Here comes another Tesla Model S rival
Earlier this month, we reported that IM Motors working with Alibaba and SAIC to beta test the artificial intelligence system on its first electric vehicle, the L7. Now, a report from China confirms that first deliveries of the car are set to commence this April.
The L7 is a luxury EV developed by IM Motors to compete with the ever-popular Tesla Model S. First unveiled as a prototype at last year’s Auto Shanghai event alongside the LS7 and Airo concept cars, the sedan’s centrepiece is the aforementioned AI system or “artificial driving”, as the company calls it.
The system reportedly consists of a Nvidia Jetson Xavier chipset, 15 high-resolution cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors, five radar sensors, five millimetre wave radars and Lidar. Together, these components allow the L7 to drive itself on the highway and semi-autonomously in the city, park itself and be summoned – which is something Tesla vehicles are already capable of doing thanks to the Smart Summon feature.
Design wise, the L7 is not bad looking. Apart from the rather intricate lighting signature on the front fascia, which may appear gaudy to some, the lines are clean overall. The front and rear lights are made up of 2.6 million LED pixels and have a smart lighting which apparently can show different wordings in multiple settings.
In terms of dimensions, the L7 measures 5,098 mm, 1,960 wide and 1,485 mm tall, and has a wheelbase of 3,100 mm, making it longer and taller than the Model S.
As expected, the interior is by large screens or more specifically, a 39-inch 4K smart screen that spans the entire width of the dashboard and a Mercedes-Benz S-Class-esque 12.8-inch touchscreen on the centre console. Adding a touch of luxury are white leather upholstery and wood trims said to be sourced from Lake Como in the Italian Alps.
Power for the L7 comes from a dual-motor setup that generates an impressive total system output of 544 PS and 700 Nm of torque. This would enable the electric sedan to complete the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 3.9 seconds. There are two battery packs are available – a 93 kWh that provides 615 km of range and a 118 kWh with a range of 1,000 km. The batteries can be replenished by an 11-kW wireless charging system, which is said to be the world’s first.
