A social media exchange between executives from Nio‘s Onvo and Li Auto has drawn public attention after Nio’s Onvo President Shen Fei called on Li Auto Vice President Liu Jie to issue an apology over an earlier misunderstanding related to an online smear campaign targeting Li Auto’s i8 SUV, as reported by IT-Home. The incident comes at a time when both companies are launching key electric vehicles in China’s competitive mid-to-upper segment.
On July 26, Onvo’s Shen Fei posted on Weibo, “Regarding the suggestion to ‘report to the police’ on July 24, netizens have verified that the source was not Onvo. Now that the facts are clear, I suggest that Li Auto’s Liu Jie offer a direct apology to Onvo and Nio users. Resolving misunderstandings demonstrates maturity.”
The situation began when Li Auto’s Liu Jie posted a screenshot on July 24, asking, “Is this the next major attack from paid smear campaigns against the Li Auto i8?” Shen responded in the comments with: “Report it directly to the police!”
Later, Weibo blogger @扭矩兄弟 (Torque Brothers) posted an image suggesting that the alleged smear content may have originated from within a Li Auto internal testing group. Shen Fei reshared that post, prompting broader online discussion. Liu Jie has not responded publicly to Shen’s latest remarks.
Li Auto’s all-electric six-seat SUV, the i8, is currently open for pre-order with a projected price of 350,000 to 400,000 yuan (approx. 48,000–55,000 USD). Final pricing will be announced at the company’s press conference on July 29. The vehicle measures 5,085 mm in length, 1,960 mm in width, and 1,740 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,050 mm.
Nio’s Onvo L90 began presales on July 10, with prices starting at 279,900 yuan (approximately 38,500 USD) for a full vehicle purchase or 193,900 yuan (roughly 26,700 USD) with a battery subscription plan. The model will officially launch on July 31, with deliveries scheduled to begin on August 1.
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