SAIC IM Sales : 2022-2025

IM Motors is an electric car joint venture between SAIC and Chinese technology companies Zhangjiang Hi-Tech and Alibaba Group. IM means "Intelligence in Motion". Its Chinese name is Zhiji Motors. I'll be calling it IM.

IM started delivering cars in late 2022 and has quickly established a range of four models with a fifth due on November 2025. The current models are the IM6 mid to large SUV, the IM5 mid to large sedan, MS7 large SUV and the L7 large sedan. The LS9 large SUV is the fifth model.

Customer reviews indicate performance, styling and features are strong points. Build and materials quality plus software glitches are at times criticised. Sales haven't been exceptional. Being a new brand trying to establish itself isn't easy with stiff competition.   

Distribution of IM cars is through either stand alone or MG dealerships. There are many premium electric brands from China as well as globally. Anyone in the market for such a vehicle is spoiled for choice. 

Deliveries in 2025 grew by 24%, slower than the previous two year, which could be expected. An export push is underway and how that goes will be very important for IM. 

Data source: SAIC. Photo source: IM.

USA Top Models: 2025

The list below is for models from manufacturers who were open enough to publish the sales figures. All exceeded 100,000 units delivered. They came from US manufacturers as well as Japan and Korea. European models didn't make the cut.

China is conspicuous by its absence but models do make it there is when a brand imports them from a joint venture they have in China. Perhaps somewhere in the region of 100,000 were brought in during 2024. That number may drop in future due to increased import duty. 

Of course, with an embarassingly large US$1.2 trillion trade surplus in 2025, China will be opening its border to allow more imports and not be concerned about minimal access to the US. 

Data source: Manufacturers. Photos: Chervolet (Siverado) & Ford (Bronco Sport) USA.

USA Car/Light Truck Sales : 2025

Gradually, the amount of data available is shrinking. It is largely dependant on the car makers themselves to voluntarily release the sales figures. It may not be easy to publish information when there is a decrease but there are many reasons why sales retracted and not necessarily an admission of failure. 

You can tell which ones are estimates by the rounded figures. The largest non compliant brand is Tesla and sources vary wildly regarding sales numbers. That is a consistent theme. 

JLR used to give North American sales for Land Rover and Jaguar separately which gave a basis to estimate reasonably accurately. They are combined now but with Jaguar in run out mode, not too disruptive. Comparing JLR's data with some of the figures published, I wonder how some sources come up with the numbers they do.

Many smaller marques do publish North American sales like JLR does, but Q4 data by them is published quite late in an Annual Report format, so Q1-Q3 is used as a basis.  

There isn't much change to be seen here percentagewise. The top four are the same as last year. Mercedes-Benz, VW, Audi, Dodge and Mitsubishi all had double digit drops. There is a dearth of double digit upturns, volume increases with the top two being the reason for that. 

Data sources: Brands & estimates. 

Picture sources: GMC (Canyon) & Buick (Envista).