What's Happening With Saab?

One of the most asked questions we at Springman's get on a regular basis is What's going on with Saab these days?  From our regular customers to curious shoppers, everyone wants the latest news.  Is Saab dead?  Alive?  I hear they are making windmills.  I hear they are not Swedish anymore.  I hear that electric Saabs are what I will have to buy?  What's the scoop?

As someone who works to make a living selling cars, I can tell you that we wish we had the answers to all of your questions, but we don't.  What we do know is that exciting and interesting things are happening and these things point to a company that is looking ahead to make sure they will be around long into the future.

Let's take a quick look at what we do know about the company right now and see where things currently stand:

First of all, Saab is very much alive.  Maybe alive in a different sense of the word, but things are moving forward.  Assets from the bankruptcy were finally sold in June 2012 to National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS) and the deal was completed in August.  NEVS is owned by Hong Kong-based National Modern Energy Holdings Ltd, an energy company with operations in China.  They are also a majority share-holder in State Power Group of Beijing which is a pioneer in clean, renewable energy.  National Modern Energy has also just completed and opened a battery production facility in China.  This factory is already producing batteries for powering large fleets of electric buses in China.

Now, you are probably thinking Wait a minute!  What do battery plants, renewable energy and electric vehicles have to do with Saab?  NEVS is looking forward with an eye towards efficient, non-polluting, clean transportation choices.  For the most part, this means electric.  In Saab, NEVS saw several things.  Saab was already known for in their work on small, efficient engines to power their cars.  Through use of turbos, E85 fuel compatablity and more efficient computer controls, Saabs were becoming the benchmark of power, fuel-efficiency and emission cleanliness. Also in development was Saab e-Power, an all-electric Saab 9-3 that was nearly complete.  Add the philosophy of Saab design and sensibility, and the fact that there was a modern state-of-the-art production facility in Trollhattan sitting ready, NEVS was able to buy infrastructure and a known brand to build upon.

NEVS has stated that they intend to have a vehicle to market in 2014.  Based on a re-worked version of the current 9-3 model, the car will be a first-generation electric vehicle bearing the Saab name.  Following this, approximately two years later, will be Saabs second generation EV based on the Phoenix platform.  The technology is being developed jointly by engineers in China and Japan and is cutting-edge.  The design and manufacturing will take advantage of Swedish expertise in these areas.

NEVS has already hired several key people in Sweden to begin the process of stating production.  From bringing in managers and production staff who previously worked with Saab, to meeting with several key suppliers about supply chain, it seems that National Electric Vehicle Sweden is firmly in the driver's seat.

Next time, we will take a look at Saab Automobile Parts AB and the availability of parts for all of those Saabs already out there!