We recently compiled a list of the 13 Best Car Stocks To Buy In 2025. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) stands against the other car stocks.
Car stocks are the stock holdings of businesses engaged in the automotive market, such as those that produce automobiles, auto parts, or industry-related services.
According to Reuters, U.S. new car sales in 2024 grew significantly from their pandemic lows due to increased production, restocked inventory, and growing demand for hybrid cars. As per Wards Intelligence, new car sales in the United States hit 15.9 million in 2024, up 2.2% from 2023 and the highest since 2019.
In 2025, S&P Global forecasts that global sales of new light vehicles, or passenger cars and trucks, are projected to rise 1.7% to 89.6 million units. The overall reduction of 2025 automotive estimates reflects anticipated changes in US policy following the election. There will be significant impacts on the demand for vehicles as a result, particularly on interest rates, trade flows, sourcing, and the rates of BEV adoption.
Colin Couchman, executive director of global light vehicle forecasting for S&P Global Mobility, commented:
“2025 is shaping up to be ultra-challenging for the auto industry, as key regional demand factors limit demand potential and the new US administration adds fresh uncertainty from day one,” “A key concern is how ‘natural’ EV demand fares as governments rethink policy support, especially incentives and subsidies, industrial policy, tariffs, and fast evolving OEM target setting.”
Chris Hopson, principal analyst at S&P Global Mobility, recently stated that consumers who are considering buying a new car are hurrying to dealers before possible price implications become apparent. The sales spikes in March and April might open the way for future volatility. In the next three months, automakers will face new, tariffed inventory and production levels in addition to unstable economic conditions.
In response to industry criticism, President Trump recently introduced a two-year relief provision linked to domestic sales and manufacturing volume, which loosened the recently imposed 25% tariffs on cars and parts. Now, automakers with U.S. factories can deduct import taxes on parts, starting at 3.75% of the suggested retail price of a car in the first year, and then 2.5% in the second year. Vehicles with 85% U.S., Canadian, or Mexican parts are exempt from tariffs, which will rise to 90% by next year. Furthermore, the administration exempted these companies from overlapping taxes on Canadian and Mexican commodities, steel, and aluminum. After industry groups warned that the duties, which went into effect in March for automobiles and on May 3 for parts, would increase auto prices, lower sales, and negatively impact service costs, the move was made.
GM chief executive Mary Barra stated:
“We’re grateful to President Trump for his support of the US automotive industry and the millions of Americans who depend on us,”
Nonetheless, there will be plenty of fireworks as leading businesses compete for market share because the automotive industry is still evolving. According to Dentons, the automotive industry will need to be adaptable, creative, and flexible in 2025 as it manages changing consumer demands, regulatory changes, and economic challenges. In a market that is competitive and evolving quickly, Original Equipment Manufacturers can position themselves for success by taking advantage of developments in manufacturing technologies, software-defined vehicles, and electric vehicles.
A factory worker welding a car body with precision.
Methodology:
For this article, we sifted through the online rankings to form an initial list of the 20 Car Stocks. From the resultant dataset, we chose 13 stocks with the highest number of hedge fund investors, using Insider Monkey’s database of 1,009 hedge funds in Q4 2024 to gauge hedge fund sentiment for stocks. We have used the stock’s YoY revenue growth as a tie-breaker in case two or more stocks have the same number of hedge funds invested.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points. (see more details here).
Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28
Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI), a prominent Chinese NEV producer, creates, develops, produces, and markets high-end smart NEVs. The company launched volume production of its first model, the Li One, in November 2019. The model is a large, high-end, six-seater plug-in electric SUV featuring innovative smart car technologies and a range extension system. In 2024, it sold more than 500,000 NEVs, making up roughly 4% of the Chinese market for passenger new energy vehicles. Beyond Li One, the business is expanding its product line to include BEVs and PHEVs to reach a larger consumer base.
Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) is China’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles, developing plug-in hybrid electric sport utility vehicles for family use. The firm worked hard to develop its range-extension drivetrain, which is now a major selling feature for its affordable cars. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, are significantly less expensive than battery electric vehicles, or BEVs, because they require less battery.
Li Auto Inc. (NASDAQ:LI) continues to rank among the Best Auto Stocks because of its rapid growth potential. In Q4 2024, the company supplied more than 158,000 vehicles, setting a new quarterly record. Deliveries surpassed 500,000 units in a full year, making it the first luxury Chinese vehicle brand and emerging NEV to reach this milestone. In 2023, there were over 373,000 deliveries, showing a 35% increase in sales despite challenges faced by other EV stocks. One major reason for this is its premium appeal, as the Li AD Max accounts for more than 80% of orders in China for models priced above $55,000.
Overall, LI ranks 11th on our list of the Best Car Stocks To Buy In 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of LI as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LI but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
