Li Auto's July deliveries hit a record as Chinese EV consumers prefer hybrid options

BEIJING — Chinese new energy vehicle company Li Auto announced Thursday it delivered a record number of cars in July, boosted by sales of its new, lower-cost Li L6 SUV.

The new model and most of Li Auto's cars come with a fuel tank for extending the battery's driving range. The strong deliveries reflect Chinese consumers' persistent concerns about relying only on a battery for driving.

U.S.-listed Li Auto said it delivered 51,000 cars in July, surpassing the 50,000 mark for the first time since December and setting a record for the company. The automaker said its Li L6 that launched in April has seen monthly deliveries of more than 20,000.

The SUV is the company's cheapest vehicle, starting at 249,000 yuan ($34,373), similar to Tesla's Model Y in China. Li Auto's other models cost more than 300,000 yuan.

Tesla, which only sells pure battery-powered cars, does not break out monthly deliveries by country. The China Passenger Car Association said Tesla China sold 59,261 cars in June.

Nio, which also only sells pure battery-powered cars, delivered 20,498 cars in July, holding above 20,000 for a third-straight month after delivering as few as 8,132 cars in February.

Other major battery-only automakers reported lower monthly figures.

Geely-owned Zeekr reported July deliveries of 15,655, while Xpeng delivered 11,145 cars last month.

Smartphone and home appliance company Xiaomi only said it delivered more than 10,000 of its SU7 electric sedan in July, the same as in June and a pace it expected to maintain in August. The company announced two weeks ago that it was on track to deliver 100,000 cars by November, a month earlier than previously announced.

Major automakers selling both battery-only and hybrid-powered cars generally delivered