Aiva ME7 Surfaces in China's Regulatory Filings as Seres-Backed Brand Nears Production

The first road-going model from Aiva has now cleared a key bureaucratic hurdle in China, with the ME7 battery-electric SUV showing up in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s latest batch of new vehicle registrations. The filing, part of the 412th round of submissions, lists Seres as the manufacturing entity and suggests the vehicle could reach customers within a matter of months, since completing this step is a prerequisite for any model sold in the Chinese market.

Aiva is a young marque under Saidou Technology, a company in which Seres holds a significant stake and which has undergone both a capital increase and an ownership reshuffle during the year. The resulting structure places Shaci Zhiyuan, a Chongqing state-backed investor, as the largest shareholder at roughly 34.5 percent, with Seres close behind at about 32.96 percent and CATL holding just under 10 percent through an investment vehicle. The brand itself was formally introduced on June 9 alongside the Aiva Origin Concept, and the company has positioned its lineup in the premium segment above 200,000 yuan, roughly $29,750 at current exchange rates.

The ME7’s dimensions place it squarely in the large SUV bracket. At 4,999 mm long, 1,999 mm wide and 1,616 mm tall, with a 3,050 mm wheelbase, the fastback-styled crossover carries five occupants. Buyers will be able to choose between two powertrain layouts. The rear-drive single-motor variant produces 270 kW (362 hp) and tips the scales between 2,295 kg and 2,370 kg. Adding a 150 kW front motor pushes total system output to 420 kW and raises curb weight to a range of 2,425 kg to 2,480 kg. Both versions are capped at 255 km/h and rated for 700 kg of towing capacity. CATL supplies the ternary lithium-ion battery packs, though capacity and range figures remain undisclosed for now.

Regulatory photographs also reveal a handful of personalization options, among them alternate wheel designs, red brake calipers and a black roof treatment. Beyond the hardware, Aiva is staking its identity on the idea of AI-defined vehicles, having teamed up with ByteDance’s Volcano Engine to integrate the Doubao large language model and smart cockpit technology. Interestingly, the brand is charting a path distinct from Aito, the joint venture between Seres and Huawei. Rather than adopting Huawei’s Qiankun driver-assistance stack, Aiva is reportedly set to work with DeepRoute, according to earlier local media coverage.

Timing for the market launch has been the subject of speculation. LatePost reported in August, citing informed sources, that the ME7 would make its debut in 2026 ahead of pre-orders in early 2027, with sales planned for both domestic and export markets. The same report indicated Aiva was negotiating with CATL over participation in its battery swap network, which would give the brand’s debut model access to a public swapping infrastructure. Manufacturing is expected to take place at Seres’ Phoenix facility, with the parent providing vehicle production, supply chain and engineering support.

Aiva’s emergence comes at a busy moment for its corporate backers. Seres and Huawei recently signed a new five-year agreement to upgrade the Aito business, following a shift in control over that brand’s operations, and Aito has confirmed plans to enter Europe in 2027. The ME7 filing, then, marks more than a single model milestone: it signals that Saidou intends to build a parallel, independently positioned brand alongside the Huawei-linked Aito venture.