Aito owners are finding solidarity with DFSK in a self-deprecating trend. Image modified by CarNewsChina. Understand China EV’s Market Real-time notifications when critical EV data is released All important data in one place 2,000,000+ data points Become a member In the wake of Huawei’s pullback from the Aito brand in the Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance (HIMA), owners in China are expressing their discontent by aligning with DFSK, a budget micro-EV and van brand initially formed as a joint venture between Dongfeng and Seres Auto. The self-deprecating trend has gone viral on Weibo, a major Chinese social media platform, with Aito owners reportedly rebadging their cars with DFSK logos while lamenting Aito’s fall from “HIMA’s crown prince” to a “lowly Dongfeng commoner”. Owner perception In the immediate wake of the Huawei-Seres “split”, an Aito M7 owner aired his grievances with the brand and its future. With the tech giant no longer actively involved in vehicle development, the owner doubted whether Aito could still charge a premium for its products. The disgruntled owner claims he paid over 300,000 yuan (44,800 USD) for his M7, a price that no longer matches Seres Auto’s capabilities and backing. The owner also expressed concerns about the automaker’s long-term viability, likening its future to Neta Auto. The owner’s post concludes by emphasising their hopes for Seres’ and Aito’s success, as a defunct brand would no longer be able to provide after-sales and would severely accelerate depreciation. The owner’s post has gained traction on Weibo, becoming the site’s second hottest topic as of writing. The re-badged M7. Note the “AUTO” badge instead of “AITO”. Credit: Weibo – Hu Lian Wang Ling Lu Ren Images have also emerged of a “downbadged” Aito M7 after the announced Huawei-Seres split, with the Seres Auto badge replaced with that of DFSK (Dong Feng Xiao Kang). With Seres and Aito tight-lipped on the new arrangement, humour and anger may be the only viable outlets for owners. DFSK’s response Although founded as a joint venture, DFSK is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Seres Auto. It specialises in micro-EVs, budget passenger cars and commercial microvans. It’s also commonly used as a punching bag by Chinese “netizens” when criticising Aito’s handling and chassis tuning. A DFSK dealership allegedly expressing support for Aito and its owners. While the budget brand hasn’t responded to the trend, a DFSK dealership has allegedly expressed solidarity with HIMA’s troubled marque by hanging up a banner and welcoming its owners. It positions DFSK as Aito’s “parental home” and says it will always back and support its cars and drivers. Aito’s future The disgruntled Aito M7 owner is likely not alone in his doubts about Seres Auto’s abilities. Huawei helped the automaker avoid insolvency, and its latest departure would dampen confidence in Seres Auto’s future. Under the previous agreement, Seres achieved huge leaps in profitability, even as Huawei allegedly took a 50,000 yuan (7,500 USD) cut from every Aito vehicle sold. It remains to be seen if the new Seres-majority Aito brand can still demand a premium over its competitors. Source: Weibo – Sheng Li Zhu Yi Zhang Bei Hai Most important news in your inbox. Recaps · scheduled All you need, in one email. Instant alerts · real-time Ping me when an article goes live. 0 of 27 topics selected Bundle into one email per day — instead of one email per article No spam · Unsubscribe with one click · Change settings anytime
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