On May 29, Chongqing Landian Technology Co., Ltd. officially completed its business registration change, renaming itself Chongqing SaiDou Technology Co., Ltd.. This rebranding not only marks the legal establishment of Seres’ new automotive brand but also reflects a structural shift in its strategy—deepening AITO’s premium positioning while accelerating expansion into the mainstream price segment to build a dual-brand synergy.
Equity Restructuring: State-Owned Control, CATL Joins
Business registration data shows SaiDou Technology has completed a new round of capital increase, totaling approximately RMB 6.67 billion. Its equity structure has undergone fundamental changes: Seres’ stake dropped from controlling to 32.96%, exiting consolidated financial statements; Chongqing Shapingba District–affiliated SOE Shaci Zhiyuan (Chongqing) Technology Development Co., Ltd. became the largest shareholder with ~34.5% ownership, establishing state-led control; CATL’s wholly owned subsidiary Wending Investment made its first investment, acquiring 9.89%—a key industrial capital partner. Auto parts listed companies such as Bojun Technology and Xinyu Co., Ltd. also participated in follow-on funding.
Clear Positioning: Youthful + Sporty, Distinct from AITO’s Premium Strategy
SaiDou Technology will operate independently as Seres’ new sub-brand, explicitly targeting the RMB 100,000–200,000 mainstream family vehicle segment, emphasizing youthful, sporty design language and high-value intelligent experiences. This positioning clearly differentiates it from AITO’s focus on premium business and flagship family vehicles—and signals Seres’ strategic pivot from a pure technology partnership model toward full-stack capability: independent product definition, channel development, and user ecosystem building.
Product Timeline: Crossover Model Launches This Year, BEV & EREV Options
According to official sources, the SaiDou brand is scheduled for formal launch in June; its debut model has entered final production ramp-up and is slated for market launch and delivery before year-end 2024. The vehicle adopts a crossover form between SUV and sedan—balancing off-road capability and handling agility—and will offer both battery electric (BEV) and extended-range electric (EREV) powertrains. Production will leverage Seres’ Phoenix Smart Factory, where line retrofitting is already underway.
Intelligence Pathway: Volcano Engine Deeply Powers In-Car Large Language Model
Notably, although the character “Dou” (bean) in the brand name sparked speculation about ByteDance, there is no direct equity link at present. However, insiders confirmed that SaiDou vehicles will collaborate deeply with ByteDance’s cloud service platform Volcano Engine to jointly develop an in-vehicle intelligent interaction system powered by the Doubao large language model. Over 7 million smart vehicles currently run this technology. Importantly, the ADAS solution will be independently developed—not using Huawei’s ADS (Qiankun) system—highlighting SaiDou’s technical autonomy outside the HarmonyOS ecosystem.
Channels & Team: Fully Independent System, Global Rollout Underway
The SaiDou brand will establish a completely independent sales and service network, separate from existing AITO channels, with simultaneous domestic and overseas deployment. Its core team draws primarily from Seres’ former overseas division, bringing global vision and local execution expertise. This move avoids channel cannibalization and preserves flexibility for future international expansion.
From AITO to SaiDou, Seres is forging a ‘dual-track’ path: premium breakthrough plus mainstream coverage. In the most fiercely contested and rational consumer segment—the RMB 100,000–200,000 price band—its success will hinge on differentiated positioning, supply-chain synergy, and novel intelligent solutions—a true test of its end-to-end operational capability.
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