NEVS news

[nordwulf]

Press invitation from NEVS:

National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB has started the production of the Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan with a petrol engine and would like to invite media to a presentation:

Time and date: Monday December 2, 13.00.

Venue: Main gate, Saabvägen 5, Trollhättan.

Program

13.00 Presentation of Nevs
- Nevs founder and owner Kai Johan Jiang
- President Mattias Bergman
- Q & A session

13.25 First car roll of the assambly line
- Photo session
- Interview session

[Finding41]

I got a media invitation via email.
I'm not going to make it.. If anyone would like to go on my pass pm me and ill forward the rsvp info.

[AVguy]

This is great news! Can't wait to see detailed photos of car to see what has been updated and her about where they will be sold and what the whole deal is.

[nordwulf]

There probably isn't any real news on Monday. The 9-3 will look the same as the 2012 9-3 and they will be shipped to China. NEVS doesn't have any sales network in Europe and there won't be any buyers anyways. There are still new Saabs for sale in the US, 2 years after the company went bankrupt.

The engine is going to be the familiar one from GM. I am curious to see if they changed anything in the interior, especially all the GM bits. I hope the press will ask some good questions and hopefully will get some good answers from NEVS.

[#1SAAB12-17-11]

There is no good news here for any current Saab owner unless you're one in China. From the start there has been an otherworldly oddity to this entire NEVS venture and it is becoming more and more apparent that the continued operation of the Trollhattan plant is merely the Swedish government throwing a bone to the locals, the Chinese the only ones with enough interest in picking up the tab for everything else... the better to learn how to build an automobile with more staying power than a Chinese motor scooter.

Perhaps there is a market for Saabs in China; We'll see. But why anyone outside China would believe NEVS can produce a car anyone outside China would ever get the chance to buy -- forget about even wanting after 10+ years of "improvements" to an aging 9-3 design -- is truly stretching reality to the point of absurdity. And if the Chinese start producing the spare parts the rest of us are supposed to buy, expect the Saab brand to crater even faster with its dwindling fan base.

[nordwulf]

Press release from NEVS:

Production of Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan has started in Trollhättan



National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB has started production of the Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan with a petrol engine. Sales are initially focused in China with a small number of vehicles being sold directly from Nevs to Swedish customers via the Nevs’ website

National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB has started production of the Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan with a petrol engine. Sales are initially focused in China with a small number of vehicles being sold directly from Nevs to Swedish customers via the Nevs’ website.

The car that is produced is a high-spec Saab 9-3 Aero Sedan with a 220 hp 2.0-liter turbo, a previously recognized high-performance engine of the Saab cars.

“I am very proud of the dedication and the focus that Nevs management and employees have demonstrated over the year that has passed since we became owners of the plant in Trollhättan, and who have made ​​this possible. Swedish expertise along with Japanese technology around batteries and new lightweight materials and our Chinese group’s focus on green technology is our strength for the future”, said Kai Johan Jiang, Nevs founder and main owner.

“It is truly a complex mission to start a car production process which has been still for two and a half years. It is very pleasing that we have embarked on a journey where we want to and will make a difference with our partners and customers. Our electric car will be launched next year, and already today we can offer Saab cars with continued high, proven performance and quality”, said Nevs’ President Mattias Bergman.

Nevs’ customers will be offered a first class and engaging customer experience. They will also be offered the opportunity to come to the heart of the Saab car brand in Trollhättan to take delivery of their vehicles. While doing so, they will be invited to visit our highly efficient factory with experienced and competent workers and the Saab Car Museum where they can get a flavor of our brand and vehicles.

To ensure a solid ownership experience we intend to offer service and parts distribution in partnership with Orio AB (formerly known as Saab Automobile Parts AB).

In less than a year, the purchasing organization has built partnerships with the suppliers to the Saab 9-3. Nevs now has partnerships with all around 400 suppliers needed for the Sedan model. All in all the Nevs’ start of production engage around 2,400 companies globally through the suppliers.

“It's been an intense year committed to ensuring Nevs’ start of production. I see our established partnerships as a trustful beginning of the long term and strategic relationships we want to build together with our subcontractors”, said Nevs’ Purchasing Director Per Svantesson .

To ensure our high quality and the supply chain functions, the production rate will be very modest, about ten cars a week initially, and then gradually the pace will be increased to meet customers’ demand.

The electric car based on the Saab 9-3 will be launched in spring 2014, with China as the first market. Nevs’ partner and part owner Qingdao has initially placed an order for a pilot fleet of 200 electric cars with delivery starting in spring 2014.

Sales in Sweden, via Nevs’ website, will start on Tuesday, December 10. The price is 279 000 SEK with manual transmission and 289 000 with automatic transmission. Additional specifications purchase and delivery conditions are presented when the sale starts.

Over time we will develop our customer base to expand into more markets where we see potential for growth and profitability.

Nevs’ vision is to shape mobility for a more sustainable future. Our aim is to be a front runner in the automotive industry, with focus on electric vehicles, where China is our initial main market. The pace of change towards cars powered by fossil free fuels will increase and China currently has the most ambitious efforts for electrification of the vehicle fleet.

For more information about Nevs: About us - National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB

[nordwulf]

From saabcars.com

[colombo]

Not sure if it was already mentioned, but as from Dec 10th Swedish customers can order a brand new Saab, for a quite competitive price (279.000 SEK) . New Saabs to Swedish customers in 2013. Now, that is not half bad.

[nordwulf]

customers can order a brand new Saab, for a quite competitive price (279.000 SEK) .

Competitive? These are starting prices from that other Swedish car maker. SEK 200 000

V40 - 213 000 SEK
S60 - 241 000 SEK
S80 - 282 000 SEK

The Swedish market for sedans with a petrol engine seems very limited.

More prices from other manufacturers.

3-series 268 000 SEK
C-Class - 279 000 SEK
CLA - 269 000 SEK
A3 - 212 000 SEK
A4 - 285 000 SEK

[Shazam]

Yeah, 279000SEK doesn't sound very competitive. I'm taking a new S60 and pocketing the difference if those were my choices.

That being said, it seems like a bunch of clamoring about a 11+ year old car being reintroduced to a primarily Chinese market. It seems a bit odd that Saab has never really attempted to enter the Chinese market when they were releasing an all new model, but now they are doing it with one that the rest of the world had for 11 years? If Saab ever really does make it back into North America, maybe I'll sing a different tune. But in the mean time, I don't have a whole lot of excitement for this.

Also, don't like the Saab emblem on the hood or center caps. The one on the hood just seems a bit redundant because of the "SAAB" on the grille, while the design of it seems cheap (hence why I don't like it on the center caps). I do like how they threw some turbine-esque wheels on there though, quite snazzy.