Seres is taking the driver's seat in its partnership with Huawei over the Aito (Wenjie) electric-vehicle brand, according to a statement from Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA) on September 15. The new division of labor gives Seres leadership in product definition, design, brand marketing, channel retail, and service systems, with Huawei's terminal business providing support. Aito remains part of the HIMA ecosystem, and Huawei has not exited; other HIMA brands—Zunje, Xiangjie, Zhijie, and Shangjie—continue under Huawei's full-process leadership.
The shift extended to dealerships the next day, as the signing entity for Aito authorized dealer service agreements changed to a Seres affiliate, with service fee settlements from September 16 onward handled by Seres. This is more than a routine contract tweak; it signals a fundamental rebalancing of operational control.
From capability complement to integrated partnership
When Seres and Huawei deepened cooperation in 2021, Huawei brought its consumer-electronics expertise in product definition, smart technology, branding, and retail, while Seres contributed manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain. The Aito M5 debuted at a Huawei winter flagship event in December 2021 and entered Huawei's retail network. This model proved highly successful: in 2025, Aito delivered 426,000 vehicles with an average transaction price of 391,000 yuan (about $55,100), and Seres reported annual revenue of approximately 165.05 billion yuan (about $23.25 billion).
But as Aito matured, Seres' role had to evolve. The company has been building its own capabilities, with R&D staff reaching 9,019 in 2025 and R&D spending of 12.51 billion yuan (about $1.76 billion), up 77.4% year-on-year. In the first half of 2026, R&D investment grew another 34.8% to 7.007 billion yuan (about $987 million). These investments suggest Seres is no longer solely dependent on Huawei for external capabilities.
The relationship has also become financially intertwined. In 2024, Seres acquired 919 Aito-related trademarks and 44 design patents from Huawei for 2.5 billion yuan (about $352 million), and later purchased a 10% stake in Shenzhen Yinwang for 11.5 billion yuan (about $1.62 billion). By 2025, Seres' purchases from Yinwang reached 22.335 billion yuan (about $3.15 billion). This is not a decoupling but a redefinition of roles within a deeply integrated partnership.
More control, more responsibility
Huawei's own position has shifted as HIMA expanded from Aito to five brands, requiring resource allocation across multiple partners. Continuing the original division of labor may no longer be optimal. The new arrangement gives Seres more decision-making power, but also more accountability: if product cycles miss the mark, brand perception slips, or channel efficiency falters, Seres will bear the consequences directly.
According to Huxiu, the Chinese business outlet that reported this story, the change is best understood as a redivision of labor driven by both parties' evolving positions. For Seres, taking the wheel means proving it can match its new responsibilities with its capabilities.
