Li Auto Inc. Announces Unaudited Third Quarter 2020 Financial Results

Li Auto Inc. (“Li Auto” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: LI), an innovator in China’s new energy vehicle market, today announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2020.

Li ONE; photo credit: Li Auto

Operating Highlights for the Third Quarter of 2020

• Deliveries of Li ONEs were 8,660 in the third quarter of 2020, representing a 31.1% quarter-over-quarter increase and setting a new quarterly record.

As of September 30, 2020, the Company had 35 retail stores covering 30 cities.

Financial Highlights for the Third Quarter of 2020

• Vehicle sales were RMB2.46 billion (US$363.0 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 28.4% from RMB1.92 billion in the second quarter of 2020.

• Vehicle margin2 was 19.8% in the third quarter of 2020, compared with 13.7% in the second quarter of 2020.

• Total revenues were RMB2.51 billion (US$369.8 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 28.9% from RMB1.95 billion in the second quarter of 2020.

• Gross profit was RMB496.8 million (US$73.2 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 91.3% from RMB259.7 million in the second quarter of 2020.

• Gross margin was 19.8% in the third quarter of 2020, compared with 13.3% in the second quarter of 2020.

• Loss from operations was RMB180.0 million (US$26.5 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 2.1% from RMB176.3 million in the second quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP loss from operations3 was RMB45.0 million (US$6.6 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 74.5% from RMB176.3 million in the second quarter of 2020.

• Net loss was RMB106.9 million (US$15.7 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 42.2% from RMB75.2 million in the second quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP net income3 was RMB16.0 million (US$2.4 million) in the third quarter of 2020, compared with RMB159.2 million Non-GAAP net loss3 in the second quarter of 2020.

• Operating cash flow was RMB929.8 million (US$136.9 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 105.8% from RMB451.7 million in the second quarter of 2020.

• Free cash flow was RMB749.9 million (US$110.4 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 149.3% from RMB300.8 million in the second quarter of 2020.

Key Financial Results

(in RMB millions, except for percentages)

Recent Developments

Deliveries Update

• In October 2020, the Company delivered 3,692 Li ONEs, representing a steady increase compared to September 2020. As of October 31, 2020, the Company had 41 retail stores covering 36 cities.
   

Executive and Board Appointments

• The Company appointed Mr. Kai Wang as chief technology officer, effective September 15, 2020. In this role, Mr. Wang leads the Company’s advanced technology research and development (“R&D”) in smart vehicles, including electronic and electrical architecture, intelligent cockpit, autonomous driving, platform development and Li OS, the real-time operating system of Li Auto. The Company plans to continue recruiting outstanding professionals worldwide to further expand and strengthen its team.

• The Company appointed Mr. Zheng Fan as a new independent director to the Company’s board of directors, effective October 22, 2020. Following the appointment, Mr. Fan serves as a member of the audit committee, compensation committee, and nominating and corporate governance committee of the board of directors.

Strategic Cooperation

• In September 2020, the Company entered a three-way strategic cooperation with NVIDIA Corporation (“NVIDIA”), the world’s leading artificial intelligence computing company, and NVIDIA’s Chinese partner, Huizhou Desay SV Automotive (“Desay SV”). Through this strategic cooperation, Li Auto will be the first OEM equipping its vehicles, the full-size extended-range premium smart SUV to be launched in 2022, with the powerful NVIDIA Orin system-on-a-chip (“SoC”) chipset. Through this cooperation, the Company plans to further increase its R&D investment and accelerate the development of autonomous driving.
  

CEO and CFO comments

Mr. Xiang Li, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Li Auto, commented, “This is our first quarterly earnings release as a public company, and we are pleased to announce robust third quarter results reflecting not only our strong growth momentum driven by the outstanding value proposition of our products, but also our relentless pursuit of operating efficiencies. We delivered 8,660 Li ONEs in the third quarter, representing a 31.1% quarter-over-quarter increase and setting a new quarterly record. Cumulative deliveries in 2020 at the end of October reached 21,852 vehicles. This is a strong testament to the competitiveness of the Li ONE. For the fourth quarter of 2020, we expect our growth momentum to continue with deliveries reaching 11,000 to 12,000 vehicles.”

“In terms of R&D, we will further increase our investment in this regard and continue to leverage technology to create value for users and optimize our user experience. Through product and technology innovations, we are committed to providing our users with safer, easier and more cost-effective travel solutions, ensuring we live up to their support and trust.” concluded Mr. Li.

Mr. Tie Li, chief financial officer of Li Auto, added, “We are pleased to report our third quarter financial and operating results with 28.9% quarter-over-quarter growth in total revenues driven by our record quarterly vehicle deliveries, as well as gross margin expansion, which increased to 19.8% compared with 13.3% of the second quarter. In the third quarter, we generated operating cash flow of RMB929.8 million, 105.8% higher than the prior quarter, which demonstrated our operational efficiency and successful cash flow management strategy. Looking forward, we will continue investing in both R&D and direct sales and servicing network expansion, as product iteration and sales channel integrity are the key components of our success."

