Sino-American Seres launches electric crossover in Europe

After SAIC-owned MG Motor, Seres is the second Chinese brand to have Fleet ambitions for Europe. It launches the Seres 3, a compact electric cross-over the size of the Kia e-Niro, Peugeot e-2008 and Opel Mokka-e.

Seres, like Tesla, is headquartered in Silicon Valley (USA), but its funding is Chinese. As a subsidiary of Chongqing Sokon Industry Group, it now has seven R&D locations in the US, China and Japan, among others. All R&D sites focus on intelligent e-drive technology, vehicle technology, next generation battery technology and lightweight design.

Seres was founded in January 2016 and has been producing electric cars in Chongqing, China since 2017. In the same year, Seres bought an assembly plant in Mishawaka, Indiana from AM General, which used to produce the Hummer H2 and the Mercedes-Benz R-Class.

The first Seres available in Western Europe will be the Seres 3, a compact SUV the size of the MG ES and Kia e-Niro. It is powered by a 120kW electric motor and a battery pack worth 54kWh enables it to drive 329 kilometres on a single charge (WLTP standard).

Interestingly, Seres uses environmentally friendly cobalt-free lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4). This allows the batteries to charge faster while they are more stable and have a longer service life. They are also fireproof in case of damage, Seres claims.

The Seres 3 comes with an 8-year or 120,000-km warranty on the battery pack. The flawless operation of the rest of the vehicle is guaranteed during 5 years without mileage limitation. Seres is available in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, with more countires following later this year.

Picture copyright: Seres, 2021