Li Auto Legal Department Reports to Police: Malicious Online Comparisons Targeting i6 and L6 Models

On the evening of April 11, Li Auto's Legal Department issued a statement announcing that it has completed evidence collection regarding a wave of malicious comparison posts targeting the Li i6 and Li L6 models on platforms such as Xiaohongshu (RED), and has officially filed a report with the public security authorities.

The Legal Department detailed its findings on its official Weibo account: the posts and comments were highly homogenized content centered on "which car to choose between two," with IP addresses and posting times showing abnormal concentration and "clear signs of organization, inconsistent with normal user-generated discussion." The department stated that this behavior, by creating a false "word-of-mouth" comparison and a one-sided public opinion illusion, not only harms Li Auto's product reputation but also seriously infringes on consumers' right to know and choose.

Li Xiang "Names" Japanese Brand on WeChat Moments, Dongfeng Nissan Responds Swiftly

Just hours before the Legal Department's statement, Li Auto's Chairman and CEO Li Xiang posted on his personal WeChat Moments, sharply pointing the finger at the initiator of the incident. Li Xiang explicitly stated: "A certain Japanese brand has extensively hired 'marketing accounts' and 'paid trolls' to smear Li Auto's products, severely impacting our normal operations. He angrily called this 'the most despicable act under the anti-involution regulations.'"

The images attached to Li Xiang's post were screenshots of online posts comparing the Nissan NX8 and the Li i6. This "name-and-shame" accusation quickly went viral on social media, with the topic "Li Xiang curses on Moments" trending. Shortly after Li Xiang's post, Dongfeng Nissan, the implicated brand, responded swiftly. Wang Qian, General Manager of Dongfeng Nissan's NEV brand, posted on social media: "We have noticed the relevant online statements today and have received inquiries from many media friends. Dongfeng Nissan always adheres to industry rules, advocates healthy competition, and respects every peer striving for China's automotive industry, including Li Auto." While not directly denying the accusation, the response was interpreted by industry observers as an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

Li i6 and L6 at Peak Market Performance

Notably, the incident comes at a time when Li Auto's two core products are performing at their strongest. Just the day before (April 10), Li Auto announced that the 100,000th production unit of the all-electric Li i6 had rolled off the assembly line in Changzhou. Since its launch on September 26, 2025, the model reached this milestone in less than seven months. Data shows that in March 2026, monthly deliveries of the Li i6 exceeded 24,000 units, contributing significantly to Li Auto's total monthly deliveries of 41,053 vehicles. Meanwhile, cumulative deliveries of the Li L6, another pillar of Li Auto's sales, have reached 380,000 units.

Industry analysts suggest that it is precisely because the Li i6 and Li L6 have excelled in the RMB 200,000-300,000 pure electric and extended-range SUV segment that they have become the most direct "roadblocks" for competitors, prompting this organized "online offensive." Li Auto's Legal Department specifically noted that the malicious comparisons occurred "after the launch of a certain brand's new car," which closely aligns with the timing of the Japanese brand's new vehicle launch referenced in Li Xiang's post.

Legal Action: The Path to Protecting Rights Has Begun

Li Auto's statement made clear that it has "completed all evidence collection" and will pursue "all legal avenues, including reporting to public security authorities, filing complaints with supervisory bodies, and initiating lawsuits, to hold the planners, organizers, and implementers legally accountable." Since the launch of a special campaign by eight central ministries to rectify online chaos in the automotive industry in 2025, regulators have removed a large amount of malicious defamation, and several cases of "black PR" and "paid troll" attacks have been investigated and punished. With regulatory red lines becoming clearer, Li Auto's strong legal action may become another landmark case in industry cleanup.

As of press time, the disputed posts on relevant platforms have not been fully removed, but Li Auto has stated that it has submitted complaint materials to relevant regulatory authorities and will continue to update the public on further developments.