Tesla model yl 'ambushes' li auto i8

"Can we become true rivals?"

Without a sound, without any notice, and without a launch event, the Tesla Model YL has been released.

It's all about a "surprise attack."

On August 19, Tesla's official website in China officially launched the Model YL six-seat SUV, with a starting price of 339,000 yuan, which is more competitive than the previously expected market price of 400,000 yuan.

As Tesla's first six-seater pure electric model, the Model YL focuses on space, performance, and intelligent configuration as its core selling points, directly competing with models like the Li Xiang i8 and the AITO M8.

Netizens jokingly commented that Tesla launched a surprise attack, probably seeing that the Li Auto i8 did not make a splash as expected. Musk thinks, "Tesla Model YL can come and show the Li Auto i8 how to do pure electric."

After all, previously, Li Xiang, the CEO of Li Auto, stated that the Li Auto i8 is in a competitive track of "being or not being," with no real competitors in terms of product strength.

Now, the Tesla Model YL has arrived, and netizens are asking if the Li Auto i8 can become a real competitor.

Highly targeted

On August 14th, Li Xiang posted an article, and the last sentence was written like this.

"Ideal i8 and Ideal MEGA are in the 'do we have it or not' track where we have what others don't; the Ideal L series is in the 'is it good or not' track, which is more competitive. For us, both tracks are important, and we must excel in both!"

Some onlookers, who enjoy creating drama, added, "Who is the 'enemy'?" By calculating, the possibility of it being the LeDo L90 is high, as they were launched around the same time and both target the six-seater pure electric SUV market.

The competition in this market has entered a white-hot stage. Besides the LeDao L90, which adopts the "Tian Ji's Horse Racing" strategy and is not considered the most direct "enemy," AITO, the longtime rival of the Li Xiang i8, has also launched the M8 pure electric version.

Ideal i8 is "surrounded by enemies."

At the time of its launch, Li Xiang had high hopes for the Li Auto i8. He said this was the largest venue ever rented by Li Auto and the largest launch event ever held. Moreover, he spent an hour and a half discussing everything from the product, safety, supercharging network, to the VLA driver model and Li Xiang's assistant, Agent.

Every word and sentence was filled with "determination to win." The competitors were ready to fight back, but unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. The Ideal i8 sales were unexpectedly cold, hitting themselves instead. Only 6,000 orders were sold in three days, which made the company a bit uneasy.

After just one week on the market, the Li Xiang i8 quickly announced a reconfiguration and price reduction. With a unified version that is "standard is top-tier," "three-in-one," it effectively reduces the price while adding features. The restructured Li Xiang i8 aims to carve out a niche in the 300,000 to 400,000 RMB pure electric SUV six-seater market with its "fully equipped" offering.

According to previous information, the delivery of Li Auto i8 began on August 20th. Just before the delivery of Li Auto i8, its "most direct competitor," the Tesla Model YL, was launched without any prior notice.

Oh no, it was aimed at the Li Auto i8. After all, the launch of the Li Auto i8 also carries the intention of "preemptively targeting the Model Y L." However, some believe that Tesla's release of the Model YL followed by Li Auto's opening of i8 pre-sales is highly targeted.

One was previously focused on extended-range technology, the other on pure electric. They have different technical routes and some grievances.

The latest grievance is that Li Auto's product line president, Liu Jie, stated that users who own Model 3 or Model Y vehicles want to switch to a larger product, but have no options.

Based on ideal market research realities, the users most anticipating the i8 are either those in coastal areas with a strong electric vehicle atmosphere or families with children who primarily use new energy vehicles and have a high inclination towards electric cars.

"They currently own a new energy vehicle (Model 3 or Model Y). As their family grows, they need more space and are inclined to exchange it for another pure electric vehicle. However, there is a lack of suitable products on the market for them," Liu Jie noted.

"For these users, the i8 is a necessity."

Upon hearing this, Tesla couldn't sit still. Are they here to poach people? Who isn't a "necessity"?

After observing the market performance of the Ideal i8, the Tesla Model YL decided to launch a surprise release. Previously, it said "See you in the golden autumn," but now, just as autumn has begun, it couldn't wait to launch in the Chinese market.

