Li Auto has taken the unusual step of live-streaming a teardown of its upcoming 2026 Li i6 electric SUV ahead of its official launch, as CEO Li Xiang stressed the company's commitment to long-term development over speed. The event, held on October 26, showcased the vehicle's materials and design logic part by part, with owners of the 2025 model invited to attend, according to Chinese automotive outlet Gasgoo.
In a social media post, Li Xiang said building a car is "not about making a black box, and definitely not about making a 'quick-fix car'." He noted that the i6 has undergone three and a half years of development and testing, incorporating feedback from nearly 200,000 users over the past year. The 2025 i6 went on sale in September 2025, making the 2026 version its first annual refresh.
Self-developed battery takes center stage
The core of this update is the self-developed "Lianshan" battery pack, which Li Auto claims offers a capacity of 96 kWh and a CLTC range of 780 kilometers (about 485 miles). In an official live range test, the rear-wheel-drive version reportedly achieved 811.4 km (about 504 miles) around Lake Taihu, a 104% CLTC achievement rate, with an average consumption of about 11.8 kWh per 100 km. Note that CLTC figures are generally 15-20% more optimistic than WLTP; a WLTP estimate would be around 660 km (about 410 miles).
Li Auto also introduced a "Lianshan battery protection plan": if the vehicle catches fire due to a battery quality defect and is written off, the company will compensate with a new vehicle of equivalent configuration.
Pricing and delivery timeline
The launch event is scheduled for October 28 at 7:30 PM Beijing time, when the price will be announced, with deliveries starting in early November. The company has not yet disclosed pricing, but when it does, it will be a Chinese guide price before taxes and incentives.
This teardown event underscores a broader trend among Chinese EV makers to build consumer trust through transparency, as competition intensifies in the world's largest auto market. Li Auto, known for its range-extender (EREV) models, is expanding its battery-electric (BEV) lineup with the i6, which also features advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
