Alibaba

ByteDance

Huawei

Meituan

Tencent

Xiaomi

Most Followed

KrASIA Connection

100 AI Creators

China's Auto Sector

Inside China's Startups

Venture Roundup

Our Events

View All

Collections

News

Features

Insights

Ecosystem

Press Releases

Anker

DeepSeek

Li Auto

MiniMax

Pop Mart

Xpeng

On the Radar

Events

Latest

About

Consumer

Robotics

Fintech

Collaborate

… features. As a smaller manufacturer, it lacked scale to compete on cost and couldn’t leverage brand equity to attract premium customers. Its sales channels were also weak. Robotic mowers are high-ticket items with long lifespans. Buyers depend heavily on product reputation and peer reviews. Local distributors are often unwilling to take on unknown brands.
whereRelatedArticle
Meanwhile, incumbents have secured market share through long-standing partnerships with European garden supply chains and home improvement retailers, giving them a significant distribution advantage.
The gap between product ambition and commercial execution is shrinking. The robotic mower sector has moved from tech validation to commercial rollout. Pure technical vision is no longer enough to survive.
Citing data from Interact Analysis, 36Kr reported that the global robotic lawn mower market is projected to exceed USD 6 billion by 2025, with annual growth above 25%.
That growth hides a tougher reality. Technical standards are rising. Supply chains are becoming more efficient. Channels are growing more competitive. Market leadership is consolidating fast.
Startups that cannot build durable advantages in niche markets are likely to exit the race. Only companies with systematic, end-to-end product capabilities will endure.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3424932486631047">article</a> was written by Huang Nan for 36Kr.

Robotic mower startup Airseekers stalls as production costs spiral

Deep Tech

China

… you invest in R&amp;D?</h3>
ZR: We have about 8,000 employees, including factory workers and retail staff. Around 500 work in R&amp;D, which is around 6%. Each year, we invest over 3% of our revenue in innovation.
<h3>36Kr: What’s your current focus?</h3>
ZR: Managing Aimer’s core brand, revitalizing Imi’s, and expanding globally.
We began our international journey in 2007, on our 15th anniversary. Since then, we’ve opened stores in Singapore, Dubai, and elsewhere, mostly targeting overseas Chinese. We’re now entering the second phase, focusing on Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3401297339369864">article</a> was written by Xie Yunzi for 36Kr.

China’s lingerie market is shifting. Can Aimer keep up?

