IM Motors: owner, models, markets and what the name means
Facts checked United States status as of 4 September 2026
- State-owned
- Electric-native
- Shanghai Stock Exchange 600104
IM Motors is SAIC's premium electric brand, incorporated in December 2020 in Shanghai. Its shareholders at the outset were SAIC Motor with 54%, Alibaba with 18% and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech — the listed developer of Shanghai's Zhangjiang science park — with 18%, with the balance reserved for staff and users.
The range began with the L7 saloon in 2022 and now runs to the L6 saloon and the LS6, LS7 and LS9 SUVs. The cars have been used to showcase SAIC technology, including large-format battery packs and, on some versions, a solid-state-adjacent chemistry the group markets as a semi-solid-state battery.
Sales have grown from about 5,000 in 2022 to 65,505 in 2024, and IM sold 51,715 vehicles in the first eight months of 2026. Exports began in 2024 with the L7 and LS7 in Mexico and selected Middle Eastern, South American and Southeast Asian markets, sometimes through MG's dealer network.
On 23 December 2025 SAIC said it would convert part of an indirect holding, held through an investment fund, into shares held directly by SAIC Motor. The company stated that its overall stake in IM would not change.
Set up in December 2020 by SAIC Motor with Alibaba and the Shanghai state science-park company Zhangjiang Hi-Tech. The founding split was SAIC 54%, Alibaba 18%, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech 18%; SAIC announced a simplification of the structure on 23 December 2025 that it said would leave its overall holding unchanged.
Key facts
| Chinese name | 智己 “JIH-jee” 智 'wisdom, intelligence' + 己 'self, one's own' |
|---|---|
| Also written | IM, Zhiji, IM Motor and Intelligence in Motion |
| Owner | SAIC Motor |
| Founded | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Shanghai, China |
| Origin | China |
| First car | IM L7, 2022 |
| Vehicles | Cars |
| Segment | Premium |
| United States | Never sold in the United States — IM Motors has never been sold in the United States and no entry has been announced. |
| Founded | December 2020, in Shanghai |
| Founding shareholders | SAIC Motor 54%, Alibaba Group 18%, Zhangjiang Hi-Tech 18% |
| Sales | about 5,000 in 2022, 38,253 in 2023 and 65,505 in 2024 |
| Sales, January–August 2026 | 51,715 vehicles |
| Shareholding change | announced 23 December 2025: part of SAIC's indirect holding, via the Yuanjie Fund, converts to a direct holding; SAIC says its overall stake is unchanged |
Who owns IM Motors?
Shanghai Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission controls SAIC Motor since 1995.
The Shanghai municipal state-assets commission is SAIC Motor's ultimate controller, holding its shares through the wholly state-owned parent Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (Group). Published figures for the parent's holding in the listed company cluster between about 63% and 68%; no figure carrying its own date could be confirmed from an SAIC filing, so the stake is left null.
SAIC Motor owns IM Motors at 54% since December 2020.
SAIC's holding at IM Motors' founding in December 2020. On 23 December 2025 SAIC announced a restructuring that converts part of an indirect holding into a direct one; it stated that its overall stake would be unchanged.
| Holder | What it is | Share | Since | What the source says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alibaba Group Holding Limited | holds a stake in | 18% | December 2020 | Alibaba's holding at IM Motors' founding. Alibaba contributes software and cloud services; it does not build vehicles. |
| Shanghai Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Development Co., Ltd. | holds a stake in | 18% | December 2020 | The Shanghai-listed developer of the Zhangjiang science park took 18% at IM Motors' founding, giving the Shanghai state a second route into the company. |
The full ownership page for IM Motors · Is IM Motors Chinese?
IM Motors models
| Model | Name in China | Body | Powertrain | Range | Price in China |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 智己L6IM5 | IM L6 (智己L6) | Saloon | Battery-electric | 490 km WLTP | CNY 204,900 as of |
| 智己LS6IM6 | IM LS6 (智己LS6) | SUV | Battery-electric | 450 km WLTP | not published |
Where IM Motors is sold
Recorded in 2 market s: CN and Mexico. Where a company publishes only its principal markets, that is a floor and not a complete list.
| Country | Code | Market page |
|---|---|---|
| China | CN | no page yet |
| Mexico | MX | Chinese cars in Mexico |
IM Motors: questions people ask
- Who owns IM Motors?
- SAIC Motor is the majority owner, with 54% at the company's founding in December 2020. Alibaba and the Shanghai state science-park company Zhangjiang Hi-Tech each took 18%.
- Does Alibaba make cars?
- No. Alibaba is a minority shareholder in IM Motors and contributes software and cloud services; SAIC engineers and builds the vehicles.
- What does IM stand for?
- The company glosses it as 'Intelligence in Motion'. The Chinese name is 智己 (Zhìjǐ), 'wisdom' and 'self'.
- Where is IM sold outside China?
- Exports began in 2024, starting with Mexico and selected Middle Eastern, South American and Southeast Asian markets, in some places through MG dealers. SAIC has not published a full market list.
Related
Sources for IM Motors
- Wikipedia, IM Motors. Read . Founding date, shareholding, model line, sales series and export markets.
- SAIC Motor, Sales Volume (monthly production and sales report). Read . IM volumes for August 2026 and the year to date.
- Gasgoo, SAIC Motor moves to simplify IM Motors shareholding structure. Read . The 23 December 2025 announcement and the role of the Yuanjie Fund.
- China Daily, SAIC and Alibaba JV to launch first model in March. Read .