IM Motors · 智己
IM Motors LS8 NEO智己 LS8 NEO 纯电
A battery-electric addition to the LS8 line rather than a new nameplate. It keeps the six-seat body and steer-by-wire chassis of the range-extender LS8, then adds an 800V pack and a choice of 93.1 kWh LFP or 103 kWh NCM batteries.
- China price
- ¥249,800–269,800
- Top CLTC range
- 752 km
- Status
- Presale
An electric LS8, not a new car
IM Motors opened presales for the LS8 NEO on 29 October 2026 and scheduled the market launch for 5 November. The important context is that the LS8 already exists as a range-extender SUV, launched in April 2026 from RMB 249,800 to RMB 299,800. The NEO shares that body, its 3,060 mm wheelbase and its steer-by-wire chassis. What changes is the energy source: a battery pack replaces the petrol engine and generator.
That matters for buyers because a search for “LS8” now returns two different vehicles with different range semantics. A range-extender figure describes electric range plus a combined total; a battery-electric figure describes one CLTC cycle only. This dossier keeps the two separate and never converts a CLTC number into a WLTP or EPA estimate.
800V and steer-by-wire at RMB 250,000
Both NEO trims are built on an 800V architecture. IM claims that 15 minutes of charging adds 529 km, and that the 103 kWh version can accept roughly 396 kW at its peak. Those are manufacturer claims made at presale; independent charging tests are not yet available. The car also carries a 24-degree rear-steering system and a quoted 4.85 m turning radius, which is unusual hardware for a vehicle starting below RMB 250,000.
The steer-by-wire chassis is the more consequential claim for daily use. It changes how the car steers and how much feedback reaches the driver, so it deserves a demonstration rather than a specification-sheet comparison. This site has not driven the car and does not present the system as proven.
Two packs, two chemistries — and a sourcing dispute
The cheaper trim uses a 93.1 kWh pack rated at 684 km CLTC; the larger option is a 103 kWh pack rated at 752 km. The RMB 20,000 step also brings faster charging on the larger pack. Chinese reports disagree on the chemistry of the 93.1 kWh version: some describe both packs as NCM, while a CATL briefing and a configuration summary describe the smaller pack as LFP. This dossier therefore reports LFP for 93.1 kWh with that conflict visible, rather than choosing the more flattering version.
Battery chemistry is not a cosmetic detail. It affects charging behaviour, cold-weather performance and how the manufacturer recommends day-to-day charging. Buyers should ask the dealer for the chemistry and charging guidance attached to the exact trim they are ordering.
Six seats in a 5,085 mm body
At 5,085 mm long and 2,000 mm wide, the LS8 NEO is a large SUV. It is offered with five or six seats, and the six-seat configuration adds RMB 20,000. That option is the clearest point of differentiation against five-seat rivals such as the Li Auto i6, while the Denza N8 approaches the same size from a different direction with a five-seat layout and a much larger optional battery.
A six-seat layout is not automatically better. It changes the second row, access to the third row and the amount of luggage space left when all seats are occupied. Buyers should check the seat configuration and boot volume of the exact version rather than assuming the largest body contains the most usable space.
What IM has not confirmed
No guide price has been published, so the presale figure should be treated as provisional. The 0–100 km/h times circulating in Chinese configuration summaries — 6.7 s for the 93.1 kWh car and 6.6 s for the 103 kWh car — do not appear in IM’s own release and are not used as confirmed figures here. No official drag coefficient has been published. There is no sales figure because the car is not yet on sale. IM has referred to a European launch “next year” without a date or a market list.
This page will be updated when the launch price, certified performance figures or first monthly sales appear. Until then, a quotation from a dealer is more useful than a number from a summary post.