Consumer Economy

… multiple languages." width="720" height="784" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-English-Site.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-English-Site-661x720.jpg 661w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-English-Site-941x1024.jpg 941w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-English-Site-768x836.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-English-Site-1411x1536.jpg 1411w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-English-Site-1881x2048.jpg 1881w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-156694" class="wp-caption-text">A collage of screenshots from Autohome’s global site, which is available in multiple languages.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>Bridging online and offline channels to go global</h3>
As Chinese NEV brands expand abroad by building local showrooms, manufacturing bases, and dealer networks, Autohome is positioning itself as a key enabler of this international push.
At the China Automotive Forum held in Shanghai in July, Autohome CEO Yang Song joined Chery chairman Yin Tongyue to discuss global expansion. Yin emphasized the importance of brand integrity, warning that one mishap abroad could damage the collective image of Chinese carmakers. He argued that exports must be supported by reputation, not just technology and output.
<figure id="attachment_156697" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156697" style="width: 720px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-156697" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-818-Yang-Song.jpg" alt="Photo of Yang Song, CEO of Autohome." width="720" height="405" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-818-Yang-Song.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-818-Yang-Song-720x405.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-818-Yang-Song-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-818-Yang-Song-768x432.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-818-Yang-Song-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Autohome-818-Yang-Song-480x270.jpg 480w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-156697" class="wp-caption-text">Photo of Yang Song, CEO of Autohome. Photo courtesy of Autohome.</figcaption></figure>
Autohome aims to serve as a global automotive service hub, helping industry players build stronger international operations.
In an interview with KrASIA, Yang explained the company’s two-pronged strategy: bolster online infrastructure while establishing localized offline presence.
Online, Autohome now hosts more than 50 brands and over 2,000 models with localized content including specifications, visuals, pricing, and dealership listings. It has also expanded onto platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram to promote Chinese brands and highlight their manufacturing strengths.
Offline, Autohome plans to establish AI-powered “experience hubs” in overseas markets. These will feature multiple Chinese brands under one roof, aiming to reduce expansion costs and accelerate scale. Discussions for the first location are underway.
Ultimately, the long-term ambition is to elevate Chinese auto exports from a fragmented offering into a unified, globally recognizable brand identity.
Autohome’s international roadmap includes Southeast Asia, the Middle East, South America, Australia and New Zealand, and Europe. Localization will begin with support for traditional Chinese and Spanish content.
“Going global is the right direction. It’s a real way to contribute to the Chinese automotive industry, and to society,” Yang told KrASIA.
Still, hurdles remain. Regulatory barriers, cultural nuances, and consumer preferences vary significantly across regions. AI and VR features, along with content, must be tailored to each market. Moreover, established players like AutoTrader and CarMax pose serious competition.
Autohome must also address logistical complexities, global cost structures, and geopolitical risks. Its success will depend on how well it balances rapid growth with deep local integration to become a core infrastructure provider for China’s global automotive strategy.
<h3>What’s next for China’s automotive sector?</h3>
Over the past two decades, Autohome has become a central figure in China’s automotive ecosystem. Looking ahead, CEO Yang Song believes that reinvigorating demand both at home and abroad will be essential.
“The real solution to weak automotive demand lies in stimulating it, from the local market to exports. Autohome is ready to invest real money into subsidies, and use AI to help partners cut costs and drive efficiency,” he said.
This year’s 818 festival could mark an inflection point. As Autohome doubles down on AI and scales its O2O ecosystem, it is betting on technology and globalization to shape the next chapter of the automotive industry.
Still, key questions remain.
What happens when subsidies stop working? What does sustainable, high-quality growth look like in a saturated market? And if international expansion becomes the new norm, how far can it really go?
These are the questions Autohome—and the broader sector—must now begin to answer.
This article was written in partnership with <a href="https://www.autohome.com.cn/">Autohome</a>.

AI takes the wheel: Autohome taps “818” festival to spotlight its global automotive services

