Saidou, an automaker backed by Seres, has unveiled the Aiva brand. Credit: Saidou
- Saidou officially launched its new auto brand Aiva and its first concept car, with its mass-produced ME7 model expected to debut in 2026.
- The new brand is jointly supported by Seres, Chongqing state capital, and CATL, and deeply integrates ByteDance’s AI technology.
Chinese automaker Saidou Technology, backed by Seres (HKEX: 9927), has officially launched its new brand Aiva, targeting the auto market in the AI (artificial intelligence) era.
Saidou unveiled the brand at a launch event on Tuesday and debuted its first concept car, the Aiva Origin Concept.
The automaker announced that all Aiva models will primarily cover the mainstream auto market priced above 200,000 yuan ($29,540), and its first mass-produced model, the Aiva ME7, will officially debut later in 2026.
The name Aiva is derived from “Artificial Intelligence Voyage Ahead,” implying that AI will accompany users as they move forward.
The brand proposed the concept of AI-defined vehicles, emphasizing that product definition should revolve around AI from the very inception of the vehicle.
Aiva hopes to transform cars from mere transportation tools into embodied AI life forms with the ability to perceive and act.
The new models will be able to remember users’ personal preferences, perceive environmental states, and proactively provide personalized travel experiences.
In terms of technical cooperation, Aiva officially announced a deep partnership with Volcengine, a cloud service platform under ByteDance. Volcengine will provide the Aiva brand with core technical services such as the Doubao large language model and intelligent cockpit.
A screenshot from a video shows the Aiva Origin Concept.
This collaboration aims to enhance the in-vehicle intelligent interactive experience, realizing multi-modal interaction and the seamless flow of ecological applications.
A few days ago, ByteDance issued a statement saying that the company has no plans to build cars itself or launch an independent auto brand, and its main role is to provide advanced AI technical support for partners in the auto industry.
Aiva’s new models are not expected to adopt Huawei’s well-known Qiankun intelligent driving system. Some local media reported that the brand is expected to cooperate with autonomous driving startup DeepRoute.
The establishment of Saidou represents a new organizational paradigm in the Chinese auto industry under the synergy of multiple industrial resources.
The company, formerly known as Landian Technology under Seres, recently completed a major round of asset restructuring and equity changes.
In a recent capital increase and share expansion, Saidou received a capital injection of about 6.67 billion yuan. Currently, Shaci Zhiyuan, backed by Chongqing state capital, is its largest shareholder with a stake of about 34.5%.
Seres’s stake dropped to 32.96%, stepping back to become the second-largest shareholder. Battery giant CATL (HKEX: 3750) also participated in the investment and currently holds about a 9.89% stake in Saidou Technology.
Through this restructuring, Seres spun off the business from its listed company’s consolidated financial statements to reduce the drag caused by the loss-making operation.
At the same time, Seres is also expected to use this business to reduce its over-reliance on the Aito brand, which it co-developed with Huawei.
As an independent operating entity, the Aiva brand will be responsible for brand building, product development, and daily business advancement. Seres will provide support in vehicle manufacturing, supply chain management, quality systems, and engineering experience.
Aiva’s first mass-produced model is expected to be manufactured at Seres’s Phoenix factory. CATL will provide the new brand with systematic energy solutions, including battery technology and charging and swapping systems.
As an expression of the brand’s philosophy, the Aiva Origin Concept car adopts a crossover SUV design.
The concept car is equipped with LiDAR and digital exterior mirrors, showcasing a forward-looking imagination of a physical AI auto life form.
However, the launch of the Aiva brand has also sparked some controversy in China’s fiercely competitive EV market.
Earlier today, Avatr, an EV brand jointly backed by Changan Automobile, Huawei, and CATL, stated on Weibo that the name and design of “a certain new brand” were extremely similar to its own.
Avatr said it firmly resists such copy-and-paste unfair competition behavior and reserves the right to pursue legal liability.
Although Avatr did not name it directly, it is widely believed that its criticism was directed at the Aiva brand.
The new brand is targeting the younger and sports-oriented markets and will deeply integrate AI technology from ByteDance’s Volcengine.
($1 = 6.7713 yuan)
