- The IM Motors LS6’s mid-lifecycle refresh brings new extended range variants sold alongside EV versions.
- The cheapest extended-range LS6 costs less than $30,000 in China.
- The new EREV variants have dramatically boosted the LS6’s popularity among consumers.
There is a trend in China for long-range plug-in hybrids whose batteries can easily take them 60 miles or more on one charge. But there’s also another trend that’s gaining traction in parallel, which is to add combustion engines to electric vehicles and turn them into range extenders with very high combined range numbers. That’s what SAIC’s IM Motors did with its revised LS6 coupe crossover, which has gained two EREV variants.
If you don’t know the difference, a plug-in hybrid meshes gasoline engine power and electric power, while an EREV uses a gasoline engine purely as a generator to charge its batteries. EREVs have the advantage of typically offering even more pure electric range than even the longest-range PHEVs, while offering the comfort and reassurance of having an onboard combustion engine acting as a generator and replenishing range on the go. The downside is the electric motors and battery must be big enough to handle 100% of the torque demand in all scenarios.
The IM LS6 was previously only available as a pure EV, so making an EREV version was likely simpler than creating a parallel hybrid system. You can now order an LS6 EREV in China with one of two optional battery sizes: A 52-kilowatt hour pack or a 66 kWh pack. Both are charged by a 153-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder range extender, giving you plenty of endurance in either configuration. IM says the 52 kWh model will go 230 miles on electricity and up to 870 miles with a full battery and a full gas tank. The 66-kWh version should do up to 280 miles on battery alone and 933 miles overall, which is incredible.
(All numbers referenced are on the Chinese CLTC fuel economy cycle, which is admittedly generous compared to U.S. EPA figures.)
The updated LS6’s battery features clever Freevoy Super Hybrid Battery cells, which have a double chemistry. They switch between sodium ion and lithium ion depending on the driving conditions, IM says, and also offer quick charging times. CATL says they can replenish 180 miles (280 km) of range in just 10 minutes thanks to 4C ultra-fast charging technology.
Whichever battery you choose, the LS6 EREV gets the same 308 hp electric motor driving the rear wheels and a claimed 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration time of 6.4 seconds. The two EREV versions are affordable too, costing 214,900 yuan ($29,920) and 239,900 ($33,400) for the small and large battery models, respectively.
The base pure EV version with a 76 kWh battery and a 329-hp motor has a CLTC range of 404 miles (650 km) and costs 209,200 yuan ($29,200). The most expensive variant gets a second motor powering the front axle for all-wheel drive and a combined 671 hp, while a larger 103-kWh battery boosts its claimed range to 466 miles (750 km) and drops its 0-62 time to just 3.48 seconds.
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Source: SAIC
IM Motors says the LS6 is exceptionally maneuverable, whichever version you choose, thanks to a rear axle that can steer up to 18 degrees, making it easy to thread through tight spaces. The car also comes with brake-by-wire and higher-spec models get a 520-line lidar sensor to read the road ahead and the rear light bar can display animations, including a little creature that pops up.
According to CarNewsChina, the refreshed LS6 got over 10,000 pre-orders in just 30 minutes. It’s slightly longer than a Tesla Model Y, which recently got a long-wheelbase version that the manufacturer hopes will help it attract Chinese buyers. But with a choice of pure electric and extended-range power as well as a lower price, the LS6 may start stealing customers from the Tesla Model Y and other homegrown rivals in this hotly contested segment.
