296.3 per cent from the same period last year. It handed 244,225 vehicles to customers from January to September.

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Monthly deliveries for each model from Li Auto’s Li L series exceeded 10,000 vehicles for the second consecutive month, according to Xiang Li, chairman and CEO of Li Auto.

The Li L series received an over-the-air software update in September, as the company completed the construction of over 100 supercharging stations along highways around the country, Li Auto said in a statement.

“Driven by the ever-increasing market demand, we made numerous historic breakthroughs in September,” Xiang said.