Unlike most new automakers, Seres was not founded solely in China, but emerged in Silicon Valley in the middle of the last decade. The idea for the new electric brand came from John Zhang and his partner Martin Eberhard, one of the co-founders of Tesla. Like the brand model Tesla, Seres is purely electric and attaches great importance to the design of its vehicles. Seres belongs to the Chinese automotive group Dongfeng Sokon based in Chongqing. The developers at Seres are particularly proud of the solid-state batteries they developed themselves, which are designed to ensure long ranges and fast charging speeds.
The US-Chinese brand is now celebrating its delayed market launch in Europe with the Seres 5. Seres has been active in other markets for some time and has delivered around 500,000 vehicles to over 70 markets to date. In Europe, the electronics brand wants to quickly move up into the coveted premium segment and play a significant market role in the electronics segment, especially in countries such as Germany, France and Italy. In addition to Group production in China, the Seres brand headquarters are still located in California. The car manufacturer also operates a development site and production facility in the US state of Michigan. “The Seres 5 quality is the lifeline of the export market and the foundation for our customers abroad. We need to personally test the overall performance of our vehicles for the European roads before we can confidently pass them on to our European customers,” explains CEO John Zhang, “The Grand Tour marks the debut of Seres’ new high-end electric vehicle in Europe, where the automotive industry is most advanced. This is a big step for us to enter the European market and another step towards Seres’ global presence.”
On a tour through Europe in 25 days through 21 countries with more than 10,000 kilometers, the Seres 5 in particular should be specially adapted to the European framework. The models were tested in a wide range of temperatures in different regions. It was not just about the traffic in crowded inner cities, but also high-speed driving in Germany or driving on a wide variety of road surfaces in the individual countries in order to adapt chassis and test the noise level in real operation. The first Seres 5 models were then handed over to end customers in Norway by European manager ZJ Wan and CEO John Zhang. Tempting: The first customers get a lifetime guarantee on their Seres 5. Among them: European Rally Champion Andreas Mikkelsen.
The current top model of the 4.71 meter long Seres 5 is available with either front or all-wheel drive. While the basic version delivers 210 kW / 286 hp (from 63,900 euros), the 4×4 variant with 430 kW / 585 hp, which costs 74,900 euros, always offers sporty driving performance and a top speed of 226 km/h. From a standing start, the Seres 5 AWD accelerates to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds. With the large 90 kWh solid-state battery pack, ranges of more than 500 kilometers should be possible. Inside, there is room for five people while the driver looks at the head-up display, 12.3-inch instruments or the 15-inch central screen. Massage seats, a panoramic roof and voice control ensure comfort on board. Seres wants to stage its series of five against competitors such as Tesla Model Y, BMW iX3, Audi Q4 Etron or Mercedes EQC. Similar to the Kia EV6 or Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Seres 5 can also supply external consumers with electrical energy. For markets where the charging infrastructure still has gaps, the Seres 5 is also available with a combustion engine as a range extender. The basic version of the Seres 5 EVR has an electric range of 200 kilometers and a range extender for a further 900 km. The all-wheel drive version has a combined range of both drive modules of over 1,000 kilometers.
In addition to the Seres 5, the Chinese carmaker also offers the 4.39 meter long compact SUV Seres 3. It is powered by a 120 kW / 163 PS / 300 Nm electric motor, whose 53.7 kWh battery pack has to be recharged after 330 kilometers. The top speed: 160 km/h. The loading volume of the 1.8-tonne front-wheel drive is 381 liters. Seres has big plans for next year. Then, with the models Seres 7 and Seres 9, there will also be new vehicles in the luxury class in Europe, which will not only be even more comfortable, but will also be able to travel longer distances. In addition, the currently low charging speed of around 100 kilowatts is to be increased significantly. For the top model Seres 9, the technicians promise calculated ranges of over 750 kilometers and currently no high-speed charging.
