2006 Saab 9-5 Base 4dr Sedan on 2040-cars

Auto blog

NEVS Emily GT electric sedan developed by ex-Saab engineers finds a buyer

Even in death, Saab could not rest in peace. In life, the Swedish automaker never managed to get out from between the sales rock and the financial hard place. After GM bought half the company in 1989 and took full control in 2000, the inevitable brand engineering led to cars like a Saab 900 on an Opel platform, a Subaru Impreza rebadged as a Saab 9-2X and a Chevrolet Trailblazer turned into a Saab 9-7x. This went as well as anyone who knew Saab would expect. Come January 2010, Saab was dead. Or rather, Saab had entered a zombie state rebranded as New Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), two Chinese companies in succession buying the automaker's intellectual property, both having to walk away due financial issues at the parent companies. Earlier this year, NEVS showed one of the projects it continued to work on throughout the turmoil, a four-seat battery-electric car called the Emily GT. NEVS said it was looking for a buyer for the project or the entire company. According to Sweden's Auto, Motor und Sport (translated) that broke the story, and further reporting from Saab Planet, the search has succeeded and the Emily will come to life. Saab Planet writes that in March of this year, a Swedish company called Stenhaga Invest bought 80% the the Stallbacka factory and office complex in Trollhattan where Saab used to build its cars, NEVS holding onto the remaining 20%. AMS reported that an as-yet-unknown European investor has signed a letter of intent to purchase two of the 13 projects NEVS said it has been working on, the Emily GT and the PONS, an autonomous shuttle. Svante Andersson, who runs Stenhaga, is reported to have said the unnamed investor is interested in taking control of "a substantial area" of the Trollhattan facilities, "indicating that a significant number of people will be employed in Trollhattan." Back in March, an NEVS engineer said properly funded development could get the Emily GT into production in less than two years. Based on the sports sedan we've been told about, that seems reasonable. Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe announced the Ineos Automotive Grenadier in 2017, showed a concept in 2020, and had a model running the hill at Goodwood in 2021 — four years for a ground-up design. Saab Planet writes that "a timeline for relaunch is expected to be announced after a meeting between the parties involved during week 32," which would be the week of August 7.

NEVS, Dongfeng ready to make more green cars

National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS), the owner of the sorta-still-there Saab automobile brand, has reached a deal with Dongfeng Motor Corp. in which the China-based automaker will help NEVS develop greener vehicles. NEVS and Dongfeng have been working together since July, though the agreement was officially announced Monday. The companies say the agreement relates to so-called "new-energy" vehicles, though neither details of what those new energy vehicles will be nor financial terms were disclosed. But there's long been talk about Saab working on electrified vehicles, so this appears to be a move in the right direction. NEVS has picked a large company as its development partner. As part of the agreement, Dongfeng will speed up the development of advanced powertrains at its plant in Tiajin, China. In return, NEVS will help Dongfeng get distribution in both North America and Europe while helping the Chinese automaker sort through the matrix of developing vehicles that meet regulatory standards in those two regions, which is no easy task. Dongfeng made more than 3.8 million vehicles last year, and has done business with Peugeot, Citroen, Renault, Nissan, Honda, and Kia. Last we reported, NEVS was in the process of reorganization this past winter, and it's unclear how that will impact the relationship with Dongfeng. Also unclear is the status of the Saab brand name. The Saab AB aerospace company is no longer affiliated with the automaker and disputes NEVS using its name, but the NEVS website still highlights the Saab automotive brand. NEVS bought Saab out of bankruptcy in 2012. The latest NEVS press release is available below. Related Video: Nevs and Dongfeng tie-up for long-term strategic cooperation National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (Nevs) and Dongfeng Motor Corporation (Dongfeng) signed a strategic cooperation agreement on August 17, 2015 to achieve global industrial synergies. Since July 2015, Nevs has started working with Dongfeng on complete vehicle development projects to enhance Dongfeng's technical strength and improve Nevs' own development capability. Now both parties have agreed to expand their cooperation from technical development to further business areas such as global purchasing and distribution network. Dongfeng has formed several strategic long term partnerships with other international major car manufacturers including AB Volvo and as a 14 percent shareholder of PSA.

Mahindra eying stake in Saab owner NEVS?

It's ironic that Saab's current vehicle architecture is called the Phoenix platform, because like the mythological bird, the company keeps returning from the ashes. That's right, the embattled Swedish automaker isn't completely dead yet. Again. Actually, it may be facing yet another buyout, and this time, the buyer may be from India.
Less than a month ago, the situation looked ominous for Saab. National Electric Vehicle Sweden, the carmaker's current owner, temporarily shut down 9-3 production at its Trollhättan factory not long after restarting it in the first place. According to Just Auto, it laid off about 100 consultants allegedly linked to problems making June payroll, as well. At the time, Saab claimed that the measures were temporary, and it was negotiating selling part ownership to another automaker.
Those assertions might have some truth behind them, it seems. Indian newspaper The Economic Times reports that Mahindra & Mahindra and an unnamed Asian automaker are negotiating with NEVS to purchase part of the company. It claims that the Indian automaker sees Saab as an opportunity to add a premium brand to its business.