Chinese EV maker Li Auto’s L9 SUV runs off road, hits barrier during test drive, could derail sales after news goes viral
- No deaths or injuries were caused during the incident, which took place in Ningbo on Monday, the carmaker said
- An accident ahead of deliveries may deter some interested consumers, analyst says
No deaths or injuries were caused during the incident, which took place in Ningbo, in China’s eastern Zhejiang province, on Monday, the carmaker said in a statement on its official Weibo account. A Li Auto employee was driving the L9, the carmaker’s second production model.
News of the incident went viral on Chinese social media on Tuesday and could dent interest in the luxury SUV, which has attracted a huge number of orders since it became available for reservations in late June. The first batch of L9s will be delivered to customers in August.
“Li Auto hit the jackpot after it began taking pre-orders for the L9,” said Tian Maowei, a sales manager at Yiyou Auto Service in Shanghai. “An accident ahead of deliveries may deter some interested consumers from making their purchases.”
03:10
China's Baidu unveils its latest autonomous vehicle, steering wheel optional
Li Auto released a video clip of the incident recorded by the car camera on Wednesday and said in an accompanying statement that the out-of-control test SUV was travelling at a speed of 86 kilometres per hour, exceeding the road’s 60km per hour limit.