Aito plans European expansion for autumn 2027
The Chinese Seres brand Aito outlines its launch plans for Europe at the Paris Motor Show: In autumn 2027, the EV manufacturer intends to enter the European market. In Paris, the luxury automaker is already presenting the quartet Aito 9, Aito 8, Aito 7, and Aito 6.
Image: Aito
Aito is a brand for high-quality smart EVs founded in December 2021. It is part of the Seres Group, often associated with Huawei. While Seres provides the vehicle’s platform, Huawei provides the digital technology. The name of the subsidiary stands for “Adding Intelligence to Auto.” The Aito model range is positioned as luxury EVs, with the portfolio including both battery-electric models and range-extender vehicles.
The brand’s cumulative deliveries are said to have now exceeded 1.2 million vehicles. So far, Aito has operated almost exclusively in China. Last year, however, the manufacturer announced its intention to export three of its electric carsto the global market — meanwhile, the launch has begun in the United Arab Emirates.
For its already announced European expansion, Aito has now revealed that the market launch is targeted for autumn 2027. The brand is currently preparing to meet local regulatory requirements and achieve “comprehensive localisation”, primarily focusing on service and distribution. The company has not disclosed which European countries Aito will enter first.
Clifford Kang, Board Member and Vice President of the Seres Group, focuses more on the brand’s core: “For AITO, New Luxury is where traditional luxury meets technological luxury,” he said. “We pair exceptional performance, refined comfort and craftsmanship with cutting-edge intelligence across both our vehicles and services to create a more elevated luxury experience.”
The vehicles displayed in Paris, meanwhile, are not new but are already on the streets in China, where they are sold as the Aito M6 to M9. The Aito 9, with its 5.23-metre length and 3.11-metre wheelbase, is considered the luxurious flagship E-SUV and is available as a battery-electric or range-extender model. It is offered as a five- or six-seater. Below it in the range are the Aito 8, a premium E-SUV, and the Aito 7, a large crossover SUV with five to six seats. The Aito 6 is positioned as a mid-size crossover SUV. All vehicles are based on the Seres MF platform and use batteries from CATL.
Seres recently announced that it would deepen its collaboration with CATL, with a focus on Aito. A key aspect of the cooperation is the expansion of battery production under the factory-in-factory concept. CATL already operates a battery assembly plant directly on the grounds of the “Seres Super Factory” in Chongqing, which is now set to be expanded.
For this second construction phase, an annual production capacity of 10 to 12 GWh is planned. Once completed, the combined capacity of both phases is expected to exceed 20 GWh per year. This proximity between battery system manufacturing and vehicle assembly is intended to streamline industrial processes and improve cost competitiveness.
The first phase of the project was already commissioned in June 2025. At that time, CATL put two production lines for battery packs based on its Cell-to-Pack (CTP) 2.0 technology into operation. The Chongqing site was both the battery manufacturer’s first production base in the city and its first project under the “plant-in-plant” principle. The newly agreed second phase is set to further expand production capacities for Aito.