Renaming it to i7 can save it? The Ideal i8 isn't selling well. Netizens: Official price cut of 40,000, is there still hope?

Recently, someone in the automotive circle posed a humorous question: If the Li Auto i8 were renamed to i7, could it make a comeback? It’s simply naive and ridiculous. A car that doesn’t sell well is never held back by its name; instead, it’s the price is unsustainable, the brand cannot support it, and the product lacks highlights. The awkward situation of the Li Auto i8 has long been predetermined.

First, let’s discuss the core contradiction: Li Auto simply cannot support a price above 300,000.

In the eyes of many consumers, Li Auto’s brand strength has been declining, lacking a solid technological moat. The electric motor, battery, and intelligent driving all rely on the supply chain; in simple terms, it’s just integration and assembly. Previously, they benefited from offering large family spaces, refrigerators, televisions, and large sofas, but once the price exceeds 300,000, their true nature is immediately exposed. Users are not fools; with the same budget, they can buy models with better technology, stronger brands, and higher quality. Why should they pay for the Li Auto i8?

Some believe that simply changing the name or code can turn things around, which is truly self-deceptive. If the i8 isn’t selling, will it suddenly sell well just because it’s called i7? The automotive market has never been a word game; if the product strength is lacking and the price is unreasonable, even calling it “Li Ideal King Bomb” will not attract attention. The issue with the Li Auto i8 has never been the name but rather its lack of strength to support a high price.

Comments in the discussion are also incisive: If you want to save the i8, stop with the empty talk; official price cuts, adding features, and addressing shortcomings are the practical steps.

Some suggest an official price cut of 40,000, others say to add a front trunk, and some bluntly state — lowering the price will lead to explosive sales. While the words are straightforward, the reasoning is true: Users are not rejecting Li Auto; they are rejecting “high price, low configuration.” When a car’s pricing exceeds the brand’s carrying capacity, no amount of marketing will help.

A more painful evaluation is: Li Auto’s current standing is basically on the same level as Leap Motor and Geely Galaxy.

Without core battery technologies, unique intelligent driving barriers, or a high-end brand history, relying only on stacking features, maximizing space, and providing home appliance-style experiences cannot stabilize the market above 300,000. Previous success was due to riding the wave of household extended-range vehicles; the current weakness is because the wave has receded, and the truth of their vulnerability cannot be hidden.

There are also a few netizens who feel that the i8’s product strength is not bad, but “not bad” does not equal “good sales.”

Automobile consumption looks at comprehensive competitiveness: brand, price, performance, energy consumption, resale value, reputation… The Li Auto i8 cannot dominate in any aspect within the 300,000 range; instead, it is suppressed by competitors everywhere. Product strength that is “not bad” can at most be considered passing, but the market only rewards top-performing models, while those that merely pass are destined to be marginalized.

Ultimately, the predicament of the Li Auto i8 is a microcosm of the entire Li Auto brand.

Starting from the family market, aiming for the high end without technological support; wanting to sell at high prices without brand heritage; trying to break through with products without core barriers. A clever name change cannot save sales; playing marketing tricks cannot support the high end. The only way to genuinely save it is: lower the price and enhance the configuration, increase strength; stop fantasizing that users will pay for inflated pricing.

Renaming it to i7? Don’t be ridiculous.

The Li Auto i8 has not lost because of its name, but because the brand cannot support the price, and the product cannot support the high end. Unless this root problem is solved, changing the name will be useless; lowering the price is the only way out.