SAAB News: What Trollhättan does not need right now
Somehow, the past 12 months have not been very good for Saab City. No sooner have you gained any hope than the next bad news will follow! For weeks now, it seems that the local press has picked up every little positive message to share with readers. It is now reminiscent of “whistling in the forest”.
Let's talk about the Saab investor NEVS! On Thursday Trollhättan received a visit from its Norwegian twin town Oestfold. The group of visitors was also given a look at the design of the Saab EV-1, because e-mobility is a big topic in Norway. 5000 electric cars roll on Norway's streets, with a vehicle population of 2.4 million. Electric cars are heavily subsidized in Norway and are therefore reasonably successful.
The new logo of the Saab investor was completed within a month, announced Mattias Bergman of NEVS in front of visitors and local press, and a day later, on Friday, was the news in the newspaper. But what should remain the only as a positive message of the week. Both for the Chinese, who are sitting in the Stallbacka in the Saab factory, as well as for Trollhättan.
In the meantime, blogger Swade, founder of Saabsunited and formerly in the service of Saab, had an interview with NEVS spokesman Mikael Östlund. The result is not very encouraging! Because Swade - in contrast to the SU crew - asked the right questions. The result can be swallowed, and reading it several times doesn't make it any better. The interview and reactions have sparked some discussion in the Saab community, and our interpretation of the consequences will come on Monday on the blog.
The thing with NEVS is not developing as hoped. But for Trollhättan it comes, unfortunately, even worse. Volvo Aero, now on sale as GKN, is the largest local employer after the Saab bankruptcy. 2300 people are finding wages there, and with great optimism, the British buyer was greeted a few weeks ago.
The euphoria is gone. Because the costs are too high and productivity too low, as an initial analysis showed. In addition, in the course of the looming crisis, the orders were missing. The bad news came on Friday. 350 of the 2.300 employees have to leave. That hits Trollhättan hard. The beautiful city in Västragötland already has the highest unemployment in Sweden. And more and more jobs are disappearing. So no good Christmas for the city this year either! Yet again…
The story of Volvo Aero has somehow always been linked to that of Saab. Careers moved across the fence, because both companies are close together. Volvo often got orders from neighbors with changing products. Who has a 80er or 90er years Saab with factory-installed auxiliary heater in the garage, should look under the hood. These components came from the neighbor. A Volvo nameplate under the Saab bonnet. Who would have thought that!
Text: tom@saabblog.net
Image: Oliver for saabblog.net
Hello…
the whole thing is a real tragedy ... and unfortunately there is nothing to add to the CIS!
A shame for Sweden and the great brand! For me the whole thing just looks like a neat scribble ... where money has flowed into deep pockets again ... a shame ...
Sleep well SAAB, was a great brand!
it has happened exactly what was feared by the pessimists among us shortly after the takeover:
1)
NEVS has acquired the production know-how, high-quality production equipment and design in order to use them for the Chinese market (ie technology transfer made in China)
2)
NEVS does not matter to SAAB, one has only adopted the name as a marketing argument.
3)
They need a subset where they can build their batteries developed in Japan, which are cheaply produced in China (again technology transfer made in China) - so a fixed paragraph. It seems almost as if one wanted to model the same concept of electric oil, the same concept to electric (e-gas stations on a large scale, etc.) - the cars are only market starter - as an argument per electric, therefore also forcibly higher manufacturing quality.
... but again it is noticeable that said PR man actually knows nothing in-depth, and is briefed only on the published business plan - which still does not have a hand on foot, which leads me back to point 3) ...
The Swedish government and administrators, and not even the best bidder, have made this possible and sold Swedish know-how, production technology, design and the good name to high-unemployment victims in China ... that is a fact, and no one knows why.
Swade faces the truth and says it very clearly. That one is not excited about Nevsunited is quite logical. But said is said and the facts are clear.
Looking forward to the article and your interpretation of Swade's article, Tom.
It has confirmed me in an assumption. The people behind NEVS had ideas / plans long before the purchase and then there was just some brand to buy and they got it. From my point of view, the brand is now being adapted to these ideas and not the other way around. From my present point of view, that doesn't have much to do with “earlier”.