Shanghai (ZXZC)- WM Motor launched its first sedan model, the M7, on Oct. 22, indicating that the Chinese EV startup formally began its two-pronged product deployment integrating both SUVs and cars.

WM Motor M7; photo credit: WM Motor

The M7 all-electric sedan is expected for mass production and scale delivery in 2022, according to the company.

The automaker didn't reveal the price range of the M7. Freeman Shen, founder, chairman, and CEO of WM Motor, said the materials like LiDAR account for roughly 30% of the overall cost for manufacturing an M7.

WM Motor M7; photo credit: WM Motor

The M7 is armed with three separate LiDAR sensors, which are powered by the MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system)-based solid-state LiDAR technology, to realize the perception of road conditions in urban areas, expressways, and other scenarios. Thanks to 7 8-megapixel cameras, the car's sensing system is able to precisely detect pedestrians, vehicles, traffic signs, road cones, and other irregularly-shaped objects.

Freeman Shen announced in April that WM Motor would start to implement the sedan strategy in the second half of 2021. The automaker also released the new naming system to put its SUV and sedan models into the “W” (standing for “World”) and “M” (standing for “Master”) series respectively. The M7 is the first model of the “M” lineup.

As for global business deployment, Freeman Shen noted WM Motor's products cannot be exported right now partly due to the uncertainty over the supply of raw materials, including chips. However, he said the chip supply is likely to exceed the demand in 2023, leading to price reduction of relevant vehicle models.