(Yicai Global) Oct. 25 -- Chinese new energy vehicle manufacturer WM Motor has unveiled its first sedan with advanced autopilot features after debuting two sport utility vehicles.

The M7 boasts 32 types of sensors for intelligent driving, Freeman Shen, founder and chairman of the Shanghai-based firm, said to Yicai Global recently. The model has a range of 700 kilometers. It is similar in size to Tesla's Model S, Xpeng P7, and Nio ET7.

The hardware list is impressive. It includes three solid-state LiDAR sensors, 12 ultrasonic radars, 5-millimeter-wave radars, seven high-definition cameras, and high-precision positioning modules to enhance the vehicle's sense of perception in difficult light, road, and weather conditions, said Shen.

Roads in China are more challenging for autonomous driving than those in California so approaches like Tesla’s camera-based Pure Vision are hard to implement in the Asian country, said the founder.

Before this, WM Motor debuted the EX5 and the larger EX6. Sales have been rising rapidly. The company sold 5,005 vehicles in September, doubling from a year ago. From January to September, sales surged more than two times to about 29,040 units, still falling behind domestic rivals Nio, Xpeng, and Nezha, and Li Auto.

WM Motor’s competitors are not NEV startups such as Xpeng, Nio, and Li Auto, but Volkswagen, Toyota, and Buick, said Shen. Based on WM Motor's current output, it would be enough to lure just one percent of buyers in the gas-powered vehicle market, he added.

The startup hasn't exported its vehicles abroad yet. The company still has to focus on the domestic market, said Shen.

Editor: Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi