Seres and Huawei Renew Five-Year Aito Partnership After Recent Cooperation Shift

Chinese automaker Seres Group and Huawei Technologies have signed a new five-year strategic cooperation agreement for the Aito electric vehicle brand, reaffirming their partnership just weeks after Seres took a more prominent role in the brand's product and sales operations.

The agreement was signed in Shenzhen on Sept. 30 and announced on Oct. 1, according to Caixin Global. Under the new arrangement, the two companies will jointly establish a dedicated Aito business team and continue to upgrade the brand's positioning as a premium smart electric vehicle maker.

The agreement follows a significant adjustment to the companies' cooperation model announced in September. Under that arrangement, Seres was set to take the lead in product definition, product design, brand marketing, retail channels and service systems for Aito, while Huawei would provide support.

The September change raised questions about whether Huawei and Seres were moving toward a looser partnership. The latest five-year agreement indicates that the two companies intend to maintain a long-term relationship around Aito, although it does not publicly clarify whether the division of responsibilities announced in September has been changed.

Aito, known as Wenjie in China, was launched by Seres and Huawei in 2021 and became the first automotive brand developed under Huawei's Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, or HIMA. Seres has since become increasingly dependent on the partnership for technologies, branding and access to Huawei's retail network.

Seres said in its corporate disclosures that Huawei supplies intelligent cockpit and driving-assistance systems used in Aito vehicles and provides advertising and promotional services. The automaker also said its vehicles had been displayed and offered for test drives at hundreds of Huawei-operated experience centers.

The companies' relationship has also developed beyond technology and sales cooperation. In 2024, Seres agreed to acquire a 10% stake in Shenzhen Yinwang, Huawei's automotive intelligent-components business at the time, for 11.5 billion yuan ($1.7 billion). Seres also acquired hundreds of Aito-related trademarks and design patents from Huawei and its affiliates for about 2.5 billion yuan, according to Seres' corporate disclosures.

The renewed agreement comes as China's electric vehicle market remains highly competitive, increasing pressure on automakers to differentiate their products through intelligent-driving technology, software and premium branding.

For Huawei, the Aito relationship is also part of a broader strategy to work with multiple automakers through HIMA. Following the September adjustment, Huawei has been expected to focus more resources on other brands in the alliance, including Luxeed, Maextro, Stelato and Shangjie.

The latest agreement, however, suggests that Huawei's relationship with Aito will remain significant. The companies said they would jointly establish a dedicated team and continue developing the brand under a dedicated operating model.

It remains unclear how the new team will be structured or how responsibilities and commercial arrangements between Huawei and Seres will be divided. A Chinese media report cited by Interface News said Seres had confirmed that the cooperation model had not been adjusted, but the company did not provide further details about who would lead the dedicated team or whether Huawei would regain a role in product definition and operational decision-making.

The renewed partnership could therefore represent less a reversal of the September restructuring than an effort by the two companies to maintain their cooperation while redefining their respective roles.

For Seres, maintaining access to Huawei's technology, brand influence and sales ecosystem could help it compete in China's increasingly crowded premium EV market. For Huawei, continued cooperation with Aito provides another established vehicle brand through which its intelligent-vehicle technologies and services can reach consumers.

Neither company has publicly disclosed detailed financial terms for the new five-year agreement.