Seres Takes Control of AITO as Huawei Splits Channels: what are the key facts?

On September 15, it was officially announced that control over AITO's product definition, marketing, and sales channels has shifted from Huawei to Seres.

Seres Takes Control of AITO as Huawei Splits Channels: what are the key facts?

The AITO brand remains part of the HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility Alliance, with existing user benefits and future services unchanged.

Seres Takes Control of AITO as Huawei Splits Channels: what are the key facts?

Starting January 1 next year, Huawei exclusive stores will be divided into two categories: dedicated AITO stores and mixed stores selling the other four brands.

Seres Takes Control of AITO as Huawei Splits Channels: what are the key facts?

Surveys show that 66.8% of consumers associate Huawei primarily with AITO, indicating extremely strong brand linkage.

Physix Frontier · News Briefing Card (enbrief · Sep 19, 2026)

Seres Takes Control of AITO as Huawei Splits Channels

KEY FACTS

On September 15, it was officially announced that control over AITO's product definition, marketing, and sales channels has shifted from Huawei to Seres.
The AITO brand remains part of the HarmonyOS Intelligent Mobility Alliance, with existing user benefits and future services unchanged.
Starting January 1 next year, Huawei exclusive stores will be divided into two categories: dedicated AITO stores and mixed stores selling the other four brands.
Surveys show that 66.8% of consumers associate Huawei primarily with AITO, indicating extremely strong brand linkage.

KEY DATA

58.4%Top-of-mind mention rate for Huawei association

52.4%AITO M9 purchase reason - Smart Driving share

PHYSIX OBSERVATION

AITO’s shift from 'Intelligent Selection' back toward a HI-like model is essentially a strategic contraction by Huawei to focus resources on other brands. For Seres, losing Huawei’s full-stack endorsement means it must independently build premium brand equity, a massive challenge; however, for the industry, this marks a transition in Huawei’s automotive business from deep, nanny-style involvement to more standardized technology empowerment, increasing automaker autonomy and reshaping competition within the HarmonyOS ecosystem.

Source: enbrief original report ↗