There is another Chinese brand in Europe
Li Auto made its debut at the Paris Motor Show and has already confirmed its first European markets. It will start with an electric SUV that is nearly five meters long.
Li Auto is the latest Chinese automaker to enter Europe, choosing the Paris Motor Show to introduce itself to the public and unveil its European strategy, which begins with a 100% electric SUV.
It may be virtually unknown to us, but it is by no means a small company. Founded in 2015 by Li Xiang, it has delivered over 1.8 million vehicles since starting production in 2019. In the first nine months of 2026, it delivered nearly 300,000 units.
The brand targets the premium segment, focusing primarily on large family SUVs, with technology and comfort being its main selling points.
The debut at a European auto show took place in Paris, but the brand’s first public appearance in Europe was in September in the Netherlands. Li Auto provided 20 vehicles for the Solheim Cup, an international women’s golf competition, and used the opportunity to showcase its unique electric minivan, the Mega.
The first model selected for Europe is the Li 6, the international version of the i6 that has been sold in China since September 2025.
With a length of 4.95 meters and a wheelbase of three meters, the brand describes it as a five-seater SUV that combines a highly aerodynamic body design with proportions reminiscent of… a minivan.
The Li 6 uses an 800 V electrical architecture, but it has not yet released the final specifications. In China, the updated i6 is advertised to deliver power outputs of 250 kW (340 hp) and 400 kW (544 hp), depending on whether it has rear-wheel or all-wheel drive. The 96 kWh battery allows for an advertised range of up to 780 km under China’s CLTC cycle, which is more optimistic than Europe’s WLTP standard.
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The brand confirmed that the European version will feature a specific chassis tuning as well as customized software. Li Auto has developed its own platform for international markets, supporting eight European languages, localized navigation, and integration with apps such as Spotify and Apple CarPlay.
When will it arrive in Europe? And in Portugal?
Li Auto confirmed that sales and first deliveries of the Li 6 will begin in the first quarter of 2027 in the Netherlands and Norway. Expansion to other European markets will follow later, but Portugal is not yet on the list of confirmed countries.
To prepare for this arrival, the brand is establishing a sales and service network, including a parts distribution center in the Netherlands. Roadside assistance and customer support services are set to start operating by December 2026.
The European rollout won’t be limited to the Li 6. Li Auto plans to launch at least one new model per year between 2027 and 2029. Not all of them will be 100% electric. The brand also intends to release models with range extenders, the technology that underpinned its success in China.