Seres Launches New Aiva Brand to Reduce Huawei Dependency
Chinese automaker Seres, the company behind the popular Huawei-backed Aito brand, has introduced a new independent EV brand called Aiva to diversify and reduce its heavy reliance on the tech giant.Aiva (an acronym for “Artificial Intelligence Voyage Ahead”) was officially unveiled on June 9, 2026, alongside the Origin Concept coupe SUV. The brand emphasizes “warm AI technology” focused on user needs, with a name that also evokes “love me” in Chinese. Its first production model, the ME7, is expected to launch by the end of 2026, targeting the mainstream segment above 200,000 yuan (~$27,600).
Shift Away from HuaweiIn
In a clear departure from its Huawei partnership, Aiva is collaborating with ByteDance’s Volcano Engine to integrate the Doubao large language model for advanced intelligent cockpit features, including multi-modal interaction, emotion perception, and integration with Douyin and Feishu. For autonomous driving, it has partnered with DeepRoute.ai instead of Huawei’s Qiankun ADS system.
ByteDance has confirmed its role is limited to software and cockpit services, with no plans to enter vehicle manufacturing.
Strategic Context
The move addresses Seres’ “Aito dependency syndrome.” In 2025, Aito vehicles accounted for over 90% of Seres’ sales (426,000 out of 472,000 total NEVs). While the Huawei collaboration has been highly successful since 2021, Huawei’s expanding partnerships with other manufacturers have reduced Seres’ exclusivity.
Aiva operates under Chongqing Saidou Technology (formerly Landian), which was restructured in 2025. Ownership now includes a Chongqing state-owned enterprise as the largest shareholder (34.5%), Seres (32.96%), and CATL’s investment arm (9.89%).
The launch signals Seres’ push for greater independence in China’s highly competitive EV market.
