 | |
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | December 2020; 4 years ago (December 2020) (Shanghai) |
| Headquarters | , |
Area served | China |
Key people | Liu Tao (co-CEO)[1] |
| Products | Electric vehicles |
| Owner | SAIC Motor (54%) Alibaba Group (18%) Zhangjiang Hi-Tech (18%) |
| Website | www |
IM Motors (Chinese:智己汽车,Zhiji Motors) is anelectric vehiclejoint venture betweenChinese automobile manufacturerSAIC Motor and Chinese technology companiesZhangjiang Hi-Tech andAlibaba Group.
The company's English name IM stands for "Intelligence in Motion". Its Chinese name is Zhiji Motors (智己汽车).[2]
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 theTesla Model S, was presented later in January 2021.[1][2]
A dynamically developing industry in China, the so-called New Energy Vehicles are distinguished by their high-performance and high power drive systems.[3]
In April 2021 at theAuto Shanghai auto show, IM Motors presented three vehicles; theL7electricexecutive car prototype,[4] along with two concepts, the LS7mid-sizeSUV and theAiro designed by English designerThomas Heatherwick.[5][6]
In December 2022, IM Motors officially launched its second production mode, theIM LS7, planning to start its sales in the second half of 2023 limited only to domestic market.[7] Meanwhile, the 18% stake held by the administrative authorities of Shanghai'sPudong New District was sold to the private company Zhangjiang Hi-Tech.
In August 2023, the company introduced its third model in the form of theLS6, an "SUV Coupe" variation of the flagshipLS7, positioned below it under the nameLS6.[8]
In July 2023, the GermanAudi announced that it is establishing strategic cooperation with the Chinese companySAIC Motor 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 asNio.[9]
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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]
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 fromABC Investment,Lingang Group,CATL,Momenta,Qingtao Energy and other companies.[13]
IM Motors has revealed the following concept cars:
| Calendar year | Total sales |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 5,000[14] |
| 2023 | 38,253[15] |
| 2024 | 65,505[16] |
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1Brands ofSAIC-GM-Wuling | |||||
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