IM LS8 NEO Pure Electric Version Pre-Sale from 250,000 Yuan: Full Lineup with Steer-by-Wire Chassis, IM Claw Lobster Agent Token Free for Life

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The auto industry is now pushing the competition all the way to the very bones of the car.

SAIC's fully steer-by-wire chassis, eight years in the making, has been brought by IM Motors into the 250,000-yuan-class pure electric SUV market, and it is standard across the entire lineup.

Just now, the IM LS8 NEO pure electric version officially opened pre-sales:

The car is over 5 meters long, yet its turning radius is only 4.85 meters. It also comes with triple safety redundancy and SynVector full-domain steer-by-wire vector torque coordinated control, and can even achieve silent steering wheel parking.

The three-electric system has also been given plenty of attention. The new car is equipped across the lineup with custom batteries from CATL, offering 93 kWh and 103 kWh versions, with a maximum range of 752 kilometers and up to 529 kilometers of range replenished in 15 minutes.

IM Motors has also brought the IM Claw lobster agent, developed in cooperation with Alibaba's Qwen, into the car, announcing lifetime free Tokens for the first non-commercial owners, and customers who place orders during the pre-sale period can also enjoy a lifetime free full-function assisted driving package.

Well, well—this time IM Motors has brought out almost all of its signature capabilities... Judging by the scale of it, they clearly came prepared.

First, let's look at IM Motors' most distinctive technology this time—the full steer-by-wire Lizard digital chassis.

The IM LS8 NEO pure electric version measures 5085/2000/1807 mm in length, width and height respectively, with a wheelbase of 3060 mm, making it a standard mid-to-large SUV.

However, this car's agility forms a sharp contrast with its bulky size. The entire lineup is equipped with a bidirectional 24° smart rear-wheel steering system, and the turning radius is only 4.85 meters, possibly more agile than some A0-class small cars.

For example, when making a U-turn on a narrow road, turning the steering wheel half a revolution is enough to complete the turn, with no need to repeatedly change hands; on the highway, the steering ratio adjusts accordingly to ensure high-speed driving stability.

IM Motors has also launched a very interesting feature this time—silent steering wheel parking. When the vehicle automatically parks into a space, the steering wheel can remain still and no longer rotates left and right with the wheels.

This chassis actually comes from SAIC Group's eight years of technological accumulation. IM Motors revealed that SAIC began research and development of steer-by-wire technology as early as 2018 and has completed more than 10,000 test validations to date.

The system equipped in the IM LS8 NEO pure electric version adopts dual-redundant steer-by-wire and combines it with large-angle rear-wheel steering to achieve triple safety redundancy.

The new car is also equipped with the world's first SynVector full-domain steer-by-wire vector torque coordinated control system, enabling millisecond-level coordination of control capabilities such as steering, braking and drive torque, so that when the vehicle encounters sudden road conditions, it can adjust its motion state more promptly.

IM Motors has further applied this system to Super Rear-Wheel Drive 2.0.

Although rear-wheel-drive models have only one rear-wheel drive system, through fully digital traction control and steering and torque coordination, the vehicle can achieve more precise stability control.

According to figures released by IM Motors, on split-friction roads where the left and right wheels have different grip, the body stability of Super Rear-Wheel Drive 2.0 is improved by 80% compared with traditional four-wheel-drive solutions; when starting on low-friction surfaces such as ice, snow and mud, the traction control response speed is 5 to 10 times faster than traditional TCS.

In summary, rear-wheel-drive models can also use more precise vehicle control to improve stability and passability under complex road conditions.

This full steer-by-wire and large-angle rear-wheel steering technology was actually already equipped on the LS8 extended-range version launched in April this year.

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And the deeper significance lies in the combination of the steer-by-wire chassis and intelligent assisted driving.

After perception and decision-making, the intelligent driving system ultimately still needs to complete vehicle control through steering, braking and drive. Full steer-by-wire technology provides a more flexible and precise execution foundation, and also reserves room for subsequent higher-level autonomous vehicle control.

How should I put it? As cars evolve to become smarter and smarter, the chassis of course also needs to start keeping pace with intelligentization.

Beyond the chassis, another trump card of the IM LS8 NEO pure electric version is the NEO three-electric architecture.

The IM LS8 extended-range version from April this year, with a maximum CLTC combined range of 1605 kilometers, has already covered the long-distance travel needs of many family users, and the current pure electric version can be regarded as formally completing the lineup.

This time IM Motors chose to continue deep cooperation with CATL, offering two battery options across the lineup:

These two battery packs were jointly customized by IM Motors and CATL based on the vehicle platform, and were specially developed for state-of-charge estimation, power output, low-temperature performance and long-term lifespan.

For example, the 93 kWh lithium iron phosphate version adopts CATL's new-generation BMS, controlling the state-of-charge estimation error within 3%, while also supporting full-charge-free SOC calibration, reducing the need for regular full-charge calibration.

The 103 kWh ternary lithium version further strengthens long range and low-temperature performance. According to figures announced at the launch event, relying on the full-domain 800V high-voltage platform, the new car can replenish up to 529 kilometers of range in 15 minutes.

Both batteries also use low-lithium-consumption technology and FIC coating technology to reduce cell loss during charging and discharging and long-term storage.

After all, for a family car, the long-term performance and reliability of the battery are obviously just as important as range parameters.

With CATL's batteries, the electric drive part is handled by SAIC's self-developed NEO Hurricane motor.

