AITO will enter Europe in 2027. Huawei and Seres are preparing four SUVs.
AITO, a brand developed by Seres and Huawei, plans to start selling in Europe in 2027. According to Chinese media, the company is already working on European homologation for its entire lineup, and it will showcase four large SUVs at the 2026 Paris Motor Show.
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The date for the European debut has not yet been officially confirmed by Seres. The manufacturer announced it will participate in the exhibition held from October 12-18, 2026, but did not specify which countries, prices, or models will be available first.
Germany is leading the homologation process, but it may not be the first market
The preparations are more advanced than a regular interest survey. AITO has initiated the EU Whole Vehicle Type Approval process, which is the Union’s full vehicle homologation. Obtaining this approval allows the company to offer a particular car model in European Union countries without needing to go through separate full homologation processes in each country.
The process is being carried out in Germany under the E1 designation. According to China’s CLS news site, this country was chosen for testing, document evaluation, and certification due to its high regulatory standards. However, this does not mean that Germany will be the first market for sales.
Meanwhile, the cars are set to be evaluated under the Euro NCAP 2026 protocol, with the manufacturer aiming for five stars. This is a separate process from homologation. Euro NCAP tests crash safety, pedestrian protection, and driver assistance systems, but its rating does not determine whether a vehicle can be sold.
In Paris, AITO will showcase models 6, 7, 8, and 9. In China, they are available as AITO M6, M7, M8, and M9. The range spans from large SUVs to the flagship AITO 9, which is the European version of the M9 name. It remains unclear whether all four cars will debut simultaneously or what powertrain options will be available in Europe.
Huawei provides the technology, Seres will handle the brand
AITO is part of the HIMA ecosystem, namely the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance led by Huawei. The vehicles utilize this company’s digital cockpit and driving assistance systems, while the batteries are supplied by external partners, including CATL.
The division of responsibilities among the partners was clarified in September 2026. Seres was to take charge of product development, marketing, retail sales, and the service network, while Huawei would provide technical support. On September 30, the companies signed another five-year contract and announced the creation of a joint AITO team. However, they did not clarify whether this changed the previous arrangements regarding brand management.
The European debut will not be the first international venture for both companies. In February 2026, AITO signed a deal with Performance Plus Motors, a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Motors. The dealer is responsible for sales, vehicle delivery, and after-sales service in the United Arab Emirates, where local customers have already been able to test the AITO 9.
The Seres itself appeared in Europe earlier. In June 2023, the first units of the Seres 5 were delivered to Bergen, Norway, through dealer Sandven AS. However, AITO’s plans are much larger. The company aims to replicate outside China the network of showrooms, service centers, and services known from its domestic market while maintaining a premium positioning. In the long term, foreign markets are expected to account for one-third of Seres sales.
Expansion comes at a tough time
European plans coincide with declining performance in China. In September 2026, Seres sold 29,271 new energy vehicles, 34.48 percent less than the previous year. From January to September, sales totaled 256,521 units, representing a 15.79 percent decline.
In the first half of the year, revenue dropped by 7.9 percent to 57.42 billion yuan, or about 8.58 billion dollars. Gross profit fell by 24.3 percent, the gross margin decreased by 4.7 percentage points to 21.8 percent, and the company recorded a net loss of 1.72 billion yuan. It had turned a profit in the previous year.
Europe is therefore supposed to be a new source of growth, but AITO is entering a market filled with Chinese brands that require expensive after-sales support. For now, we have homologation, four cars at trade shows, and a target launch date of 2027. The most crucial details are still missing: the first countries it will enter, prices, drive configuration options, and a list of distributors.
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