Technology
Seres Bets on ByteDance AI Technology for New AIVA EV Brand
Image: (c) Seres
The Chinese automaker Seres has unveiled a new electric vehicle brand, AIVA, which specifically targets young, tech-savvy, and performance-oriented customers. Alongside the brand's debut, the company showcased its "AIVA Origin Concept" vehicle and announced plans to launch its first production model, the AIVA ME7, later this year in 2026.
The Chinese automaker Seres has unveiled a new electric vehicle brand, AIVA, which specifically targets young, tech-savvy, and performance-oriented customers. Alongside the brand's debut, the company showcased its "AIVA Origin Concept" vehicle and announced plans to launch its first production model, the AIVA ME7, later this year in 2026.
The new brand is backed by a consortium consisting of Seres, battery manufacturer CATL, and state-owned investors from the Chinese metropolis of Chongqing. Operating under the umbrella of Chongqing Saidou Technology, AIVA aims to set itself apart through a tight integration of electromobility and artificial intelligence.
A key factor in this strategy is the partnership with Volcengine, the cloud and AI division of ByteDance (the parent company of the short-video platform TikTok). The vehicles are set to feature AI-powered capabilities that enable multimodal interactions, personalized services, and seamless integration into digital ecosystems. According to the company, the vehicles will be able to store user preferences, analyze environmental data, and provide context-aware recommendations.
With the AIVA Origin Concept, the brand is also offering a glimpse into its future design language. The concept vehicle is intended to lay the groundwork for a new generation of software-defined electric vehicles, where digital features and AI applications hold just as much weight as traditional automotive characteristics. Moving forward, the first production model, the AIVA ME7, will serve as the technology flagship for this new brand strategy.