Li Auto struggling to safeguard its brand reputation
In the world of electric vehicles, a heated debate has been unfolding between Li Auto and Nio, two major players in the industry. The controversy started after Li Auto's first all-electric SUV, the Li i8, was launched on July 29 and faced lukewarm initial acceptance, leading to a relaunch and a price reduction just one week later.
Amidst this, Li Auto has been facing a flood of negative comments on social media platforms, with some suggesting that these comments are organized and illegal. The company claims that similar content appears intensively on multiple platforms 24 hours a day. The negative comments target the company and its owners, allegedly causing damage to the image of Li Auto users and disrupting their lives.
The launch event for the Li i8 inadvertently dragged a truck manufacturer, Chenglong Truck, into controversy due to a video demonstration involving one of their trucks. However, Li Auto and Chenglong Truck have since issued a joint statement with the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute, resolving the controversy over the crash test.
Interestingly, some auto bloggers have hinted that Nio Inc could be behind the negative actions towards Li Auto. Nio's Vice President of Brand, Ma Lin, has denied any motive or involvement in targeting Li Auto users and encouraged Li Auto to report these issues to the police.
However, Li Auto's CEO, Li Xiang, has suggested that certain rivals might be involved in the smear campaigns, although he did not explicitly name Nio. Nio has officially denied involvement in any orchestrated online smear campaigns, calling such claims defamatory. The company has accused certain individuals and accounts of fabricating false evidence to link Nio or its sub-brand Onvo to these campaigns and has taken legal action to combat misinformation and protect its brand.
Prior incidents involved Onvo being implicated in smear rumors against Li Auto, which were later proven to be fabricated or misattributed. Onvo executives publicly refuted accusations, suggesting the originators of the rumors were internal or unrelated actors.
Ma Lin has encouraged Li Auto users to experience Nio's new ES8 and Onvo L90. Despite the intense attacks, the controversy has not stopped, even in the early hours of the morning. Li Auto is gathering evidence and will take measures, including complaints to the platforms and litigation, to protect the rights and interests of its users and the company.
As the situation continues to unfold, both companies are urging their users to remain calm and focus on the quality of their products, rather than engaging in online feuds. The electric vehicle market is a competitive one, and it remains to be seen how this controversy will impact the future of both Li Auto and Nio.
[1] Source 1 [2] Source 2 [3] Source 3 [4] Source 4 [5] Source 5
- The launch of Li Auto's electric vehicle, the Li i8, stirred controversy within the automotive industry, leading to a relaunch and price reduction.
- Negative comments pouring in on social media platforms have targeted Li Auto, with some suggesting they are organized and illegal.
- A video demonstration at the Li i8 launch inadvertently involved Chenglong Truck, but a joint statement with the China Automotive Engineering Research Institute resolved the issue.
- Nio Inc has been hinted as being behind the negative actions towards Li Auto by some auto bloggers, but Nio's Vice President of Brand Ma Lin has denied any involvement.
- Li Auto's CEO, Li Xiang, has implied that certain competitors might be involved in smear campaigns, without explicitly naming Nio.
- Previous incidents have involved Nio's sub-brand Onvo being implicated in smear rumors against Li Auto, which were later proven false.
- Both Li Auto and Nio are urging their users to focus on product quality instead of engaging in online feuds, with the potential impact on their future sustainability yet to be determined. (Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
