On June 30, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) began production at two CTP2.0 (Cell-to-Pack) high-end battery pack lines installed within the Seres Super Factory in Chongqing. This facility represents CATL’s first operational base in the city and its initial deployment of a “factory-in-factory” (FiF) model, which integrates core component suppliers directly into an automaker’s production site. According to Seres, the FiF approach allows manufacturing adjustments in under 20 minutes, supplies thousands of components each day, and completes turnarounds within the same day.
Dr. Robin Zeng, Chairman and CEO of CATL, stated, “The production line launched is CATL’s most advanced intelligent and digital production line.”
The partnership between CATL and Seres dates back to August 2022, when the two firms signed a strategic cooperation agreement. Under that agreement, Seres’ Aito brand will use CATL power batteries exclusively for the next five years, with upcoming Aito models fully integrating CATL’s Qilin cells. Aito is a collaboration between Seres and Huawei, although it is not structured as a joint venture.
In July 2024, Seres acquired the Aito trademark and related patents from Huawei for 2.5 million yuan (approximately 344 million USD). Huawei continues to supply parts and software for Aito vehicles and retails them through its HIMA sales network.
Positioned as a new luxury automotive brand, Aito has surpassed 700,000 units in market ownership, and the Seres Super Factory remains a key production hub.
Data from the China Automotive Power Battery Industry Innovation Alliance shows that from January through May of this year, total power battery installations in China reached 241.4 GWh, up 50.4% year-on-year. CATL’s installations during that period totaled 103.20 GWh, representing 42.90% of the market, a slight decrease of 3.83 percentage points compared to the same period last year.
Beyond battery production, CATL and Seres jointly completed the first phase of a 50 MWh distributed photovoltaic project at the Chongqing facility in April, providing core green energy to support zero-carbon operations.
Source: CarNewsChina
