Chinese Electric Cars: IM L6 Reinvents Longitudinal Parking

Presented in China in May and expected in Europe from 2025, the IM L6 electric sedan has already hit the headlines for being the first EV powered by a solid state battery. But the over 1,000 km of autonomy, quickly restorable thanks to the (almost) 900 Volt architecture, are not the only technical peculiarity of the 776 HP and 800 Nm torque saloon discharged on the four-wheel drive. The characteristics of the chassis and the integral steering, in fact, allow for rotate the nose of the L6 by 6 degrees during maneuveringmaking parallel parking much easier, which the vehicle would be able to do autonomously in any case. The current version of the device allows the L6 to use 11% less space than a car of the same length (4.90 metres), as well as guaranteeing a better turning radius than a city car: 4.99 metres. The most advanced version of the system, capable of making the car move horizontally with respect to the axis of the road, is not yet available. It will probably arrive in the next implementations, as suggested by the video which shows an L6 pulling up to the wall of an internal parking lot, perfectly emulating the horizontal movement of a crab. It is very popular on Chinese social media platforms, where people talk about “revolutionary technology” for parallel parking.

IM L6: Features

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IM Motors is the new brand of the Saic Group dedicated to the high-end, expected in Europe from 2025 alongside the more generalist Mg Motors. Last May it presented the top-of-the-range version of the L6 sedan, branded Max Lightyear, powered by the new 133 kWh accumulator that guarantees record autonomy and charging times, combined with advantages in terms of weight. It is the first electric car in the world equipped with a semi-solid battery. The Saic Group brand won the Shanghai derby with Nio, which since June has been offering ET7 customers a 150 kWh semi-solid accumulator and over 1,000 km of autonomy, only for rental. As mentioned, the IM L6 should arrive in Europe in 2025. In China it is sold in five versions, the price of the L6 Max Lightyear starts at just over 41,000 euros: the Tesla Model 3 has one more enemy.