Artificial Intelligence

Transportation

Electric Vehicles

Mobility

From Nerdy’s dominance to the daisy-stamped staples of Mardi Mercredi, and from MLB baseball caps to Emis lids, the preferences of Chinese youth have shifted over time, but their interest in South Korean fashion has remained constant.
Driving this continued popularity is a concerted push by South Korean streetwear brands to enter the Chinese market.
Since the beginning of 2025, brands including Emis, Rest&amp;Recreation, and Ader Error have opened their first stores in China. But none has drawn more attention than Musinsa.
Musinsa began as a sneaker community and has since grown into a hybrid fashion platform combining e-commerce, content, and community features. It is widely recognized in South Korea.
According to Musinsa’s official account on Xiaohongshu, the platform carries more than 8,000 brands across categories ranging from basics and casualwear to streetwear and formal apparel. In 2024, Musinsa reported an annual GMV (gross merchandise value) of KRW 1.24 trillion (USD 892 million).
Beyond its online presence, Musinsa has launched several physical outlets that bridge e-commerce with retail and has also developed its own house brands. One of them, Musinsa Standard, debuted in 2017 and has been dubbed the South Korean equivalent of Uniqlo for its accessible pricing.
Musinsa Standard’s China flagship store is set to launch online in September. Its first brick-and-mortar outlet will open later this year at the Parkson shopping mall on Huaihai Road in Shanghai. Another store is expected at the revamped New Young 6 mall in Xujiahui.
<h3>Partnering with Anta</h3>
Chinese shoppers are already familiar with Musinsa, often visiting its stores in Seoul.
According to Musinsa, its Seongsu store at Daelim Changgo saw a 257% quarter-on-quarter increase in spending by Chinese customers in the second quarter of this year. At its Hongdae store near Hongik University, Chinese spending grew 180% year-on-year. Across its five Musinsa Standard locations in Seoul—Gangnam, Myeong-dong, Seongsu, Hannam, and Hongdae—Chinese consumer spending rose 120% in the first half of the year.
These figures bolstered Musinsa’s decision to expand into China. A key factor in this move was support from Chinese sportswear giant <a href="/company/anta">Anta</a>.
According to media reports, Musinsa and Anta have established a joint venture, with Musinsa holding a 60% stake and Anta 40%. Musinsa maintains operational control, while Anta provides local market support.
Their collaboration began in January. At that time, South Korean media reported that Anta acquired a 1.7% stake in Musinsa for KRW 50 billion (USD 36 million), with plans to form the JV.
Musinsa has also attracted prominent investors. In 2023, it completed a Series C funding round led by KKR, valuing the company at KRW 3 trillion (USD 2.2 billion).
Anta, which acquired Fila in 2009 and fueled its rapid expansion, has continued to grow through global acquisitions, adding brands such as Arc'teryx and Salomon to its portfolio. Its annual revenue has surpassed RMB 100 billion (USD 14 billion). In recent years, Anta has diversified beyond performance wear, expanding into yoga apparel and now streetwear.
Musinsa represents Anta’s first foray into fashion through investment rather than full acquisition.
Among Chinese visitors to Musinsa’s Seongsu and Hongdae stores, roughly 60% are aged 10–29. Tapping into this demographic could help Anta strengthen its appeal among China’s Gen Z.
<h3>Musinsa’s need for Anta</h3>
The rise of South Korean fashion comes as interest in once-popular Western streetwear brands wanes in China. This shift has created opportunities for labels like Musinsa to gain market share.
Social media has played a critical role. Endorsements from celebrities and influencers, paired with recommendation-driven platforms, have accelerated brand visibility among Chinese consumers.
According to Musinsa, its international customer base spans over 100 countries and regions. Chinese and Japanese shoppers lead among foreign visitors to its offline stores, accounting for 32% and 27%, respectively.
In June, Musinsa announced plans to speed up global expansion, with China as a priority. It aims to open more than 100 stores across China by 2030. To do so, it will rely on a strong local partner.
The cautionary tale of Nerdy underscores why such partnerships matter.
Founded in 2017, Nerdy quickly gained traction across Asia, including China. Around 2020, it entered the mainland market and grew quickly, operating more than 60 stores in major cities.
But disputes with its Chinese distributor disrupted its operations. In December 2024, Nerdy’s China team announced the closure of its Tmall flagship and outlet stores by year’s end. Most of its physical locations in China have since shuttered.
Nerdy’s challenges highlight the risks South Korean brands face in China and why Musinsa’s collaboration with Anta may help it navigate the market more effectively. Anta offers operational expertise and a deep understanding of local consumer behavior.
Still, in the fast-paced world of youth fashion, brands can lose relevance as quickly as they gain it. For Musinsa, staying in tune with shifting tastes will be essential.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3422694792514948">article</a> was written by Li Xiaoxia for 36Kr.

