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Huawei-Backed Aito Enters Middle East With UAE Dealer Deal

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Chinese automaker Seres said its electric vehicle brand Aito has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi-based dealer group Performance Plus Motors to begin sales in the United Arab Emirates, marking the brand’s first export move outside China. The partnership gives Aito an initial foothold in the Middle East as it looks to expand beyond China’s highly competitive EV market.

Performance Plus Motors, a unit of Abu Dhabi Motors, will handle sales, delivery and after-sales service of Aito’s luxury intelligent vehicles in the UAE. Seres did not provide a timeline for the official launch, but said vehicles have already arrived at Dubai port and test drives of the flagship Aito 9 SUV are underway.

Aito is the most successful brand under Huawei’s Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance and has rapidly grown in China. Seres said the UAE agreement represents a key step in Aito’s globalization strategy, with plans for broader Middle Eastern expansion that could support entry into neighboring markets.

Previously sold only in China, Aito showcased its global lineup at the Munich car show last September. The brand sold more than 420,000 vehicles in 2025, becoming the main growth driver for Seres, whose total EV sales rose more than 10% last year.

VinFast teams up with Autobrains to develop low-cost self-driving tech

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Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast has partnered with artificial intelligence company Autobrains to develop advanced autonomous driving technology, including a low-cost “Robo-Car” system. The collaboration is aimed at accelerating VinFast’s self-driving ambitions while reducing costs by moving away from expensive sensor-heavy approaches.

The partnership will focus on improving driver assistance systems for upcoming VinFast electric vehicles, building on the company’s existing Level 2 autonomy capabilities. Pilot testing of the enhanced technology is already underway on the VF 8 and VF 9 models, with plans to gradually roll out more advanced features across VinFast’s vehicle lineup.

In addition, the companies are exploring a new Robo-Car architecture designed to enable higher levels of autonomy without relying on costly LiDAR sensors, radar systems or high-definition maps. Similar to Tesla’s strategy, the system uses seven standard cameras combined with a compact, high-performance computing chip. Testing is currently taking place in controlled zones in Hanoi, with expansion planned to larger cities and international markets.

Zeekr Plans Wider European Expansion, Weighs Hybrid Models to Boost Sales

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Premium Chinese electric vehicle brand Zeekr plans to expand into additional European markets in 2026, including France, the United Kingdom, Italy and Spain, and is considering introducing extended-range plug-in hybrid models in the region, a company executive said on Friday.

Lothar Schupet, Zeekr’s acting head of European operations, told Reuters at the Brussels car show that consumer demand in Europe remains strong for plug-in hybrids. “When we look at the European consumer demand, the plug-in hybrid segment still has a high share,” he said.

Schupet said Zeekr, which is a unit of Geely, is currently assessing market demand for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and expects to make a decision within the next few months. Introducing PHEV models would also help the company avoid European Union tariffs on Chinese-made fully electric vehicles.

In December, the EU softened its stance on the effective 2035 ban on fossil-fuel cars, allowing PHEVs — which combine a combustion engine with battery-powered driving — to remain on sale longer than previously anticipated. This policy shift could create additional opportunities for automakers offering hybrid powertrains.

Zeekr currently operates in 12 European markets and entered Germany in December. In some countries, it sells vehicles directly to consumers. Beyond adding new major markets, the company plans to more than triple its European dealer network to around 100 dealerships this year, up from about 30 currently, Schupet said.

Geely took Zeekr private last year, and the brand is widely regarded in China as one of the group’s most valuable assets due to its strong premium EV sales. Zeekr has already launched plug-in hybrid versions of several models in the Chinese market, the world’s largest automotive market.

The brand entered Europe just over two years ago and has so far recorded modest sales. However, Schupet said Zeekr aims to scale up its presence and become “a major player in the premium segment for sustainable mobility” across the continent.