Founded in 2016, SERES has, in just a few years, established itself as a leading player in electromobility. First through its commercial success as a manufacturer under the AITO name, then through a strategic partnership with Huawei. Today, SERES is setting its sights on Europe, presenting its ultra-efficient ‘Super Range-Extender’ system at the IAA Mobility trade fair in Munich.
The story of SERES is a good illustration of the extent to which the Chinese automotive industry has been able to reinvent itself at breakneck speed. Founded in 2016 as an electric mobility brand in the global sense of the term, the company has found a major partner: the giant Huawei. It was with the flagship of Chinese tech that SERES developed AITO, a local manufacturer that enjoyed almost immediate success (750,000 cars sold in its first four years of existence – that’s amazing) thanks to its high-end positioning, which has since been fully acquired by Huawei in 2023. Relations are still very good between all these companies, which are now cohabiting in the same universe, linked by partnerships.
SERES, long-term autonomy and vision
Today, SERES, through its SERES Power branch, focuses mainly on the design and manufacture of electric motors, in particular for the famous extended-range electric vehicles (EREVs) that are a big hit in China. These cars use small combustion engines, powered by petrol, which, instead of driving the wheels, act as generators to recharge the batteries. SERES was at the IAA Mobility trade fair in Munich to present a new development in these systems.
The ‘Super Range-Extender System’, whose name sounds like something out of a Marvel film, uses in-house RoboREX technology. According to SERES, its active energy management enables it to reduce fuel consumption by 15%, cut noise by 90% and deliver a spectacular output of 3.65 kWh per litre of fuel. All this with a maximum energy efficiency of almost 45%, when most current petrol engines struggle to exceed 35%.
This presentation in Europe is not insignificant. EREVs are not yet very popular on our side of the world, but this seems to be mainly due to lack of recognition, the rarity of models and the absence of this type of vehicle in the catalogues of European manufacturers. With some 3,900 patents to its name and 132% growth over the last year, SERES is determined to change the situation and add new industrial partners to its already impressive portfolio. It’s a story to keep an eye on, because at a time when the European electromobility market is in the throes of transition, when the vagueness surrounding the ban on 100% internal combustion is persistent, when the installation of recharging stations is still too sporadic and, above all, when range is the most persistent factor in motorists’ hesitation to switch to electric vehicles, range extenders are emerging as a very interesting solution.