Financial Results for the Third Quarter of 2020

Revenues

• Total revenues were RMB2.51 billion (US$369.8 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 28.9% from RMB1.95 billion in the second quarter of 2020.

• Vehicle sales were RMB2.46 billion (US$363.0 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 28.4% from RMB1.92 billion in the second quarter of 2020. The increase in vehicle sales was mainly attributable to a 31.1% increase in vehicle deliveries to 8,660 vehicles in the third quarter of 2020 from 6,604 vehicles in the second quarter of 2020.

• Other sales and services were RMB46.1 million (US$6.8 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 64.1% from RMB28.1 million in the second quarter of 2020. The increase in other sales and services was in line with the increased vehicle sales and the increased number of vehicles using the Company's services.
  

Cost of Sales and Gross Margin

• Cost of sales was RMB2.01 billion (US$296.6 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 19.3% from RMB1.69 billion in the second quarter of 2020.

• Gross profit was RMB496.8 million (US$73.2 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 91.3% from RMB259.7 million in the second quarter of 2020. The increase of gross profit was primarily attributable to increased vehicle sales.

• Vehicle margin2 was 19.8% in the third quarter of 2020, compared with 13.7% in the second quarter of 2020. The increase in vehicle margin was primarily attributable to the decrease in purchase price of certain materials including a one-time rebate received from a supplier and lower unit manufacturing overhead cost due to the increased production volume.

• Gross margin was 19.8% in the third quarter of 2020, compared with 13.3% in the second quarter of 2020, which was mainly driven by the increase of vehicle margin.
  

Operating Expenses

• Total operating expenses were RMB676.7 million (US$99.7 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 55.2% from RMB436.0 million in the second quarter of 2020.

• Research and development expenses were RMB334.5 million (US$49.3 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 66.1% from RMB201.4 million in the second quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP research and development expenses3 were RMB278.8 million (US$41.1 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 38.4% from RMB201.4 million in the second quarter of 2020. The increase in research and development expenses was primarily attributable to share-based compensation expenses recognized related to the stock options granted to employees with service conditions and a performance condition related to the IPO and initiating research and development for the Company’s next vehicle model, as well as increased headcount.

• Selling, general and administrative expenses were RMB342.2 million (US$50.4 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 45.9% from RMB234.5 million in the second quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses3 were RMB264.2 million (US$38.9 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 12.7% from RMB234.5 million in the second quarter of 2020. The increase in selling, general and administrative expenses was primarily driven by share-based compensation expenses recognized related to the stock options granted to employees with service conditions and a performance condition related to the IPO and increased headcount, as well as increased marketing and promotional expenses.
  

Loss from Operations

• Loss from operations was RMB180.0 million (US$26.5 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 2.1% from RMB176.3 million in the second quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP loss from operations3 was RMB45.0 million (US$6.6 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing a decrease of 74.5% from RMB176.3 million in the second quarter of 2020.
  

Net Loss and Earnings Per Share

• Net loss was RMB106.9 million (US$15.7 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 42.2% from RMB75.2 million in the second quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP net income3 was RMB16.0 million (US$2.4 million) in the third quarter of 2020, compared with RMB159.2 million Non-GAAP net loss3 in the second quarter of 2020.

• Basic and diluted net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders were both RMB0.52 (US$0.08) in the third quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders3 were RMB0.03 and RMB0.02, respectively, in the third quarter of 2020.
  

Balance Sheets, Operating Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow

• Balance of cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, time deposits and short-term investments was RMB18.92 billion (US$2.79 billion) as of September 30, 2020, compared with RMB3.71 billion as of December 31, 2019. This increase was primarily attributable to the issuance of Series D private financing, the completion of IPO and concurrent private placements.

• Operating cash flow was RMB929.8 million (US$136.9 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 105.8% from RMB451.7 million in the second quarter of 2020.

• Free cash flow4 was RMB749.9 million (US$110.4 million) in the third quarter of 2020, representing an increase of 149.3% from RMB300.8 million in the second quarter of 2020.
  

Business Outlook
For the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company expects:

• Deliveries of vehicles to be between 11,000 and 12,000 units, representing an increase of approximately 27.0% to 38.6% from the third quarter of 2020.

• Total revenues to be between RMB3.11 billion (US$457.8 million) and RMB3.39 billion (US$499.4 million), representing an increase of approximately 23.9% to 35.1% from the third quarter of 2020.

This business outlook reflects the Company’s current and preliminary view on the business situation and market condition, which is subject to change.