Aiva is backed by a consortium including Seres, Chongqing state-owned investors and battery manufacturer CATL. The brand operates under Chongqing Saidou Technology, formerly known as Landian Technology.
The new brand was developed in cooperation with Volcengine, the cloud computing and artificial intelligence division of ByteDance, the owner of TikTok. According to Aiva, the partnership will enable multimodal interaction, personalised services and seamless integration of digital ecosystems. The vehicles are intended to remember user preferences, understand environmental conditions and provide context-based recommendations through AI-powered interfaces.
ByteDance has previously stated that it has no plans to manufacture vehicles or launch its own automotive brand. Its role in the partnership is limited to providing AI and cloud technologies. Unlike Huawei, which partners with Seres for the Aito brand and supplies several Chinese carmakers with cockpit and driver-assistance technologies, Volcengine is expected to focus on AI infrastructure and digital in-car services rather than automated driving systems.
The Aiva Origin Concept previews the design direction of the new brand. The crossover SUV features a coupé-like roofline, digital exterior mirrors, roof-mounted LiDAR and a range of connected vehicle technologies. The production-ready ME7 is expected to be manufactured at Seres’ Phoenix plant, where preparations for the new model are reportedly underway.
For autonomous driving functions, Aiva is expected to cooperate with autonomous driving specialist DeepRoute.ai rather than adopting Huawei’s Qiankun advanced driver assistance system. Local media reports indicate that DeepRoute’s technology will underpin the brand’s future intelligent driving capabilities.
Seres intends to market the new brand through dedicated sales and marketing channels in both China and overseas markets. The project is being managed by the company’s international business division, highlighting its global ambitions.
The launch is also part of Seres’ efforts to reduce its reliance on Aito, the premium vehicle brand it developed together with Huawei. While Aito has become one of China’s most successful premium EV brands, Seres remains heavily dependent on the joint venture for sales and revenue.