Chinese tech giant Huawei’s partnership with Seres Group, a prominent automaker in China, continues to flourish as the latter launches yet another new energy vehicle (NEV) brand called Landian (蓝电). The brand was officially unveiled today, and its first model, the plug-in hybrid E5, was made available with technology from both Huawei and BYD. The launch was conducted through an online event.
The Landian E5 is a mid-size SUV that comes in five- and seven-seat versions. It measures 4,760 mm in length, 1,865 mm in width, and 1,710 mm in height, and has a wheelbase of 2,785 mm. The car is available in two versions with starting prices of RMB 139,900 ($20,330) and RMB 151,900, respectively.
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The Landian brand, which literally means “blue electricity” in Chinese, is positioned as a builder of the Internet of Everything ecosystem in the “E era,” where the letter E refers to electric. Seres Group aims to build 340 experience stores and 160 delivery centers for the Landian brand by 2023, a clear indication of the brand’s aggressive plans in the NEV market.
The Landian E5 is powered by Seres’ DE-i electric drive platform, which uses the F31A 1.5L PHEV-specific engine and DHT300 electric hybrid system from BYD’s FinDreams Power. The engine has a maximum power of 81 kW and a maximum torque of 135 Nm, while the electric motor has a maximum power of 130 kW and a maximum torque of 300 Nm. The car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.4 seconds and has an NEDC range of 100 km, 110 km on battery power, and a combined WLTC range of 1,150 km on full fuel and full charge.
One of the highlights of the Landian E5 is its connectivity features, as it is equipped with Huawei’s HiCar 3.0 system, a lite version of HarmonyOS for cars, which supports features including seamless connectivity with cell phones.
Seres Group is Huawei’s most important partner in the automotive industry to date. The two companies signed an agreement on deepening their joint business on February 25, which will see the two jointly launch a new vehicle platform, the first flagship model of which is scheduled for release in 2023. The joint business aims to see annual sales of NEVs reach 1 million units by 2026.
The Landian E5 joins Seres Group’s other NEV brands, including the premium AITO brand launched with Huawei in December 2021, which has already launched models such as the M5 and M7. In February 2022, Seres Group sold 12,773 vehicles, including 6,577 NEVs, highlighting the company’s significant presence in China’s NEV market.
