EV News Press Release

Seres Turns to ByteDance’s Doubao as It Trims Dependence on Huawei

• ByStartupStory     |    November 3, 2025

Seres Turns to ByteDance’s Doubao as It Trims Dependence on Huawei

Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Seres is recalibrating its technology partnerships by incorporating ByteDance’s Doubao large language model (LLM) into its vehicle systems, signaling a strategic move to reduce reliance on Huawei’s smart cockpit solutions. This shift reflects Seres’s efforts to assert greater control over its smart mobility future and diversify its AI technology collaborations.

ByteDance’s Doubao LLM, part of the company’s expanding AI product suite, aims to deliver full-spectrum vehicle interactions, including voice, vision, and other sensor integrations. Currently in research and development, Seres is collaborating with ByteDance’s Volcano Engine business unit to develop system architecture and deploy the Doubao model in its vehicles. The plan includes equipping vehicles with an independent AI computing module—an “AI box”—capable of running Doubao, with Nvidia’s Orin Y chip as one possible hardware solution under evaluation.

By adopting Doubao, Seres seeks to build an independent smart platform benchmarking against competitors like Aito, reducing its strategic dependence on Huawei, which has been a long-time partner supplying smart cockpit technologies for the Aito brand and contributing to Seres’s profitability growth in recent years.

The partnership with ByteDance is part of Seres’s broader global ambition to expand overseas, with new models leveraging Doubao expected to reach mass production by 2026, targeting international markets. This dual strategy positions Seres as a loyal Huawei partner within China while establishing itself as a technologically independent player abroad.

The integration of large AI models into vehicle systems is an emerging industry trend led by automakers such as Li Auto and Xpeng Motors, who have begun deploying foundational models to enable advanced smart cockpit functions. ByteDance’s Doubao stands out by promising enhanced in-cabin intelligence, enabling functions like route planning, cabin condition recognition, and real-time passenger safety enhancements.

Seres’s move also reflects the increasing competitiveness among AI providers in automotive applications, with ByteDance deepening its efforts to extend its AI footprint beyond consumer apps into automotive, joining forces with global players introducing high-performance chips and advancing AI-powered smart mobility solutions.

In conclusion, Seres’s collaboration with ByteDance’s Doubao marks a pivotal shift in its smart vehicle technology roadmap, balancing legacy partnerships with innovation-driven independence. This strategic pivot is designed to maintain Seres’s competitive edge in the fast-evolving automotive AI landscape and support its growth in both domestic and international markets.kr-asia​

Follow Startup Story