Huawei and Seres Extend Aito Partnership With New Five-Year Agreement

Huawei and Seres have reinforced their collaboration on the Aito electric vehicle brand, signing a fresh five-year cooperation deal in Shenzhen on September 30. The agreement, announced through Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), comes roughly two weeks after Seres assumed greater operational control over the brand.

Under the renewed partnership, the two companies will form a dedicated Aito team and focus on specialized operations aimed at enhancing customer service. Aito’s user base has now passed 1.2 million owners, according to the announcement. The brand will remain part of HIMA, and the companies reaffirmed their commitment to positioning Aito as a premium smart vehicle marque.

The new deal follows a September 15 adjustment in which Seres took charge of Aito’s product definition, design, brand marketing, retail channels, and service network, with Huawei providing support. That shift had raised questions about the future direction of the collaboration, especially as the previous five-year agreement neared its expiration and negotiations reportedly became more contentious, with Seres adopting a firmer stance.

Financial details of the previous arrangement drew scrutiny: Seres’ purchases from Huawei and affiliates reached RMB 56.05 billion ($8.32 billion) in 2025—roughly ten times the level three years earlier—and Seres paid Huawei technology licensing and channel marketing fees of about 10% per vehicle sold under the old model. Dealer contracting also shifted from Huawei to a Seres affiliate, with Seres handling settlement of comprehensive service fees for new orders starting September 16.

The announcement did not clarify whether the September 15 operating-control structure has changed, nor did it disclose team staffing or new fee-sharing terms. Meanwhile, HIMA deliveries remain under pressure, with 37,490 vehicles delivered in September—a 29.15% year-on-year decline and the fourth consecutive month of annual drops.