CATL and Seres sign a long-term strategic cooperation agreement in Chongqing on October 10, 2026. Credit: CATL
- Aito will continue using CATL batteries across its lineup, with total annual capacity set to exceed 20 GWh after a joint project is completed.
- The companies will also collaborate on supercharging networks and battery services, and jointly pursue markets in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.
CATL (HKEX: 3750) has signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement with Seres (HKEX: 9927) to expand battery production capacity for the automaker’s Aito brand and extend their partnership into charging services and overseas markets.
The companies signed the agreement on Saturday in Chongqing, where Seres is headquartered. Aito will continue using CATL batteries across its lineup over the long term, reinforcing their existing supply relationship.
Aito has used CATL batteries in all its models since the brand’s inception, and cumulative deliveries have surpassed 1.2 million vehicles, the Chinese battery giant said in a statement.
Capacity expansion is a key part of the agreement. The companies will accelerate construction of the second phase of their “plant-in-plant” project at the Seres plant, with planned annual capacity of 10 to 12 GWh.
Once the second phase is completed, combined annual capacity across both phases will exceed 20 GWh. CATL said the companies aim to improve supply chain resilience and competitiveness by concentrating production at the site.
The Seres factory in Chongqing, where CATL and Seres plan to expand battery production capacity for Aito vehicles. Credit: CATL
The expansion builds on their model of producing batteries within an auto assembly plant, integrating battery system production with Aito vehicle manufacturing at the same site.
On June 30, 2025, CATL began operating 2 CTP (cell-to-pack) 2.0 battery pack production lines at the Seres plant, providing a local supply of battery systems for Aito vehicles.
The project marked CATL’s first production base in Chongqing and its first use of the “plant-in-plant” model. The latest agreement will expand that manufacturing footprint.
Beyond capacity expansion, the companies will collaborate on supercharging networks and battery services to build a service system covering the full battery lifecycle. They will also jointly pursue overseas markets including Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, according to CATL’s statement.
The announcement did not disclose the agreement’s duration or when the second phase would begin operations. It provided no details on the models or implementation plans involved in the overseas cooperation.
Seres also recently renewed its Aito partnership with Huawei, another key partner. The companies signed a new 5-year cooperation agreement in Shenzhen on September 30 to jointly develop the Aito business.
Under arrangements announced on October 1, Huawei and Seres will jointly establish a dedicated Aito team and continue developing brand-specific operations to strengthen the brand and improve customer service.
For CATL, the agreement further cements its long-term supply relationship with Aito. The company remains the world’s largest EV battery supplier.
CATL’s global EV battery installations reached 333.0 GWh in the first 8 months of this year, up 25.2% from a year earlier, giving it a 39.4% market share, according to data released on October 2 by South Korean market researcher SNE Research.
A media outlet under MIIT says supply chain diversification should not be portrayed as a confrontation between automakers and battery producers.
