Key Points:
- SAIC Motor became the first Chinese automaker to surpass 100 million units in cumulative vehicle sales and production.
- The historic 100 millionth vehicle, an IM LS9 Hyper luxury extended-range SUV, went to autonomous driving startup Momenta.
- The company’s rise from a local factory in 1955 to a global giant places China in the elite tier of automotive manufacturing.
- Over the past decade, SAIC’s new energy vehicles (NEVs) grew to account for over one-third of its total annual sales.
In a monumentally historic milestone for the global automotive sector, SAIC Motor has officially become the first Chinese carmaker to surpass 100 million units in cumulative vehicle sales and production. The Shanghai-based automotive giant celebrated the achievement on Thursday, May 28, 2026, by delivering its 100 millionth vehicle directly to its client. The achievement officially vaults China into the elite tier of global automotive manufacturing, joining only the United States, Japan, Germany, and South Korea as the countries whose domestic industrial champions have crossed the prestigious nine-figure milestone.
The historic 100 millionth vehicle delivered was an IM LS9 Hyper, a flagship luxury extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) built by SAIC’s premium electric vehicle subsidiary, IM Motors. The company handed over the keys to Cao Xudong, the chief executive officer of autonomous driving software startup Momenta, during a global ceremony in Shanghai. By selecting a highly advanced, software-defined luxury vehicle as its milestone unit, SAIC Motor highlighted its transition away from traditional combustion engines toward a future defined by clean energy, automated driving, and intelligent connectivity.
The scale of SAIC Motor’s rise reflects the rapid transformation of the Chinese automotive industry over the past several decades. The company’s history traces back to a humble auto parts manufacturing workshop established in 1955. In 1983, SAIC pioneered joint-venture cooperation in China’s automotive industry by rolling off the first domestically produced Volkswagen Santana sedan at its Shanghai assembly lines. This joint venture framework laid the technical and managerial foundation for China’s modern automotive ecosystem, eventually turning the country into the world’s largest vehicle market and exporter.
Today, SAIC Motor operates as a multi-billion-dollar global enterprise with products and services reaching over 170 countries and regions. Since its very first passenger car export in 2001, the company’s cumulative overseas deliveries have exceeded 7 million units. To support this massive global footprint, SAIC has built a robust international supply chain. This infrastructure includes over 100 overseas parts production bases, a network of more than 3,000 global dealership outlets, three major research and innovation centers, including one in London, and four dedicated vehicle manufacturing hubs located in Thailand, Indonesia, India, and Pakistan.
A primary driver behind SAIC’s massive scale is its rapid and highly successful transition to new energy vehicles (NEVs). In 2025, the group’s NEV sales hit a record, accounting for over one-third of its total annual sales of 4.5 million vehicles. This represents a stunning technological leap from 2014, when electric and hybrid models accounted for less than 0.1% of its overall sales volume. By investing heavily in proprietary solid-state batteries, highly efficient hybrid drivetrains, and connected software platforms, the company has secured a dominant position in the fast-growing electric vehicle sector.
Despite facing a minor 1.50% year-on-year sales decline during the first four months of 2026 due to fierce price wars in the domestic market, the group’s international business continues to surge. From January to April 2026, SAIC Motor sold 1,301,589 vehicles worldwide, with its self-owned brands contributing nearly 70% of total sales. Notably, the group’s overseas sales totaled 459,000 units during these four months, marking an impressive 50.2% year-on-year increase. This rapid international expansion proves that global buyers are increasingly choosing competitive Chinese electric models over established Western brands.
The milestone-marking IM LS9 Hyper exemplifies this advanced engineering prowess. Developed in collaboration with Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, the six-seat luxury SUV is a technological flagship designed to compete directly with premium European models like the BMW X7 and Mercedes-Benz GLS. The vehicle boasts a powerful tri-motor configuration producing a spectacular 737 horsepower (550 kW), allowing the large SUV to accelerate from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in under four seconds. It also debuts the world’s first production-ready, fully electronic four-wheel steer-by-wire system, improving low-speed maneuverability.
To address consumer anxiety about charging infrastructure, the IM LS9 Hyper utilizes advanced “Stellar” super-range-extender technology. The system pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, acting solely as an onboard generator, with a high-capacity 69.5 kWh CATL Freevoy battery. Because the gasoline engine only charges the battery and does not power the wheels directly, the SUV maintains the smooth, silent characteristics of a pure electric vehicle while achieving an incredible combined cruising range of up to 1,508 kilometers. This innovative hybrid setup allows drivers to complete long-distance trips without requiring constant stops at charging stations.
To deliver these high-tech vehicles to international markets efficiently, SAIC Motor has also built its own massive maritime logistics division. Its shipping subsidiary, Anji Logistics, currently operates a specialized fleet of 42 ro-ro (roll-on/roll-off) cargo vessels, navigating eight dedicated international shipping routes covering Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas. By controlling its own shipping lines, SAIC can bypass global supply chain bottlenecks and deliver cars to foreign dealerships much faster than its competitors, securing a crucial logistics advantage as it embarks on its next 100-million-vehicle journey.
