Zhang Xinghai, a member of the CPPCC National Committee and Chairman of Seres, gave an interview to the media. (Photo/Luo Huxin)
Chongqing — During the just concluded Two Sessions, CPPCC National Committee member and Seres Chairman Zhang Xinghai said in an exclusive interview that the partnership between Seres and Huawei is built on complementary strengths. Despite the success of Aito models in the high-end market, Seres remains focused on evolving from premium models to a premium brand.
Seres, headquartered in Chongqing, began as an obscure car firm. Through collaboration with China's tech giant Huawei and a focus on developing the Aito series, the company rapidly emerged in the Chinese New Energy Vehicle (NEV) market and has shown strong performance in the domestic high-end automotive sector in recent years.
This partnership with Huawei has not only propelled Seres' leap forward but also become a successful example of cross-industry vehicle manufacturing, offering valuable lessons for the industry’s development.
Currently, more and more domestic automakers, such as Chery and SAIC, have joined forces with Huawei, making Seres' collaboration no longer a unique advantage. Zhang emphasized that the premise for cross-industry partnerships is that both sides possess core strengths. Without these advantages, there would be no need for collaboration, and each would be better off going solo.
He highlighted that Seres’ core advantages are comprehensive. First, since 2016, the company has focused on the NEV sector, accumulating over 10 years of R&D experience. Second, with the support of Chongqing, Seres has built a super factory and an efficient supply chain system, integrating production lines from high-end suppliers like CATL directly into its plant. Third, in the capital market, Seres has achieved dual listings on the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong markets, utilizing Hong Kong's capital market to provide financial backing for its development.
High-end development remains Seres' steadfast strategy. Its flagship model, the Aito M9, is positioned in the 500,000-yuan (approx. 72,820 U.S. dollars) high-end market and features advanced intelligent driving technologies. It has successfully attracted several owners of luxury gasoline vehicles, such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi, to switch to the Aito brand.
Executive Director of Huawei, Richard Yu, revealed at a press conference on March 4 that the Aito M9 has surpassed 280,000 units in cumulative deliveries. From January 2024 to January 2026, over 270,000 vehicles have been insured, with sales outperforming other luxury models in the same class, including the BMW X5, BMW X7, Mercedes-Benz GLE, and Mercedes-Benz GLS.
In addition to the Aito M9, Seres offers multiple products, including the Aito M5, M7, and M8, with prices ranging from 200,000 to 500,000 yuan, covering the high-end market segment and solidifying its position in the sector.
Despite these market results, Zhang maintains a clear-headed perspective. He pointed out that while the Aito series has entered the high-end market, there remains a gap from becoming a true high-end brand.
"A brand is more comprehensive than a car." He emphasized that to date, Seres has delivered over one million Aito vehicles, and the daily use of these cars by over a million owners has helped the company build considerable market influence.
However, Seres' pursuit of establishing a high-end brand continues unabated. In his view, a true high-end brand must be recognized by users at the time of purchase, provide satisfaction during use, and retain long-term trust.
Looking ahead to 2026, Zhang outlined Seres' development plans focused on "innovation" and "safety." He stated that the company would continue to increase its R&D investment, with over 10 billion yuan allocated for R&D in 2025, and plans to further expand this investment in 2026. Seres will innovate across products, technology, management, and business models, continuously enhancing its core competitiveness.
Since the major car accident involving Xiaomi cars in early 2025 sparked widespread reflection within the domestic auto industry on safety issues, "safety" has become one of the core keywords for domestic automakers' development. Zhang believes that Seres, focusing on high-end models, must adhere to a strict safety baseline while promoting technological innovation. Ensuring product safety while consolidating the company’s leadership in the high-end automotive market is a key aspect of its safety strategy.
Visitors experienced the Aito M7 model at the Aito booth during the show. (Photo/Huxin Luo)
As one of the leaders in Chongqing's automotive sector, Seres' growth has always been in sync with the upgrading of Chongqing’s automotive industry. Zhang mentioned that currently, Seres’ local supply chain in Chongqing accounts for just over 50%, with the company's goal to raise this proportion to over 70%.
In the future, Seres will leverage its position as an industry leader to attract more high-end suppliers to Chongqing, integrate quality industrial resources, and contribute to the high-quality development of Chongqing's automotive industry.