IM Motors (, ''Zhiji Motors'') is an

electric vehicle An electric vehicle (EV) is a motor vehicle whose propulsion is powered fully or mostly by electricity. EVs encompass a wide range of transportation modes, including road vehicle, road and rail vehicles, electric boats and Submersible, submer ...

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

between Chinese automobile manufacturer

SAIC Motor SAIC Motor Corp., Ltd. (formerly Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) is a Chinese State-owned enterprises of China, state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Anting, Shanghai. Founded in 1955, it is currently the largest of the ...

and Chinese technology companies Zhangjiang Hi-Tech and

Alibaba Group Alibaba Group Holding Limited, branded as Alibaba (), is a Chinese Multinational corporation, multinational technology company specializing in E-commerce in China, e-commerce, retail, Internet, and technology. Founded on 28 June 1999 in Hangzho ...

Etymology

The company's English name IM stands for "Intelligence in Motion". Its Chinese name is Zhiji Motors (智己汽车).

History

The IM Motors joint venture between SAIC Motor, Alibaba Group, and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech was established in December 2020, and a 3D rendering of the company's upcoming sedan, aiming to compete with the

Tesla Model S The Tesla Model S is a battery-electric, four-door full-size car produced by the American automaker Tesla since 2012. The automaker's second vehicle and longest-produced model, the Model S has both received mixed reviews from critics and a ...

, was presented later in January 2021. A dynamically developing industry in China, the so-called New Energy Vehicles are distinguished by their high-performance and high power drive systems. In April 2021 at the

Auto Shanghai Auto Shanghai (), officially known as the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition (), is a biennial international automobile show that alternates with the Beijing Auto Show (Auto China) as China's yearly international automotive ...

auto show, IM Motors presented three vehicles; the L7

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

executive car Executive car is a British term for a large car, and is considered equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars (and the non-luxury equivalent mid-size cars ...

prototype, along with two concepts, the LS7

mid-size Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...

SUV and the Airo designed by English designer Thomas Heatherwick. In December 2022, IM Motors officially launched its second production mode, the IM LS7, planning to start its sales in the second half of 2023 limited only to domestic market. Meanwhile, the 18% stake held by the administrative authorities of Shanghai's Pudong New District was sold to the private company Zhangjiang Hi-Tech. In August 2023, the company introduced its third model in the form of the LS6, an "SUV Coupe" variation of the flagship LS7, positioned below it under the name LS6. In July 2023, the German

Audi Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the compa ...

announced that it is establishing strategic cooperation with the Chinese company

in order to borrow its platform used to build large electric cars. Audi thus expressed its desire to use this technology to build its own electric model specifically for the Chinese market in order to increase its competitiveness against companies such as Nio. In February 2024, IM Motors participated in the Geneva Motor Show and launched its fourth model, Zhiji L6, for the first time in the world. On April 8, 2024, Zhiji L6 was officially released and pre-sale started. The car will be officially launched on May 13, with a price range of RMB 219,900 to 345,900. A discount of RMB 22,000 will be offered for purchase within the first month after launch. The flagship version of the car (Max Lightyear Edition) uses a quasi-900V ultra-high performance platform and ultra-fast charging semi-solid-state batteries, with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers. On March 1, 2024, IM Motors announced that it had received over RMB 8 billion in Series B equity financing, led by Bank of China Asset Management, a subsidiary of Bank of China, with participation from ABC Investment, Lingang Group,

CATL Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) is a Chinese battery manufacturer and technology company founded in 2011 that specializes in the manufacturing of lithium-ion battery, lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy st ...

, Momenta, Qingtao Energy and other companies.

Future Layout

According to IM Motors' overseas market layout plan, Zhiji L7 and LS7 will enter the Mexican, Middle Eastern, South American and Southeast Asian markets for sales in 2024; in 2025, LS6 and L6 will enter overseas markets for sales. IM Motors' overseas sales network will be selected from MG's existing dealer system to establish an independent channel; however, in some markets, it will share space with MG.

Models

Current models

* IM L7 (2022–present), full-size sedan, BEV * IM L6 (2024–present), mid-size sedan, BEV * IM LS7 (2023–present),

SUV , BEV * IM LS6 (2023–present),

SUV , BEV/PHEV File:IM L6 GIMS 2024 1X7A2393.jpg, IM L6 File:IM L7 GIMS 2024 1X7A2241.jpg, IM L7 File:2021 IM LS7.jpg, IM LS7 File:IM LS6 008.jpg, IM LS6

Concept vehicles

IM Motors has revealed the following concept cars: * Airo (2021,

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

), a 4-door concept car designed by Heatherwick Studio. * LS7 (2021, Shanghai), a

SUV concept previewing an upcoming model. File:IM Airo Concept 2022010101.jpg, IM Airo Concept File:Zhiji iM LS7 001.jpg, IM LS7 Concept

Sales

References

Manufacturing companies based in Shanghai SAIC Motor SAIC Motor joint ventures Joint ventures Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 2020 Electric vehicle manufacturers of China Alibaba Group 2020 establishments in Shanghai {{PRC-company-stub