Chinese electric vehicle maker Seres Auto has inaugurated a new battery research facility in collaboration with Tsinghua University, aimed at advancing battery technology, safety systems and manufacturing standards, the company said, as the automaker faces mixed investor sentiment following its recent Hong Kong market debut.
The Tsinghua-Seres Battery Innovation Technology Joint Research Centre was formally opened last week at Tsinghua University. The partnership brings together the research capabilities of one of China’s leading universities with Seres Group’s experience in vehicle development and battery production.
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The centre will focus on battery chemistry, safety technologies, system integration, manufacturing processes and industry standards. While laboratory facilities, testing equipment and industry research reports will be made available, no research results or prototypes have yet been released.
At the inauguration ceremony on Nov. 28, executives from both sides outlined the centre’s role in addressing technical challenges in next-generation battery systems. “The facility will focus on battery and safety technology research,” Seres Group Chairman Zhang Xinghai said, according to CarNewsChina. The centre will also examine battery design, safety standards and production methods, the report added.
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Earlier in November, Seres reported a slight year-on-year decline in third-quarter profit despite double-digit revenue growth. The company posted net income of 2.37 billion yuan ($333 million), down 1.74% from a year earlier, while quarterly revenue rose 15.75% to 48.13 billion yuan, reflecting higher vehicle demand and expanding production scale.