Source | Yuan Auto

On Xin Jiao Road in Guangzhou's Haizhu District, within a mere kilometer stretch, there stand three authorized user centers: one for AITO, another for Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, and the third for Yijing. The AITO store commenced operations in the latter half of 2024, occupying the former premises of a FAW-Audi dealership. Meanwhile, Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance launched its center in the first half of 2025, and Yijing opened its doors just this year.

For the average consumer, unfamiliar with the intricate dynamics within the 'Chinese-brand vehicle' sector, the identical decor of Yijing and Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance stores, coupled with the absence of AITO—the best-selling brand under Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance—from the latter's user centers, may be perplexing.

On September 15, at least one piece of this puzzle became clearer.

'Effective immediately, AITO will embark on a new cooperation model within the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance framework. Seres will lead in product definition, design, brand marketing, channel retail, and service systems, with support from Huawei Consumer Business Group,' announced the official Weibo accounts of AITO and Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance simultaneously on September 15, detailing their cooperation model.

This announcement sent ripples through the automotive industry, sparking spontaneous comments such as 'AITO owners' world has crumbled' and 'Seres is doomed,' along with alarming rumors of mass cancellations of AITO's top-selling models and a plunge in used car prices, which spread rapidly.

Whether AITO and Seres' 'world' has indeed 'collapsed' may become more apparent after the release of sales figures for September or even October. However, as of now, Seres' stock price stands at HK$34.8 per share, slightly up from HK$34.68 before the announcement. Furthermore, on September 16, Yuan Auto still spotted AITO vehicles at Huawei stores.

Could it be that Seres was already well-prepared for this?

01 The Most Persistent in Building Its Own Stores Among the 'Jies'

If you've followed Seres at domestic A-class auto shows in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou in recent years, you'd have noticed that this Chongqing-based automaker prefers to have its own booth, even though most visitors flock to the busier Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance booth to catch a glimpse of AITO.

A similar strategy is evident in its sales channel construction.

While Huawei's mall stores have been a significant source of orders for AITO, and Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance has been investing heavily in authorized user centers, Seres opted to recruit franchisees on a large scale and focus on building its own sales channels in 2024. Data reveals that Seres had 208 self-built AITO terminals by the end of 2023, increasing to 312 by the end of 2024.

According to Kang Bo, Seres Group's director and vice president, in a recent interview with Yicai, AITO now boasts over 400 user centers in more than 200 cities nationwide.

Seres booth at the 2026 Beijing Auto Show

This scale of self-built sales network is unparalleled among Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance's 'Five Jies.'

In other words, when Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance transferred channel retail leadership for AITO to Seres, Seres was more than ready. Moreover, according to a September 17 report by Red Star Capital Bureau, Seres stated that AITO would not completely withdraw from Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance and Huawei stores, with 'some outlets' remaining.

It's worth noting that after gaining leadership in channel retail and service systems for AITO, Seres can go even further than Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance.

On September 16, Kang Bo announced on his verified Weibo account that AITO's services would be upgraded, offering a series of owner benefits, exemplified by the reopening of the 'AITO Grand Hotel,' which drew widespread attention. Of course, this upgrade can also be seen as a response to public sentiment, but if AITO and Seres consistently implement it, it will be a positive development for owners.

After all, within Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, if the 'Harmony Grand Hotel' were to reopen, splitting the bill would pose a significant challenge between Huawei Consumer Business Group and the financial backers of the 'Four Jies.'

02 'Talent Recruitment' Precedes Action

Beyond whether Seres can continue selling cars effectively, onlookers are concerned about product quality following Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance's relinquishment of business leadership for AITO. Simply put, can Seres still make good cars?

On this front, Seres has also been proactive.

Public records indicate that Li Bo, former president of AITO's product line, and Zhou Ping, former president of Huawei's Automotive BU Solutions Department, have both joined Seres. Li Bo now serves as group vice president, while Zhou Ping works at Chongqing Phoenix Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Seres Group focused on intelligent system R&D, as shown on the Tianyancha APP.

Adding to this are He Liyang, current president of Seres Automotive, and Zhang Liao, vice president of AITO BG, both former Huawei executives. Seres began planning its high-end talent reserves as early as 2023. With this management team heavily influenced by Huawei, concerns about Seres' ability to maintain AITO's Huawei-like qualities in product definition and design are unfounded.

Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance booth at the Beijing Auto Show

However, it's worth noting that Li Bo transferred internally to become president of Saidou Technology in May this year, likely no longer involved in AITO's business.

It's expected that Seres, now with leadership in product definition and design for AITO, will expand into more niche vehicle segments while maintaining its current product style. According to Yunjian Insight, AITO was originally positioned as a rival to Li Auto within Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, focusing on SUVs with a higher price point.

Kang Bo also told Yicai in an interview that Seres will consolidate its market share in high-end SUVs and explore opportunities in sedans, MPVs, and other competitive markets.

Every coin has two sides. While Huawei has been instrumental in AITO's rise to industry prominence, this doesn't mean Seres' leadership will lead to collapse. After all, Seres has been growing throughout the partnership, and internal competition within Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance is intensifying.

Under the new cooperation model, Huawei hasn't indicated it will sever ties with AITO. As for whether Seres can step up, let's wait and see.

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