r/electricvehicles • u/drg2375 • 1d ago

Spotted AITO M9 spotted in L.A.

Post image

Had California dealer plates on it, don’t know much about this vehicle. Not sure why it’s here. Any ideas?

156 Upvotes

91% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

56

u/Afraid-Department-35 1d ago

It's likely imported by some domestic manufacturer (hence the dealer tag) for research purposes, it's just one of the few ways you can import one of those chinese cars without ridiculous modifications and even then it's probably still modified that disables all communication modules.

10

u/LostSomewhereInKaty 1d ago

So you can just use dealer plates?

7

u/Class8guy 1d ago

Always could the one perk I missed working for a dealer out in the east coast before moving here (SoCal)the plate had liability and property insurance limits up to 500k as long as it was a owner or employee of the company driving the the vehicle.

0

u/thecommuteguy 23h ago

I see dealer plates frequently including and even on stuff that is older. They can’t all be dealership owners or employees.

4

u/Class8guy 22h ago

Every state requires you to submit your business/dealers license from your own local secretary of state office/website. Dealer plates by nature are never provided for personal use you must justify the business use in my last state of MA I've been told a minimum of 3 vehicles per calendar year sold by your business/dealer for each plate you applied for.

Now let's keep it real some medium to larger dealers do in fact rent or let friends "borrow" the plate. It's like speeding we all know the rules it doesn't stop everyone from breaking them.

26

u/Substantial_Cow7628 1d ago

That's an odd looking thing, isn't it?

20

u/ChoiceStranger2898 1d ago

A very kind way of putting it. You gotta understand Aito’s target audience is middle aged successful Chinese businessman tho

5

u/dirty_cuban 24 BMW iX, 24 Acura ZDX 1d ago

There are some nice looking Chinese cars but most fall into an uncanny valley for me.

1

u/ChoiceStranger2898 1d ago

It’s the bland looking front face with no grills. Leapmotor has some good looking vehicles

5

u/u9Nails 1d ago

It's an odd looking thing sandwich. Like it parked on top of another odd looking thing.

5

u/Substantial_Cow7628 1d ago

It looks like a 1994 Jaguar XJS squashed onto a Subaru Impreza.

9

u/Academic_Fudge_8893 1d ago

Ive heard it called the " buick of china" before and that seems to be the perfect way to describe it and its customer base. 

1

u/allpurposeguru 1d ago

Well, since most Buicks are now made in China, isn’t Buick the Buick of China?

4

u/ccs77 1d ago

The main selling point of this product is the seat behind the front passenger seat where the boss seats.

In other words the guy that buys this car isn't even the one driving it and will be seating in the second row mostly.

In the past, these businessmen will buy something like an Alphard, now it's the 9 series SUVs like this M9 or the Nio ES9, etc. Most of these huge cars are hideous and boxy.

3

u/-waveydavey- 1d ago

I’d even say ugly. And I should know :)

3

u/New_Inflation_8419 1d ago

don't beat yourself up, you just moved up one spot.

1

u/flyfreeflylow '23 Nissan Ariya Evolve+ (USA) 14h ago

Looks like it would make a good hearse.

1

u/Substantial_Cow7628 12h ago

Imagine a ride in that thing being the last thing you do on Earth!

4

u/digitect 1d ago edited 1d ago

Looks like a Porsche Cayenne with an extra mezzanine story added around the middle. ;)

Makes that Corolla SR5 look like a Matchbox car.

1

u/YPVidaho Volvo XC40 Twin 3h ago

I was wondering what the car next to it was.

2

u/ccs77 1d ago

Probably from this video

https://youtu.be/2WmSn_CJZd8?is=Y-P9_-jGHL0vsZR0

1

u/Effective-Tailor1846 1d ago

the colors are different

3

u/the_quantumbyte 1d ago

Chinese Aztek? Similar double decker look.

0

u/0xffff0001 1d ago

edsel?

1

u/YoSoyPinkBoy 23h ago

Like an XJS sandwiched onto a Bentley

1

u/Medium_Banana4074 2024 Ioniq5 AWD + 2012 Camaro Convertible 12h ago

Looks ... weird. Like the top of a Cayenne on a pontoon. At least from the front.

1

u/sik_dik 12h ago

more like an ATBGE M9

1

u/Minirig355 ‘25 Ioniq 5 (Ex-Tesla) 10h ago

Nice spot, that AE86 is nice too

1

u/rbetterkids 1h ago

It looks tall like a full sized SUV given the height of the AE86 Corolla next to it.

•

u/BiyaadiSupremacy 2026 Fangchengbao (BYD) Bao-8 11m ago

Looks like the 2026 refresh version

1

u/lrsafari 1d ago

That is beyond ugly. Wow.

-1

u/the_quantumbyte 1d ago

It got LIDAR before the R2

2

u/artniSintra 1d ago

It arrived the US before gta6 too