Shanghai (ZXZC)- SAIC Motor said via its WeChat account that its full-year new energy vehicle (NEV) sales are anticipated to exceed 1 million units in 2022.

In November this year, the Chinese largest auto group saw its monthly NEV sales hit a new high of 129,946 units. For the first eleven months of 2022, the NEV sector recorded a 45.76% year-on-year surge with 930,215 units sold in total, accounting for nearly 20% of the group’s overall sales.

As for the Jan.-Nov. NEV sales of each subsidiary, SAIC Motor Passenger Vehicle Company sold around 211,000 vehicles to score a 43.3% leap year-over-year. SAIC Maxus saw its NEV sales shoot up 68.6% from a year earlier to roughly 30,000 units. SAIC Volkswagen boasted an 84% year-over-year spike by selling about 90,000 NEVs. SAIC-GM witnessed a three-digit hike of 110.4% with a NEV sales volume of 44,000 units, while SAIC-GM-Wuling witnessed its NEV sales grow 34.8% over a year earlier to 535,000 units.

The Shanghai-based auto giant expects NEVs to take up 40% of its annual auto sales by 2025.

Photo credit: IM L7

Driven by the ambition to make NEVs more upscale, SAIC Motor launched two high-end intelligent electric vehicle (EV) brands—IM Motors and Rising Auto—to target the products priced between 200,000 yuan ($28,640) and 500,000 yuan ($71,600), and both of them had flagship models (the IM L7 and the Rising Auto R7) hit the market this year.

Regarding technical advantages in the NEV field, SAIC Motor unveiled a BEV (battery electric vehicle)-dedicated platform dubbed “Nebula” in June this year, which can be upgraded and stay compatible with future technologies.

Using the platform, BEVs will have a wheelbase from 2,690mm to 3,100mm in which batteries measuring 2,023 mm in length can be installed. Besides, the batteries can deliver a power range of 150-600 kW and an energy matrix of 44-150kWh.

The Nebula platform provides the foundation for vehicles in various sizes and types, including medium-sized hatchback, large and medium-sized sedan, luxury sedan, sports car, SUV, and MPV.

The MG4 Electric (named MG MULAN in China), the first production model riding on the Nebula platform, has already gone on sale in nearly 30 European countries since Sept. this year.