The new car's motor has a maximum power of 300 kW and peak torque of 500 N·m. Together with the Energy Efficiency Master management system 3.0, CLTC power consumption per 100 kilometers is as low as 15.2 kWh.

For an SUV more than 5 meters long and equipped with a battery of nearly 100 kWh, being able to keep power consumption at this level also reflects IM Motors' emphasis on overall vehicle energy efficiency.

Beyond the three electric systems, IM Motors' intelligent technologies have also been updated.

First is the assisted driving system jointly developed with Momenta. The IM LS8 NEO pure electric version is equipped with IM AD ZETA and integrates Momenta's world model technology, further enhancing the system's ability to understand and make decisions about road environments and complex traffic scenarios.

On the smart cockpit side, there is also a major update: the IM Claw lobster agent is now onboard.

This system was developed by IM Motors in cooperation with Alibaba's Qwen, and can call different agents across applications to complete tasks, and can also gradually remember user preferences based on usage habits.

Owners only need to tell the car which places they want to go to and what they want to buy along the way, and the agent can identify multiple destinations, complete route planning, and even call external services to place food orders.

Compared with traditional voice control, the biggest difference of IM Claw is that it extends the cockpit's capabilities to real task execution.

There is good news: IM Motors announced that the first non-commercial owner will enjoy lifetime free use of IM Claw, with lifetime free Tokens too ~

At the same time, IM Motors also offers features such as Rainy Night Mode 2.0 and DCT Dynamic Region Tracking 2.0 to assist the driver in observing surrounding traffic conditions in complex weather and low-visibility environments.

Looking next at cockpit comfort, the configuration is also very rich.

The new car is equipped with a 27.1-inch MiniLED driver's cockpit screen and a 15.6-inch front passenger entertainment screen.

The front row features a zero-gravity front passenger seat, while the rear row uses Le Corbusier electric sofa seats, with the backrest adjustable up to 132°.

A major upgrade is reflected in the materials: the IM LS8 introduces natural latex seat material in the pure electric version.

The interior also has a 25-speaker B&O audio system, a 12.3L dual-door refrigerator with cooling and heating, a 168L electric front trunk, and 38 interior storage spaces.

Finally, on pricing, the IM LS8 NEO pure electric version launches two main variants this time:

Both versions can be upgraded to a large six-seat layout for an extra 20,000 yuan, gaining second-row independent aviation seats, a 21.5-inch rear entertainment screen, and third-row electrically adjustable seats, among other configurations.

The new car is now open for pre-order and is expected to officially launch around November 5.

The arrival of the IM LS8 NEO pure electric version comes right as the pure electric vehicle market enters a new round of competition.

Data from the China Passenger Car Association shows that in September this year, domestic wholesale sales of pure electric passenger cars reached 1.126 million units, up 18.3% year on year; in the same period, wholesale sales of extended-range passenger cars were 117,000 units, down 4% year on year.

The market size of the pure electric route continues to expand, and technologies such as long range and high-voltage fast charging are also accelerating in adoption.

But for automakers, the more mature the market, the fiercer the competition.

Just one day before IM Motors' launch, Li Auto had just introduced the 2026 i6, bringing a 96 kWh self-developed battery, the self-developed Mach M100 chip and many comfort features directly to 249,800 yuan, with a limited-time benefit price further lowered to 239,800 yuan.

On the other side, models such as the Tesla Model Y, Xiaomi YU7, Zeekr 7X and XPeng G9 have long since each held their own ground in the pure electric SUV market priced in the 200,000-plus yuan range.

Including range, computing power, fast charging and space, various former flagship selling points have gradually become mainstream configurations. Relying on leadership in just a few parameters is increasingly difficult to establish a lasting advantage.

Against this background, automakers are each trying their own tactics, and IM Motors' choice is to continue deepening its chassis. From four-wheel steering and the Lizard digital chassis to full steer-by-wire and SynVector coordinated control, and so on, this has gradually formed a relatively distinct technology label for IM Motors.

For IM Motors, this choice also has more practical considerations.

In the first three quarters of this year, IM Motors' cumulative sales were about 60,000 vehicles, up 40.1% year on year. The growth momentum has already taken shape, and it is continuing to move toward the scale of leading new energy brands.

The popularization of the full steer-by-wire chassis can further expand the scale of technology application and create conditions for subsequent models to share R&D results and reduce costs.

Cooperation with companies such as CATL, Momenta and Alibaba's Qwen reflects another product strategy of IM Motors: have professional partners provide mature key capabilities, and then form differentiated experiences through the vehicle platform and system integration.

As a result, there is also a new perspective from which to observe the automotive industry.

Electrification made power batteries and electric drive systems the focus of competition, and intelligentization has pushed chips and algorithms into the spotlight. Now, underlying control systems such as steering, braking and drive are also beginning to accelerate into a new round of technological upgrading.

The intelligentization of automobiles is further penetrating into vehicle motion control.

For automakers with long-term accumulation in mechanical manufacturing and vehicle R&D, this may mean new competitive opportunities.

Looking back at the development of the automotive industry, the mechanical connection between the steering wheel, steering column and wheels has been maintained for more than a century.

Now, steer-by-wire technology is beginning to rewrite this traditional structure. Chassis capabilities that once belonged to a small number of high-end models are also gradually entering the mainstream family car market.

The reshuffling of underlying automotive technologies is loosening the luxury threshold previously established by price and brand.

Ultimately, the height of technology must be proven by the breadth of the market.