Chongqing - For years, the premium vehicle market in China's 500,000-yuan (about 70,000 U.S. dollars) price range was largely controlled by international luxury brands. But a new generation of Chinese smart electric vehicles is challenging that dominance, with Chongqing-based automaker Seres emerging as one of the companies pushing domestic brands further into the high-end segment.
The company's Aito M9, a large luxury SUV jointly developed by Seres and Huawei, surpassed 300,000 cumulative deliveries in September, becoming one of the best-selling vehicles in China priced above 500,000 yuan.
The vehicle's success reflects a broader transformation in China's auto industry: Chinese automakers are no longer competing only on affordability, but are increasingly targeting luxury markets through technology and innovation.
Seres Super Factory in Chongqing Liangjiang New Area. (Photo/Wang Jiaxi)
Behind the rise of the Aito M9 is a technology that has become a major focus for Seres: the range-extended electric vehicle system. The concept is simple. The vehicle runs mainly on electricity, while a fuel-powered range extender generates additional power when the battery is low. This combines the benefits of electric driving with longer travel distances, helping address concerns over charging availability.
But applying the technology to a nearly 3-ton luxury SUV is far more complicated. Large vehicles require significantly more power, especially during high-speed driving, uphill travel, or fully loaded journeys.
Some engineers initially considered larger engines as a solution. However, increasing engine size can also bring higher fuel consumption, more vibration and additional noise, creating new trade-offs. The real challenge, according to the company, was not simply adding more hardware, but developing a more intelligent vehicle architecture capable of managing power efficiently.
Seres began investing in range-extended technology in 2016, when many automakers were still focused primarily on pure electric vehicles. The company established a research center in Silicon Valley and assembled global engineering teams to develop its own technology platform.
The company's strategy was based on an assessment of China's driving environment, where long-distance travel, complex road conditions, and uneven charging infrastructure remain important factors for consumers. Seres argued that combining a large battery with a highly efficient range extender could better meet diverse mobility needs. After five generations of development, Seres introduced its self-developed 2.0T super range extender system for large luxury vehicles.
Built on the company's proprietary range-extension architecture, the system achieves a thermal efficiency of 44.8% and can generate more than 3.65 kilowatt-hours of electricity from one liter of fuel. The intelligent control system can also predict driving conditions and adjust power output, helping maintain performance during high-speed travel, climbing, and low-battery situations.
Seres' progress highlights a wider shift in China's automotive industry, as domestic manufacturers move up the value chain and seek greater control over core technologies. From electric power systems to intelligent vehicle architecture, Chinese automakers are increasingly competing with established global brands in segments once considered difficult to enter.