IM, also known as Zhiji Motors, is a joint venture company consisting of SAIC Motor, Pudong New Area and Alibaba Group.
In April 2021, at the Auto Shanghai show, the company’s sedan IM L7 has been introduced for the first time. Intended to be a Tesla Model S killer, this vehicle promised a lot. Its autonomous driving system will be sold separately to other brands, something we’ve seen Elon contemplate.
IM L7
Images from Auto Shanghai can be found below. The sedan is long, aerodynamic and has an aggressive front. The headlights have a design that reminds us of the Greek letter sigma, and they are full of LED strips. Because of that, the car can play custom light patterns on them. Wireless charging will also be a standard for IM L7.
The vehicle will be over 5 meters long (5,098 mm), with a wheelbase of 3,100 mm. The car’s initial option will be a 93 kWh battery. It promises an NEDC range of 615 km (380 mi). However, the firm plans to release a more powerful version with a 118 kWh battery in the future. The driving range will be increased to 1000 miles with this equipment. It’s worth noting that the firm plans to begin selling in the second half of next year. As for the powertrains, customers will be given a choice between a single motor 340 horsepower RWD unit or a twin motor 570 horsepower AWD unit.
The IM L7 features the company’s IM AD intelligent driving system, which includes LIDAR, 12 cameras, 5-millimeter wave radars, and 12 ultrasonic sensors, as well as Nvidia’s Jetson Xavier processor. The interior consists of four screens in total – a 39-inch dashboard that fits three screens, with one more screen under, for climate and car control options. Nvidia’s ultra-fast processor allows the automobile to drive itself on motorways and semi-autonomously on city streets, as well as be summoned and parked by itself. The vehicle is equipped with 22 speakers.
The expected price is rumored to be around $70,000 for the entry model. Does that sound too high for a company that’s only recently started operating? Let us know.
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