Is TikTok making electric cars?

Plans to launch a completely new car brand have just been announced, backed by ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok.

This new brand is the result of a collaboration between Seres and Volcano Engine, a cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) platform owned by ByteDance, the parent company of the social media app TikTok.

This landmark move comes shortly after a large-scale capital restructuring of the former Landian brand. Sources from CarnewsChina indicate that Saidou Technology is urgently preparing to launch its first car model this year.

The new vehicle is positioned as a crossover model that blends SUV and sedan styling, offering both all-electric and extended-range hybrid (EREV) powertrain options. Commercial assembly will take place at Seres' Phoenix plant, which is currently undergoing a redesign of its machinery to accommodate the new chassis.

The core difference that allows the new brand to compete in the market lies in the user experience, which is deeply powered by artificial intelligence algorithms. Unlike the Aito brand, which uses Huawei's Qiankun intelligent driving system, the Saidou line of vehicles is expected to fully utilize the intelligent cockpit system and the extensive neuro-linguistic processing capabilities of the Volcano Engine platform.

Volcano Engine (owned by ByteDance) will be responsible for the technology aspect of the new model. Photo: Jieman .

Despite providing intelligent features and in-cabin technology, Volcano Engine reiterated that it has no plans to directly participate in the autonomous driving software development segment, focusing instead on providing cloud infrastructure and storage support solutions.

This new generation automotive brand aims to reach young, active-life customers and will establish an independent sales distribution channel for both the domestic market and international export regions.

This is seen as a comprehensive strategic shift compared to its predecessor, the Landian brand, which faced intense competition in the affordable car segment with prices ranging from 100,000 to 150,000 RMB. This move comes as domestic rivals like Leapmotor and Xiaomi are also planning to launch sub-brands in the latter part of the year.

Source: https://znews.vn/tiktok-lam-xe-dien-post1656309.html