Huawei and Seres have formally adjusted their cooperation model for the Aito brand, handing operating leadership to Seres while Huawei retreats to an enabling role. The announcement, made on September 15, 2026, by both Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) and Seres, confirms that Aito will explore a new cooperation framework in which Seres leads product definition, design, brand marketing, channel retail and service systems, with Huawei participating as an enabler. According to Chinese tech outlet Huxiu, the adjustment does not affect other HIMA brands—Zunje, Xiangjie, Zhijie and Shangjie—which will retain Huawei's full-process leadership model.
The move marks a significant shift in the seven-year partnership that began in 2019, when Huawei and Seres signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement. The Aito brand, launched in 2021 under Huawei's "Smart Selection" model, became a flagship example of Huawei's automotive ambitions, with models like the M5, M7 and M9 achieving strong sales. However, as HIMA expanded to five brands, Aito's share of total deliveries has declined, and Seres has faced mounting financial pressure.
Why the change now
Huxiu reports that in August 2026, HIMA delivered 42,101 vehicles, of which Aito accounted for about 20,000, less than half of the total. In 2025, Aito contributed 420,000 units, over 70% of HIMA's sales. The structural shift, with Shangjie and Zhijie gaining traction, may have prompted the adjustment.
For Seres, the change is a double-edged sword. The company reported a net loss of 1.717 billion yuan (about $242 million) attributable to shareholders in the first half of 2026, despite selling 160,000 Aito vehicles, a 5.6% year-on-year increase. In contrast, the same period in 2025 saw a profit of 2.941 billion yuan. Cumulative Aito sales from January to August 2026 were about 201,900 units, down 14.07% year-on-year.
Seres also faces rising costs. Chairman Zhang Xinghai said in June that storage chip prices had climbed from 20 yuan to nearly 100 yuan, and lithium carbonate prices rose from 80,000 yuan per tonne to 180,000 yuan, pushing average manufacturing costs per Aito vehicle up by 15,000 to 20,000 yuan (about $2,100 to $2,800).
Seres seeks independence
Huxiu notes that Seres has been reducing its dependence on Huawei. The company has been developing a new brand, AIVA, which will use ByteDance's Doubao large model, Yuanrong Xingzhi's autonomous driving solution and CATL batteries—no Huawei components. Seres also paid 11.5 billion yuan (about $1.62 billion) in September 2025 to acquire a 10% stake in Huawei's Yinwang Intelligent, but this has not increased its influence within HIMA.
Legally, Seres has owned the Aito trademarks since 2024, when it bought them from Huawei for 2.5 billion yuan (about $352 million). The latest adjustment, therefore, is about control, not ownership. As HIMA's other brands still need Huawei's resources, the company is reallocating its limited support to nurture them, while Aito, having proven the viability of Huawei's enabling model, is expected to stand more on its own.