After Nerdy’s fall, Musinsa looks to Anta to navigate China’s fashion market

East Asia

Anta

Fashion

Creative

South Korea

… strong differentiator and enough gross margin to support partner commissions. Dealers who’ve tried it love it and are keen to work with us.
Robotic mowers are a complementary category. Stocking our products doesn’t cannibalize their existing business, so most dealers are open to cooperation.
<h3>36Kr: How’s the S1 performing in Europe?</h3>
CY: European users are quite different. They are generally older and tend to request more accessories.
The market is 90% consumer and only 10% commercial. Labor is expensive, and users have good awareness and acceptance of robotic solutions. With aging populations and limited cheap labor, demand is actually stronger than in the US.
For us, B2B is really just B2C at larger volumes. Since our resources are limited, we’re focusing on individual consumers first. If we meet their needs, commercial customers will follow.
<h3>36Kr: How do you gather user insights?</h3>
CY: We do it the old-fashioned way: by talking to users.
Our tech and marketing teams, myself included, regularly visit the US to meet users. We’ve even built user groups where they give feedback and request features. Some have asked for custom accessories or consumable upgrades, and we’ve brought them in to test new designs.
<figure id="attachment_156660" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-156660" style="width: 1920px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-156660" src="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mowrator-Showcase.jpg" alt="Photo shows overseas users testing the Mowrator S1 during an offline showcase event." width="1920" height="1280" srcset="https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mowrator-Showcase.jpg 1920w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mowrator-Showcase-720x480.jpg 720w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mowrator-Showcase-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mowrator-Showcase-768x512.jpg 768w, https://console.kr-asia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Mowrator-Showcase-1536x1024.jpg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-156660" class="wp-caption-text">Photo shows overseas users testing the Mowrator S1 during an offline showcase event. Photo source: Mowrator.</figcaption></figure>
<h3>36Kr: Have user behaviors changed in recent years?</h3>
CY: Some users are still willing to grow with a new brand, but fewer than before.
Crowdfunding platforms reflect this shift. They used to be havens for innovation where people supported ideas. Now they are more like mainstream shopping channels. Users are picky and mainly look for deals or novelty.
That makes entrepreneurship harder. You can’t just pitch a concept. You need real ability and execution.
The market’s tolerance for mistakes is shrinking. For high-tech products, it may come down to just one shot at survival. You need time to validate while also staying afloat. It’s a tough balance.
<h3>36Kr: Any advice on managing that?</h3>
CY: Take the narrow path. Avoid the crowded lanes. When others were crowding into Europe, we doubled down on North America. When others rushed into autonomy, we led with remote control.
<h3>36Kr: But users always want it all, don’t they?</h3>
CY: That’s why building a company is a test of comprehensive ability. You can have weaknesses, but you must be able to strengthen them over time. Every major function—whether product, supply chain, or user research—requires a solid foundation.
The market is fair. If you truly meet user needs, you’ll gain traction and build momentum from there. That’s the starting point for all startups. Everything else can grow from it.
<h3>36Kr: Some say having an early-mover advantage is crucial in this category. Do you agree?</h3>
CY: We focus on product capability. If you rush out a flawed product just to be first, the damage can be severe. It looks like you're claiming the market, but really, you're destroying your brand. It’s unsustainable and irrational.
We believe in accumulating value and avoiding short-term pressure from capital or market noise. If the market is big enough, entering with a strong product is never too late. If it’s small, there’s no point forcing your way in.
I still believe no one company can monopolize the entire space. There will always be users whose needs align with us, but only if our product is good enough.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3408279225831045">article</a> was written by Huang Nan for 36Kr.

Why Mowrator chose the US over Europe for its lawn robots

Europe

… Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3423787183115657">article</a> was written by Hu Xiangyun for 36Kr.

Innogen bets on longer-lasting GLP-1 drugs to stand out in crowded field

Biotechnology

… China. Earlier this year, it tightened controls by banning the export of slightly less advanced chips that met various criteria. Those regulations also limit Chinese chip developers' options for chip packaging services.
"We are actively seeking what IPs we can develop in-house, not only for supply security, but also for cost control," Wang said.
The high-end market for smart cockpits—the controls, displays and sensors that surround a driver—is dominated by Qualcomm, with a market share of around 70%, but Wang said Chinese companies are working hard to grab the middle of the market. "The real question is whether chasing after Qualcomm is the smartest move. The market is big enough, but for most companies, trying to reach Qualcomm's level could end up being far too costly," he said.
An executive from SiEngine Technology, an automotive chip company under Geely, told Nikkei that the company's advanced seven-nm chip for autonomous driving, the Xingchen-1, entered mass production this year and boasts a neural processing unit computing power of up to 512 tera operations per second (TOPS) per chip, compared with Nvidia's Orin X, which delivers up to 254 TOPS of AI performance.
Given the ongoing tensions between China and the US, the company is in talks with SMIC about potential cooperation. Currently, its chips are manufactured by TSMC and then shipped back to Suzhou for packaging, the person said.
Donnie Teng, a semiconductor analyst at Nomura Securities, said China is already capable of producing most of the mature-node semiconductors used across a wide range of applications. "It's clear that the direction going forward is toward self-sufficiency. Increasing the localization rate of automotive semiconductors is an ongoing trend," Teng said.
He added that China has already achieved a meaningful level of self-sufficiency in power discrete components, followed by sensors, other analog chips, and microcontroller units. However, for more advanced technologies such as smart cockpit and autonomous driving chips, China still faces production capacity constraints due to the need for more advanced chipmaking processes.
According to estimates by IBS, China's self-sufficiency in microcontroller (MCU) chips is expected to rise rapidly, from just 19% in 2024 to 67% by 2030. Its domestic production of silicon carbide power switch chips is projected to grow from 5% to 74% over the same period. Microcontrollers are used to control a wide range of electronic functions, including seat and window movements, airbags, cameras and radar systems.
Eugene Hsiao, head of China equity strategy at Macquarie Capital, said China is already very successful in the end-to-end supply chain for mature-node MCUs and power chips used in cars. Players like BYD's semiconductor division are already able to produce leading high-end power chips for fast EV charging, he said.
In other areas, Hsiao said, the rapid electrification and digitalization of Chinese cars is providing a tailwind for new players focused on designing logic chips used for infotainment systems and autonomous driving functions.
"We have seen several startups and newly listed companies, including Horizon Robotics, Black Sesame, and Ecarx, that are all involved in this space. Given the rapid adoption of digital features in Chinese cars, there is a large and growing market especially in the mass market which provides a window of opportunity for new entrants," he said.
This article first appeared on <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/technology/tech-asia/china-s-automakers-speed-up-efforts-to-replace-nvidia-chips">Nikkei Asia</a>. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with <a href="https://www.kr-asia.com/nikkei-teams-up-with-36kr-in-asia-tech-news-coverage/">Nikkei</a>.

