The production capacity target for the new Aito M7 has been raised to an average of 700 units per day, with a maximum annual capacity of 200,000 units, according to local media.
(Image credit: Aito)
Aito, the new energy vehicle (NEV) brand backed by Chinese tech giant Huawei, has updated its order figures for the revamped M7 to show the performance of the model that turned the brand’s fortunes around.
The new Aito M7 has accumulated more than 100,000 firm orders after 2.5 months on the market, the brand announced today.
Aito is a premium NEV brand launched on December 2, 2021 by Huawei and automaker Seres Group. It unveiled the Aito M5 on December 23, 2021 and on July 4, 2022 the Aito M7 was unveiled.
The Aito M5 is offered in both extended-range electric vehicle (EREV) as well as battery electric vehicle (BEV) versions, while the M7 is offered only in EREV versions.
Aito delivered more than 10,000 units per month for most of the second half of 2022, but has had a weak start of this year, with most months below 6,000 units in the first half.
Richard Yu, Huawei’s head of automotive business, launched the new Aito M7 at an event on September 12, lowering the starting price by RMB 40,000 and adding a five-seat model compared to the model previously on sale.
The five-seat version of the new Aito M7 offers three options at a starting price of RMB 249,800, RMB 284,800 and RMB 309,800 respectively. Its six-seat version offers two options with starting prices of RMB 269,800 and RMB 329,800 respectively.
Aito has been frequently updating order figures for the new M7 since its launch, as the model seeing strong sales performance.
“It’s a comeback from the dead, it’s really not easy,” Yu said in his personal WeChat status on October 6.
Aito announced on Weibo on October 7 that as of October 6, the new Aito M7 had received more than 50,000 firm orders.
Aito delivered 12,700 vehicles in October, of which the new M7 contributed 10,547, or 83.04 percent, according to figures it announced earlier this month.
Lack of production capacity appears to be the key factor holding back growth in Aito deliveries at the moment.
In September, the M7 was producing 5,000 units a month, over 10,000 in October, and the next target is 20,000-30,000 units a month, local media outlet Yicai said in a November 23 story citing Seres sources.
The current capacity target for the new M7 has been raised to 700 units per day, with a maximum annual capacity of 200,000 units, according to the report.
Seres has three NEV assembly plants in the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, producing the M5, M7 and M9. Aito started pre-sales for the M9 at the end of September, with the official launch expected next month.
The M5 plant currently has a capacity of 30 units per hour, and is capable of producing 300 units per day on a 10-hour shift, or 600 units on a double shift, Yicai said, citing a manager at the plant.
($1 = RMB 7.1518)
Huawei-backed Aito starts pre-sales of flagship SUV M9, official launch to be in Dec
