CATL and Seres sign long-term agreement securing battery supply for AITO range

A long-term supply pact signed in Chongqing

CATL and Seres Group have signed a long-term strategic cooperation agreement, securing continued CATL battery supply for the entire AITO electric vehicle range. The agreement was concluded on 10 October 2026 in Chongqing, where Seres is headquartered, and marks a new stage in the partnership between the world's largest EV battery maker and the automaker behind the AITO brand it develops with Huawei. As reported by CnEVPost, AITO will continue using CATL batteries across its line-up over the long term, reinforcing a supply relationship in place since the brand's inception. ²³⁴

According to CATL's statement, cited by CnEVPost, every AITO model has been fitted with CATL batteries since the brand first appeared, and cumulative deliveries have surpassed 1.2 million vehicles. Response.jp's report of the signing likewise notes that all AITO models have carried CATL batteries since launch and that cumulative deliveries now exceed 1.2 million units. ³¹

The agreement sets out cooperation across three priority areas: expanded battery production capacity, work on supercharging networks and battery services, and joint efforts in overseas markets. Reporting of the deal is consistent across CnEVPost, Automotive World and the battery trade press, all drawing on CATL's announcement. ²³⁴¹

Plant-in-plant capacity expansion beyond 20 GWh

The most concrete element of the pact is manufacturing. The partners will accelerate construction of the second phase of their plant-in-plant facility inside the Seres Super Factory, a phase planned to add 10 to 12 GWh of annual battery capacity, according to Automotive World's report of the agreement. Once the second phase is completed, combined annual capacity across both phases is expected to exceed 20 GWh. ²³⁴

The expansion builds on an arrangement in which battery system production is integrated with AITO vehicle assembly at the same site. CnEVPost reports that CATL began operating two CTP (cell-to-pack) 2.0 battery pack production lines at the Seres plant on 30 June 2025, supplying battery systems locally for AITO vehicles. That project was CATL's first production base in Chongqing and its first deployment of the plant-in-plant model. ³⁴

CATL says the approach is intended to improve supply chain resilience and competitiveness by concentrating production close to vehicle assembly, and Automotive World notes that building batteries inside the vehicle plant is meant to sharpen cost competitiveness. The expansion also supports Chongqing's push to build a cluster of intelligent connected electric vehicle makers, according to Automotive World's account of the agreement. ³²

Supercharging, battery services and overseas markets

Beyond the factory, the two companies plan to collaborate on supercharging networks and battery services, with the aim of building a service framework that spans the battery's entire lifecycle, following the vehicle through its whole life, as Automotive World describes it. CnEVPost reports the same scope, drawn from CATL's statement. ³²⁴

The partners will also jointly pursue buyers in overseas markets including Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, according to CnEVPost's report of the CATL statement. Automotive World observes that this spread gives AITO growth options outside the European Union, where China-built electric cars face additional import duties. The announcement did not specify which models or implementation plans would be involved in the overseas cooperation, as CnEVPost notes. ³²⁴

What the announcement leaves open

Several important details were not disclosed. CnEVPost reports that the announcement gave neither the agreement's duration nor a timeline for when the second phase would begin operations, and provided no details on the models or implementation plans involved in the overseas cooperation. The battery chemistry, pack specifications and charging rates for individual AITO models were likewise not set out in the announcement. ³⁴

For Seres, the agreement lands alongside a separate renewal of its AITO partnership with Huawei. CnEVPost reports the two companies signed a fresh five-year cooperation agreement in Shenzhen on 30 September 2026 to jointly develop the AITO business, with arrangements disclosed on 1 October 2026 for a dedicated AITO team and continued brand-specific operations. ³⁴

For CATL, the deal cements its long-term supply position with AITO, and the company remains the world's largest supplier of EV batteries. Data released on 2 October 2026 by South Korean market researcher SNE Research, as reported by CnEVPost, showed CATL's global EV battery installations at 333.0 GWh in the first eight months of 2026, up 25.2 per cent year on year, for a 39.4 per cent market share. ³⁴

No Australian connection established

The agreement concerns battery supply for AITO vehicles in China and prospective cooperation in Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Response.jp's report of the signing does not describe any Australian supply or launch plan, and none of the reporting establishes Australian availability or pricing for AITO vehicles. Any local availability of AITO models would need to be separately confirmed. ¹²³⁴