Premium electric brand launched in 2020 as a joint venture between SAIC Motor, Alibaba and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech. Sold domestically as IM, badged in Chinese as Zhiji, and exported under the MG name in some overseas markets.
The IM LS8 is a full-size extended-range electric SUV, IM Motors' flagship. Four trims run from a 308 hp rear-drive version with 355 km of CLTC electric range to a 523 hp all-wheel-drive version with 430 km, plus a 1.5-litre range extender for up to 1,605 km combined. Prices start from ¥249,800.
IM Motors builds premium electric cars in Shanghai under a joint venture SAIC Motor registered in December 2020 with e-commerce group Alibaba and state investment firm Zhangjiang Hi-Tech. The company’s Chinese name is Zhiji Automobile, and “IM” - short for “Intelligence in Motion” - is the English brand used on cars sold in China and most export markets.
The lineup sits above SAIC’s other marques in price and positioning: the L-series sedans (L6, L7) and LS-series SUVs (LS6, LS8) compete with premium electric brands such as Nio and Zeekr rather than the mainstream crossovers MG and Roewe build. SAIC has also begun re-badging select IM models as MG for overseas buyers who recognize that name better - the IM L6 sells abroad as the MG IM5, and the IM LS6 as the MG IM6, so the same car can carry three names across its Chinese, domestic-English and export identities.
Within SAIC’s structure, IM Motors operates alongside MG, the group’s global export brand, plus Roewe, Wuling and Maxus, each aimed at a different segment or market.
