Li Auto Inc. vs Tesla, Inc., two Auto Manufacturers stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
What is priced in: Tesla at 347.7 times earnings, priced for autonomy, energy, and robotics well beyond its car business, Li Auto at 150.6, priced for Chinese EV volume growth, two of the sector's most demanding multiples. Tesla nets 4.5% of revenue and earns 5.19% on equity, Li 1.01% and 1.56%, both thin, Tesla's slightly ahead. Tesla carries 0.11 turns of debt, Li 0.13; Tesla yields a bare 0.52% in free cash, Li negative 7.1%. The pair prices two EV makers whose valuations rest on the future, not the trailing year: Tesla's on a suite of moonshots at over 300 times earnings, Li's on Chinese volume at 150, and both ask the buyer to underwrite a story the current income statement cannot support.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | LI | TSLA |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.05 | $379.00 |
| Market cap | $25.8B | $1.34T |
| Sector | Auto Manufacturers | Auto Manufacturers |
| Stage | Growth | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +7.4% | — |
| P/E | 150.6 | 347.7 |
| P/B | 2.47 | 15.82 |
| P/S | 1.61 | 13.70 |
| EV/EBITDA | 32.4 | 131.8 |
| Revenue growth | +53.8% | +3.1% |
| Gross margin | 18.7% | 21.1% |
| Operating margin | -0.5% | 4.2% |
| Net margin | 1.0% | 4.5% |
| Return on equity | 1.6% | 5.2% |
| Return on assets | 0.7% | 3.1% |
| Return on invested capital | -0.6% | 3.4% |
| FCF yield | -7.1% | 0.5% |
| Debt / equity | 0.13 | 0.11 |
| Current ratio | 1.81 | 2.04 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 2.56 | 7.38 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 2 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.