China's automakers speed up efforts to replace Nvidia chips

Nvidia

Autonomous Vehicles

Semiconductors

AI Infrastructure

<blockquote>China Recap is a weekly roundup tracking Chinese companies expanding abroad, covering market entries, funding rounds, product launches, and global partnerships.</blockquote>
China’s corporate globalization strategy is evolving fast. Industry giants are rewriting the global playbook, while a new generation of companies charts fresh paths overseas.
China Recap tracks both—focusing on strategic expansion, brand building, and localized operations—to help readers make sense of shifting trends and understand how Chinese firms are reshaping their global approach.
Last week, Chinese chipmakers were observed accelerating innovation in <a href="/industry/ai">artificial intelligence</a> hardware, pursuing breakthroughs as demand remained strong despite shifts in the global trade order:
<h3>DeepSeek delays R2 launch over chip woes</h3>
<a href="/company/deepseek">DeepSeek</a> has reportedly delayed its R2 model launch after unsuccessful training runs on <a href="/company/huawei">Huawei’s</a> Ascend chips, opting to use <a href="/company/nvidia">Nvidia</a> hardware while continuing to use Ascend for inference. The delay highlighted China’s chip performance gap with US rivals, slowed market momentum, and was compounded by extended data labelling. —<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/eb984646-6320-4bfe-a78d-a1da2274b092">Financial Times</a>
<h3>Iluvatar CoreX eyes Hong Kong IPO</h3>
Iluvatar CoreX is weighing a Hong Kong IPO that could raise USD 300–400 million, according to sources cited by <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-13/ai-chipmaker-iluvatar-corex-is-said-to-mull-hong-kong-ipo">Bloomberg</a>. Backed by Centurium Capital, the chipmaker is gaining traction as Beijing pushes firms to reduce reliance on Nvidia. Discussions are preliminary, and deal terms may still change.
<h3>Huawei unveils UCM for AI inference </h3>
Huawei has unveiled UCM, a toolkit that uses key-value caching to speed up inference, expand context windows, and reduce token processing costs. Already in trial at UnionPay for customer service and marketing, UCM is set to be open-sourced in September. —<a href="https://www.ithome.com/0/874/787.htm">IT Zhijia</a>
<h3>SMIC sees sharp rise in Chinese chip demand</h3>
SMIC said Chinese chipmakers are rapidly gaining market share, with some increasing wafer orders tenfold over the past two years. Co-CEO Zhao Haijun said supply is expected to remain tight until October due to rising demand for power and analog chips. In the second quarter of 2025, the firm’s revenue rose 16.2% year-on-year to USD 2.2 billion, while net profit fell 19.5% to USD 132 million. —<a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/business/technology/smic-says-more-chinese-chip-players-perfectly-replacing-foreign-rivals">Nikkei Asia</a>
<h3>Porosvoc raises Series A funding</h3>
Chinese firm Porosvoc has raised an eight-figure RMB sum in Series A funding from Hanlian Semiconductor Industry Fund to advance R&amp;D in intelligent speech enhancement and interaction technologies. Founded in 2018, the company develops tri-core audio AI chips and algorithms for products spanning smart terminals, AI PCs, intercoms, and AI-powered toys. —<a href="https://36kr.com/p/3417773665488263">36Kr</a>
That wraps up this edition of China Recap. If your company is expanding internationally, we’d love to hear about your latest milestones. <a href="mailto:changweiqian@global.36kr.com">Get in touch</a> to share your story.

