To The bankruptcy of SAAB in 2012, Evergrande acquired SAAB, renamed NEVS (for National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB) in 2016 due to rights issues. But very quickly after the release of the first 9-3, they switched to electricity, production stopped again at the factory in Trollhättan, a SAAB stronghold. This time forever. At any rate, that’s what we thought until this week, when NEVS announced the sale of its assets to EV startup Electra. It bills itself as “the first electric vehicle manufacturer with a development center in Lebanon.” However, in the transaction that concerns us, it is presented as a Canadian company, where it has offices. It’s hard to see clearly.
Emily GT will become a reality
More clear is the announcement made by its investor and CEO, businessman Jihad Mohammad. The man formalized his intentions, which he had already announced during the presentation of the sedan Emily GT at the start of the year: ensuring it goes into production at the historic SAAB location in Sweden. It electric sedanwith styling undoubtedly marked by the defunct brand, is the result of a long development started during the Spyker era (owner of SAAB from 2010 to 2012), then continued by NEVS with the support of the Koenigsegg brand, among others. NEVS introduced it at the beginning of the year after many months (or even long years) of silence, announcing that it was looking for an investor to be responsible for its production, due to lack of means to take care of it on its own. So it’s done.
Some additional challenges
If the EV Electra is completely unknown, then its CEO seems to have enough strength to realize his project. But this risks running into several practical pitfalls. First part of the SAAB plant in Trollhättan was converted, and is notably used by Polestar for its research and development division. It then appears that only 20 NEVS staff are still present on the site, which will mean a massive recruitment plan is underway. Finally, it remains to be seen how this sedan will be received, and if it can deliver to offer a competitive price in the face of fierce competition. In the best case scenario, the release of the first copies is not expected for several years.
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Source: Auto Plus
Robert is an experienced journalist who has been covering the automobile industry for over a decade. He has a deep understanding of the latest technologies and trends in the industry and is known for his thorough and in-depth reporting.