HiPhi
Nationality Chinese
Parent company Human Horizons
Coming to the UK (estimated) 2025
Chinese tech group Human Horizons launched HiPhi in 2017 as a luxury EV maker and released its HiPhi X SUV and HiPhi Z fastback in Europe in 2023.
Both cars have enormous 19.9in infotainment touchscreens and will start at around £90,000 when they go on sale.
HiPhi bills itself as China’s truly forward-facing luxury car brand.
Its chief technical officer for, ex-JLR executive Mark Stanton, told Autocar: “Our audience in China is younger buyers who’re now preferring Huawei electronics to Apple. They’re realising that the old ‘west is best’ mentality on luxury goods needn’t apply any more. But our ambition was always to be a proper global brand, and that’s where we’re going.”
IM
Nationality Chinese
Parent company SAIC, Alibaba and Zhangjiang Hi-Tech
Coming to the UK (estimated) 2026
MG’s parent company, SAIC, looks set to launch an upmarket EV brand in the UK by 2026.
IM, founded in 2020, is a collaboration between the car maker and tech-giant Alibaba.
Its first car, the L7 executive saloon, hit the road in late 2021, followed by the LS6 and LS7 SUVs, competing directly with Tesla’s Model Y and Model X respectively.
Priced between £32,000 and £52,000 in China, they offer premium quality at a competitive price.
Like HiPhi (see above), IM is positioning itself towards the luxury end of the market.