China Recap | Chipmakers in motion

<a href="/company/li-auto">Li Auto</a> is once again restructuring its sales division, retiring the <a href="https://kr-asia.com/li-auto-overhauls-sales-division-to-chase-higher-delivery-numbers">“warzone” model</a> it implemented less than six months ago. The company is reverting to a province-based direct management system. As part of the transition, Han Xi, formerly head of the central region, will resume his previous role as head of retail.
To support the change, Li Auto has created two new top-level departments. The first, led by Feng Wei, is focused on marketing. The second will coordinate business units to meet sales and service goals and will remain under company president Ma Donghui’s leadership.
Despite online speculation that CEO Li Xiang might return to the sales frontlines, 36Kr confirmed that the newly consolidated sales and service unit still reports to Ma.
Under its prior structure, Li Auto’s 26 provincial regions operated through a four-tier hierarchy: headquarters, province, city, and store. Each province set its own targets and local strategies. Introduced in March, the model consolidated the provinces into five regional theaters: north, south, east, west, and central. Each was tasked with managing its own sales, profit margins, and net promoter score (NPS). The headquarters shifted focus to digital infrastructure, training, and service standards.
But the experiment was short-lived.
In late July, Li Auto launched the i8, its second fully <a href="/industry/ev">electric vehicle</a>. Within a week, it restructured the lineup, collapsing three versions into a single Max variant priced at RMB 339,800 (USD 47,572).
Soon after, a video showing the i8 crashing head-on into a truck went viral. Public concern over safety and the brand’s credibility mounted, stalling the vehicle’s early momentum. As of mid-August, Li Auto had yet to disclose order numbers.
Several showroom employees told 36Kr that sales pressure has intensified. “Last weekend, our regional head told every store to hit 20 new orders,” one salesperson said. The i8 has underperformed compared to Li Auto’s L series.
whereRelatedArticle
Earlier this year, 36Kr reported that Li Auto had set a target of 700,000 deliveries for 2025, including 600,000 extended-range models. By July, it had sold only 234,700 vehicles, just 33% of its annual goal. Of those, only 8,600 were fully electric.
The company has since revised its supply chain forecasts downward.
Meanwhile, rivals are gaining ground. <a href="/company/leapmotor">Leapmotor</a> has carved out market share by challenging Li Auto on price, delivering around 272,000 vehicles in the first seven months of 2025, a 149.8% year-on-year increase.
At the premium end, Aito’s M9, which is priced around RMB 550,000 (USD 77,000), is attracting buyers with its smart driving features and brand appeal. In some months, M9 deliveries have surpassed the combined sales of Li Auto’s L7, L8, and L9. The family-focused segment that once anchored Li Auto’s success is fragmenting.
Insiders told 36Kr that the warzone model was partly to blame.
While decentralization allowed for regional flexibility, it also exposed execution gaps. Frontline capabilities varied, and with headquarters taking a hands-off role, oversight weakened. Interregional competition escalated, with some sales teams offering rebates and giveaways to hit quotas. Attempts to curb these practices were ineffective amid mounting pressure.
By dismantling the system and returning to provincial oversight, Li Auto is reverting to a model that previously fueled growth. Han, who oversaw retail during that earlier expansion, is back in the same role.
The direct provincial system, first implemented in April 2023, helped Li Auto to deliver 376,000 vehicles that year, an annual growth rate of 182%, making it China’s top EV brand based on sales. In 2024, it surpassed 500,000 units for the first time.
The recent shift suggests the model failed to meet operational demands. As the scale of management outpaced the company’s capabilities, it reverted to a familiar structure.
By reviving its grassroots-driven approach—where 26 provincial teams run door-to-door, region-specific campaigns—Li Auto appears to be returning to the strategy that built its early momentum.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This <a href="https://36kr.com/p/3424188882570885">article</a> was written by Xu Caiyu for 36Kr.

Li Auto reverts to old sales playbook after i8 sales underwhelm