IM Motors to debut extended-range system on Aug 1, becoming another EV maker to enter hybrid market

SAIC Motor's electric vehicle (EV) unit, IM Motors, is set to officially unveil its extended-range system in 10 days and plans to launch two extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) models this year, becoming the latest EV maker to enter the hybrid vehicle market.

IM Motors will debut its "super extended-range" technology on August 1, creating a new category in the new energy vehicle (NEV) sector, the company announced today on Weibo.

The new technology utilizes high-capacity batteries to deliver ultra-long range and a generational upgrade in driving experience, IM Motors said.

The first models to feature this extended-range powertrain technology will be the updated IM LS6 SUV and the all-new six-seat flagship model IM LS9, which are scheduled for release in the third and fourth quarters, according to IM Motors.

IM Motors' August 1 event will begin at 7 pm Beijing time, according to one of its posters.

The SAIC unit will be the latest to enter the hybrid vehicle sector, aiming to tap into a larger market.

Most of China's earliest EV startups initially targeted the batter electric vehicle (BEV) market, but experience over the past few years has shown that plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), including EREVs, are popular in the electrification transition.

To date, among China's domestic EV manufacturers, only Nio remains committed to producing solely BEVs.

Xpeng unveiled its extended-range system, named the Kunpeng Super Electric System, in November 2024, claiming that vehicles equipped with the system will have a combined range of up to 1,400 kilometers and a battery range of up to 430 kilometers.

Last week, a vehicle that was heavily camouflaged but clearly an Xpeng G6 was spotted refueling at a gas station.

In February 2024, IM Motors co-CEO Liu Tao said that the company's fifth model would adopt extended-range technology, addressing the limitations of typical EREVs, which had a range of only 200 kilometers on battery power and didn't support fast charging.

IM Motors currently sells the IM L6 and IM L7 sedans, as well as the IM LS6 and IM LS7 SUVs, all of which are BEV models.

The model is a mid-to-large-size SUV with dimensions of 4,910 mm in length, 1,988 mm in width, and 1,669 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 4,910 mm.

The LS9 is IM Motors' upcoming new model, which was listed in the latest catalog of vehicles approved for sale by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) last week.

The six-seat SUV measures 5,279 mm in length, 2,000 mm in width, and 1,806 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,160 mm.