Chongqing - AITO, the luxury EV brand under Seres, has achieved a remarkable milestone. Its flagship model, the AITO M9, exceeded 170,000 pre-orders within just 11 months of its launch, consistently ranking as the top-selling vehicle in the 500,000-yuan-and-above category for multiple months.  

Vehicles undergo rigorous inspections before exiting the quality gate at the Seres Super Factory in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing. (Photo/Seres)

In October alone, the AITO M9 achieved an extraordinary feat, with over 16,000 units delivered—a rare accomplishment for any luxury vehicle globally. While the numbers impress, they also raise an essential question: How does Seres ensure speed, stability, and uncompromised quality in such high-demand production?  

The answer lies in Seres’ cutting-edge, fully digitized "super factory" located in Chongqing’s Liangjiang New Area, a facility revolutionizing the automotive manufacturing process.  

Delivering a car every 30 seconds

Operating 24/7, the Seres Super Factory combines automation and intelligence at unprecedented levels. One of the most striking sights on a visit to the factory was its fleet of autonomous logistics vehicles. These driverless trucks, marked with “Autonomous Driving,” deftly transport containers to production lines, recharge automatically when needed, and integrate seamlessly into the facility's workflow.  

“This is the world’s first intelligent container logistics system,” explained a factory representative. The system employs container-based transport with precision synchronization to match production rhythms. The driverless fleet, capable of obstacle avoidance and rapid deployment, significantly enhances the plant's efficiency, enabling around-the-clock operation.  

Logistics robots autonomously transport materials at the Seres Super Factory in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing. (Photo/Zhang Jinhui, Visual Chongqing)

Automation extends to assembly lines as well. For instance, vehicle suspensions and bodies are aligned and assembled in under 10 seconds, with bolts tightened using AI-driven torque systems that ensure precision. Data from each assembly step is stored for up to 15 years, enabling meticulous quality control.  

In fact, 100% of the factory's key operations are fully automated. The factory boasts the industry's highest automation rate, with over 1,600 smart terminals and 3,000 robots working in sync. At peak capacity, it can roll out a new vehicle every 30 seconds.  

“Hairline precision” in quality control

Speed alone doesn’t define the Seres Super Factory. Its second hallmark is an uncompromising commitment to quality. Advanced AI and sensor technology ensure every vehicle meets rigorous standards.  

For instance, at the end of the assembly line, vehicles undergo a comprehensive inspection, during which a high-tech scanner examines the undercarriage for defects. AI-powered visual systems detect and evaluate dozens of critical checkpoints within seconds, outperforming traditional manual inspections in both speed and accuracy.  

Additionally, the factory employs global-leading LiDAR measurement systems capable of detecting errors as small as 0.1 millimeters. This “hairline precision” ensures exceptional quality, making AITO a leader in customer satisfaction.

A “digital twin factory” for manufacturing

The super factory’s capabilities are further amplified by its “digital twin factory” technology—a virtual replica of the entire facility. On-site, a large screen displays a 3D simulation of the production floor, mirroring real-time operations, equipment status, and product flow.  

“This digital twin factory enables us to monitor production in real-time, predict potential issues, and optimize processes before they occur,” said a factory representative. “For example, when developing a new model, we can simulate production scenarios digitally to identify challenges in advance, ensuring smooth operations during mass production.”  

The Seres Super Factory. (Photo/Seres)

Beyond production, the digital twin factory also aids in research and development, energy efficiency, supply chain optimization, and remote maintenance, serving as a cornerstone of the factory’s success.  

If the digital twin factory acts as the “super brain” of the Seres Super Factory, the IoT platform acts as the factory’s “nervous system.” This network enables 100% real-time data collection and analysis throughout production, creating a comprehensive archive for each vehicle. 

Through groundbreaking automation and digitization, the Seres Super Factory has redefined what’s possible in automotive manufacturing. The factory embodies the future of smart manufacturing, setting a new standard in the luxury EV market.

(Bai Lin, a reporter from Chongqing Daily, contributed the Chinese version of this report.)