Saab 9-3 returns as an EV under NEVS brand
Chinese made all-electric 9-3 to be produced under NEVS brand, with 186 mile claimed range
The Saab 9-3 has been given a new lease of life thanks to NEVS (National Electric Vehicle Sweden), with a Chinese built, all-electric, reborn version of the Swedish firm’s final saloon.
NEVS, a Swedish holding company, acquired the remainder of Saab’s assets when the marque ceased production at the beginning of 2012.
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The NEVS 9-3 is almost identical to the original model built between 2002 and Saab’s demise in 2012. Although based in Saab’s old headquarters in Trollhattan, Sweden, NEVS will produce the electric 9-3 in its new Chinese plant in Tianjin.
NEVS claims that the 9-3 EV will is capable of 186 miles on a single charge with a top speed of 87mph, though little has been revealed about the basis of the car’s powertrain. NEVS plans to produce 50,000 vehicles a year during its first phase of production; phase two will see NEVS produce 220,000 EV’s a year.
Beyond the all-electric 9-3, second and third-generation EVs are planned. Neither of these future vehicles have been named or teased, but both will be developed in partnership with Chinese ride-sharing service DiDi Chuxing. China’s Uber equivalent predicts that by 2020, they will run one million vehicles on its ride-sharing platform across the country. NEVS will be one of DiDi’s main EV providers.
In addition to partnering with DiDi Chuxing, NEVS initiated a joint venture with GEIDCO (Global Energy Interconnection Corporation) to create GNEVS, a global energy service that provides infrastructure for the increasing presence in Mobility on Demand services. The Chinese market remains NEVS' focus for sales right now, though the firm has hinted at a European launch, confirming that mobility pilots will take place in Sweden in 2020.
Is NEVS on to a winner with its re-born Saab, or should the marque be left to rest in peace? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.