With brand premium, supercharging network, and intelligent advantages, the Tesla Model YL is expected to secure a place in the niche market. However, securing a place is not the market's goal for the Tesla Model YL.

The goal is "Can it lead the race?".

"Has Li Xiang created the car that Elon Musk most wants to make?"

The market believes that this model, targeting the three-row SUV segment, will enhance Tesla's influence in key global markets.

It is important to note that in one of its key markets, China, Tesla's sales are under considerable pressure. According to data from the China Passenger Car Association, Tesla's sales at the Shanghai Gigafactory in July amounted to 67,000 units, a year-on-year decrease of 8.4%. From January to July this year, Tesla's sales in China were approximately 432,000 units, a year-on-year decline of 13.6%.

The Model Y L has become Tesla's trump card for revitalizing sales this year. Under such pressure, the Tesla Model Y L, like the Li Auto i8, "cannot afford to fail." Li Xiang also stated, "A respectable six-seater pure electric SUV has arrived."

Without pre-sales or a launch event, the Tesla Model YL has been listed at a price lower than the predicted 400,000 yuan. The Tesla website describes this car as "a Model X that an ordinary family can afford."

Let's take a look at the Tesla Model YL, which is considered the most direct competitor to the ideal i8. Can its product strength break Li Xiang's statement of "whether it exists"?

As an extended version, the Model Y L has optimized its space. Compared to the Model Y, the new car's body length has increased by 179mm, the wheelbase has been extended by 150mm, and the storage space has expanded to 2539L.

However, when compared horizontally with other large 6-seater electric SUVs such as the Li Xiang i8 and Le Dao L90, the Model YL does not have an advantage in terms of size. This means that in the six-seater SUV market, where "large space" is a key selling point, the Tesla Model YL may not necessarily outperform the Li Xiang i8.

In addition to spatial differences, the Ideal i8 compares to the Tesla Model Y L on three key points: range, energy replenishment, and intelligent driving.

In terms of performance, the Model Y L features a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, with maximum power of the front and rear motors at 142kW and 198kW respectively. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and is equipped with an 82kWh ternary lithium battery, offering a CLTC range of up to 751 kilometers.

For the Tesla Model Y L, it is noteworthy. The power consumption per 100 kilometers is only 12.8kWh, which is considered an excellent level among its peers.

The entire Li Xiang i8 series comes standard with the 8295 chip, a 15.7-inch 3K large screen, a 5C ultra-fast charging battery, dual motors with four-wheel drive, magic carpet intelligent suspension, multiple recognition modes, and six-zone voice control.

The range and energy replenishment of the Li Auto i8 have been improved to 720 kilometers. With the support of an 800V high-voltage system, a 10-minute charge can replenish 500 kilometers.

In terms of intelligence, whether from the perspective of hardware or algorithms, there will inevitably be a competition between Tesla FSD and Li Auto's Mind-VLA in the future. Since Tesla FSD has not yet released a new version trained specifically for the Chinese market, based on real-world testing results, it does not rank in the top three in terms of intelligence level.

After the launch of the Li Xiang i8, the most attention has been drawn to the VLA large model. Not only can it control the vehicle to move forward and park by voice command, but it can also automatically accelerate according to the driver's habits and autonomously bypass vehicles in the event of a breakdown.

Before the "three-in-one" adjustment, to experience the complete VLA large model, you had to purchase the MAX version and the Ultra version with city navigation. Therefore, the most suitable option to purchase is the MAX version priced at 349,800 yuan.

So, netizens joked, "Li Xiang built the car that Elon Musk most wanted to build."

However, the key to competition nowadays is no longer limited to vehicle parameters, but lies in the precise grasp of various usage scenarios.

Luke Lin, founder and CEO of LUKKEDAO Technology, once predicted that as the Tesla Model Y L precisely enters the 300,000–400,000 yuan family six-seat SUV market, the market will be acceleratedly divided into "performance first" or "configuration first."

On one hand, brands like Li Auto and NIO need to strengthen the irreplaceability of scenario-based configurations; on the other hand, Tesla may force competitors to further optimize in pricing or energy replenishment experience, triggering a new round of technological competition.

Regardless of market segmentation, with the launch of the Tesla Model Y L, the competition in the pure electric six-seat SUV market will undoubtedly be lively.